The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-02-03

class of Africo- European blood, i would
not, hence, forbid him letters, forbid him
property, forbid him all opportunity and
manly motive, but would more sedulous-
ly guard his rights, more patiently de-
velop his manhood. Let the tyrant
slandor his victim and excuse his tyran-
ny by his own effects, but let no Christ
ian or Democrat thus defle the inner
sanctum of his faith.
This court has undertaken to outraw
large class of free American citizens.
By its wicked edict they are, for the
first time, turned out of the Federal
courts; banished the public domain by
denying preemptions; robbed of their
property in interventions by refusing
patents; cut off from foreign travel, ex-
cept as permanent wanderers, without ma
tionallty; and deprived of every consti-
tutional guarantee of personal rights. 1t
has hardly been surpassed in atrocity
since that celebrated revocation, con-
signing the Protestants of France to
dungeons or exile, or those black enact
ments outlawing the Catholics of Ire
land; and 1 thank God for putting it in-
to the heads of the weak men who issued
it to attempt to justify their act, to lay
bare their nakedness, that the shock Civ
en- our moral sense by the edict itself may
be avenged by our contempt for its pat
ent malice and the weak and far-fetched
reasons which sustain it.
We are told in substance, in this opin-
ion, that the descendants of African
slaves cannot be citizens of the United
States; that though they may be citizens
of each State, yet, by some unwritten un-
derstanding, they were intended to be
excluded from the operation fthe Con-
ititntion of the United States; were not
in that instrument referred, to as either
people or citizens; and no States. can
make them general citizens.
Passing for time the falsehood of the
assumed fact viii first inquire into the
nature of citizenship, and especially that
of the United States, and the power of
tie States over it.
Confusion in the meaning Of the term
citizen is often created by referring to
its use in the old Republics. The words
translated citizen were originally used to
designate the privileged inhabitants of
the chief city and their immediate de-
scendants Aristotle, the apostle of con-
seryative democracy, defines citizen to
be one born of citizens parents, who has
right to participate in the judicial and
execntive part of government. He con-
dems their engaging in servile employ
ment; "For," says he, sit is impossible
for one who lives the life of a mechanic
or hired servant, to practice life OF vlr-
tue." (Aris, on Gov, 80
The citizens of the Grecian Republics
were but minority of the people of even
the ruling city, and though Rome great
Iy extended citizenship beyond the mar
row bounds of Grecian policy, still, un-
til long after the term ceased to have
any practical significance, it was confined
to very limited class of Roman people,
scarcely extending beyond the walls. OF
the city. True, within the city, In the
days cf her earlier glory, Rome was liber
al, confering citizenship upon. the eman-
cipated slave as well as his master, yet the
ciris of the Republic, as with the Greek,
politics possessed rather the double signi-
fcation of burgher in reference to the
town, and elector in reference to the
State, and is only rendered citizen from
our want of a corresponding word.
But we use not the word in its legal
sense, as one of aristocratic or municipal
distinction, to designate the descendants
of the original settlers of Bostons, or
Jamestown, or any other original city,
nor such other Inhabitants of the provin-
ces as have acquired the {: freedom of the
city. 1t no longer means electors, or
those enrolled in the national or city
gaurds, but it is simple transfer of, or
substitute for, the word subject. BY the
Declaration of Independence the subjects
of King George became citizens of the
several States; so by the inauguration of
the French Republic les s,yets ofLouis be
came ze citoyeas of France. Though in
common and loose language We all speak
of electors merely as citizens, yet in the
most liberal States all citizens-as women
and children-are not electors, and some
aliens are made. electors. The terms are
not all synonymous or convertible,
though closely connected.
1 speak not now of those native in
habitants subjected to servitude, and up
on whose persons may be committed
with impunity all the crimes of the de-
calogue. Upon them, whether of Euro
pean, Indian, or African descent, socie-
ty wages eternal war. They are constant
prisoners, grinding in the prison-house
of bondage, and it matters little, while
thus subjected, whether we call them cit
izens or not.
But, with this exception, if it be an
exception, citizenship is opposed simply
to alienage. As in monarchies, all per-
sons are either subjects or alters, SO in
our Republic all are either citizens OF
aliens. This idea of citizenship is the
only one tangible, the only one that vii
stand moment the test of criticism; and
1 defy gentleman to give me definition
of the term th at shall not embrace all the
native and naturalized members Of the
community. It was the only idea known
in our better days. Section two of arti.
Gle three, and section eleven of the
amendment to the Federal Constitution
speak of citizen and subject as convert,
BILE terms By the Articles of Confeder
alton citizenship in the several State:
was expressly granted to the " free in
habitants " of each State, and it vii
hardly be pretended that the boon wople
be extended to the natives of other State
beyond ats enjoyment at homo, Thi
;deo ia clearly stated by Chief JusSic,