The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-04-22

| uACot 40 ~ VIZ WIN snc pSoPi~' =" WV
pres can fix the qualifications Of voter in
Q State, does 1t not control the sovereignty
Of the State! II you can fix the qualifca-
tons to entitle man to 60 to the ballot-box
from which law and order emanate, from
which the State itself emanates, d not that
taking control Of the sovereignty ofthe State
into the hands Of the Congress Of the United
States. If it be true that Congress can fix
the qualification Of voter 10 a State, OF
course the moment Congress, by making .
man citizen, qualities him for voter, it
| follows, his qualification being fixed, that
every State is bound, under the constitution,
| to let him vote. To this cannot consent.
The courts have decided that free negroes
are not citizens. Now suppose you should
pass naturalization law authorizing free
negroes to become citizens of the United
States is there any one here in the Senate
/ of the United States who will assert, or
who, having asserted, will sustain on sound
reason the proposition that State could
not pass a law excluding free negro from
the ballot box, because you had made him
citizen Of the United States? Suppose o
State requires voter to be a property hold
CT; has it not right to do SO? | mention
this merely to test the principle. am my
self in favor of the fullest extension of the
the election franchise on correct principles
But take your own State, Mr.. President
/ (Mr. Biggs in the Chair my native State :
how long has it been since you have seen
citizens coming up to the ballot box voting
at one poll for Senators by property holders
and all the citizens voting at another poll
! for the commons? They were all citizens of
the United States and il this doctrine be
'"trre, North G1rJfirz had ito figGt, either by
/ her constitution or her laws, TO fix any quail
lficaton preventing citizen from voting.
The Senator from Maryland wants to pu-
rify the ballot box a great object with him
is TO restrain foreigners, to require them to
live in the country certain number of years
and be familiar with the natuae and charac-
ter and genius of the Government, before
becoming citizens. With view of purify
ing the ballot box he is now striking at for
eigners; but suppose the opposite idea to
that which he entertans should obtain the
ascendency; what then? five can require
/ them TO stay here five years or twenty years
before being naturalized, can we not allow
them to be naturalized in twenty-five min
utes or in twenty-five days? Can we tell
where a desire for ascendency may carry a
dominant party' 1t may be the policy of a
party in the ascendency at one time to make
men who come to the United States citizens
in twenty days after they get here. 1t may
be the policy OF party in power at some
time to encourage the immigration OF ma
tives Of Africa, to naturalize them, TO make
them citizens and push them into the States
to take charge of the ballotbox throughout
the South. protest against this doctrine
1t is blow at State sovereignty; it is the
assertion of power that will sweep away
forever every vestige Of State sovereignty
1t ought to be repudiated and put down,
care not whether it comes in the name Of
Know Nothingism, or Americansm, or un
der any other plausible name, in which you
think proper to present it. 1t is a heresy
in my honest opinion, to talk about the Fed
cral Government fixing the qualification OF {
voter in State.
When you turn TO the Constitution OF tn,
United States, do you not find that it pro
ceeds on the very idea that il is matter
within the control OF the States to fix tn,
qualifications of voters? The Constitution
provides that members of the House o
Representatives shall be elected by thos,
persons in each State who are qualified b,
the laws OF the State to vote for members o
the most numerous branch of its Legislature
thus c0nceding the exclusive power of tn
States to fix the qualification OF voters with
in.their limits. We make the issue upol
Minnesota or any other State; but do W,
not see where the doctrine would carry US
In all doubtful questions, in the language o
the illustrious Jefferson, let us pursue prin
ciples. There is great principle Of Stat
pursue il, What becomes, let me ask. o
the resolutions of the Old Dominion Of 1875
and 1899, when she took bold ground agains
the alien law! Was it not because tina
was an assertion of power on the part Of tn,
Federal Government to 90 inside of u STATE
and interfere with rights of citizenship So
cured under State authority? One of tn,
main points covered by these resolutions wa
denial OF the exercise of the power to g
{ inside ola sovereign State and interfere will
privileges conferred upon its citizens by tn,
oeoNc- iiow tdu VIC Opj'Ct ~ auh'ittiHE
: State into the Union because she chooses Il
allow foreigners who have lived there six Of
twelve months to vote? II | were in
body fixing the qualification of voters,
would allow none TO vote in the Unite,
States, in the States or Territories, unit
I they were citizens but that is a question Il
be fixed by each State for itself My owl
State, in her constitution, requires all hei
voters 10 he citizens of the United States
but We claim the power TO fix that matter
and deny il to the Federal Government
We say that Congress has no such right
that ii belongs to us, not you.
do not want to consume time or protrac
this discussion, or keep Minnesota ont OF The
Union but repeat again. il this ioctrin,
be carried out, aud the Opposition in prin
ciple get the ascendcncy, they might. il they
were so disposed--I do not impute il "a
them change the naturalization laws from