Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-04-17

brium ofthis Government is to be maintained Il
is only to be maintained by enforcing the guar
antees of the Constitution, which was compro
mise made between the States of the North ane
the States of the South, for the protection O
those rights which are now SO grossly assailed
and so greatly invaded. l do not desire to pro
long this debate any further rose simly fol-
the purpose of explaining the reasons why
shall give my vote against the admission Of Min
nesota.
Mr.. Johnson, of Tennessee. Before the Sen
ator from Maryland closes, in order to under
stand rightly very important question involved
in his argument, Iwish to PROFOUND an inquiry
TO him. The Congress Of the United States
having the power, under the Cons titution, pas.
uniform rule Of naturalization. Do / under
stand him as contending that when man has
been made citizen Of the United States by th,
naturalization law Of Congress, any State int
which he may emigrate is compelled to allow
him to vote?
Mr.. KENNEDY. If l understand the gentle
man, have no hesitation in answering his
question. If a man has been naturalized in con
formity with the law of Congress, he clearly
then has the right to vote in any State.
Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee. Then any State
into which he goes is compelled toilet him vote
Mr. KENNEDY. In conformity always with
the municipal laws Of the State; but he mus,
be citizen Of the United States.
Mr. JOHNSON, of Tennessee Has not each
State the power to fix the qualifications of its
votersp Has it not right to impose any pro.
hibition it pleasesP Some of the States of this
Oonfederacy have required a man to be a pro-
perty- holder before he could exercise the cleo
tive franchise. IfaState cannot permit man
to vote until he is citizen, is not the converse
of the proposition equally true--that when he
is citizen, no State can prevent him from vo-
ting? ! say this, not for the purpose of con-
fusiDg the Senator, or interfering with his ar
gument, but in order to be instructed and in
formed on this subject; for desire to under
stand his views If it be true that, when an
individual is once made citizen of the United
States any State into which he goes is com.
PEELED to allow him to vote, what will be the
consequence Of such principleg A free ne
gro coming here from Africa could be natural
lied, if your laws allowed it. AS the natural
ization laws now stand, none but white per-
sons can be naturalized, but suppose those laws
should be amended by striking out the word
"white," couldyou not make every negro who
should emigrate from Africa to the United
States q citizen and, on being made a citizen,
this doctrine, be compelled to let him vote
What would become of Southern rights and
interests under such system? Free negro
emigrants from Africa, being naturalized, might
food the Southern States.
Mr. KENNEDY. If the gentleman will allow
me to 60 on, shall come directly to that point
tits to protect the rights of the Southern States
that take the position which have announced
I o( fba &c 4,
through their State action, should not have
power to direct and control the legislation OF
Congress by violating the naturalization laws
Of the country. The distinguished gentleman
from whose speech i have quoted, and whose
argument is complete on this subject, says on
the very point upon which the Senator has put
the inteTogatory:
But to pass to the question Immediately
before us. This, as have stated, does not
involve the question whether State can make
an alien citizen; but whether Congress has
a right tn prescribe the qualifications to be
possessed by those who shall vote for men,
'bers of convention to form q constitution for
Michigan. Reason and precedent concur that
Congress has the right. 1t has, as have
stated, been exercised in every similar case
If the right does not exist in Congress, itexists
nowhere. A Territory, until it becomes q
State, is dependent community, and pos
'sesses no political rights but what are derived
from the community on which it depends.
Who shall or shall not exercise political pow
err aud what shall be the qualifications pos
'sessed by them2 and how shall they be APP
'pointedi are all questions TO be determined
by the paramount community; and, in the
case under consideration to be determined
by Congress, which has the right, under the
Constitution, to prescribe all necessary rules
sfor the government Of the Territories, not
inconsistent with the provisions Of the Con-
'stitutioD. .. $500
"This very bill, in fact, admits the right 1t
prescribss that the people OF Michigan shall
vote for the convention to form her constitn-
'tion on becoming State. IL il belongs to the
Territory of Michigan (she is not yet STATED
to determine who shall vote for the members
of the convention, this attempt on our. part TO
designate who shall be the voters would be an
unconstitutional interference with her right,
and ought TO be objected 10 rs such, by those
opposed TO our views But il on the other
band, the view / take be correct, that the right
'belorgs 10 Congress, and not to the Territory,
'the loose, vague, and indefinite manner in
which the voters aredescribcd in the bill az
fords decisive reason for its recommitment
Il ask, who's arc the people Of Michiganf Taken
lin the ordinary sense, it means every body, Of
every age, of every sex, Of every complexion,
white, black, or red, aliens rs well as citizens
Regarded in this light, to pass this bin would
sanction the principle that Congress may au-
'thorize an alien to vote, or confer that high
privilege on the runaway slaves from Ken
lucky, Virginia, or elsewhere; and thus elevate
them to the dignity OF citizens, enjoying under
'tbe Constitution all the rights and privileges
in the States Of the Union which appertain to
citizenship" aq
Again he said: tf) 81 wH
"My colleague insists that TO deny the right
for which he contends would be to confer on
Congress the right Of prescribing who should
or who should not be entitled to vote in the
State, and exercise the other privilege belong
ing to citizens; and portrayed in strong Lam
'guage the dangers to the rights Of the States
from such authority. Ifhis views are correct
in this respect, the danger would indeed be
imminent butt cannot concurin their correct
mess. Under the view which have taken,
the authority of Congress is limited toabo
simple point ofpassing uniform laws ofnatural
ization, or, as have shown, simply to remove
alienage. To this extent it may clearly go,
under the Constitution; and it is no less clear
that v cannot 60 an inch beyond, withoutpal-
Pably transcending its powers and violating
A Al ~