Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-09-03

# all nations and of all races can look WIN
confidence.
r4r mAssACHUSKTT AMENDMENT
But It is said that in Massachusetts,, New
England State, an amendment was adopeo
70 the State Constitution lengthenins ue uno
for the naturalization OF foreigners.
Be it so, and what does it prove ahele
are in the State of Massachusetts, 4O,ooo De
voters. The whole vote by wMcn
the anti. foreign amendment was carried was
but about $4,000. 1t is hence apparent that
e the Democrats had all voted against the
amendment it would have been defeated by
majority equal to the difference between IT. |
600 and 40, 900 votes
Hence, if there was any culpability it rests |
as much upon the shoulders of the Democra-
CIV as of anybody else.
But the proper manner in which to view
this matter is as one of LOCALITY. 1t arose
from LOCAL feeling. 1t had a LOCAL end in
view. and it sough int that end by LOCAL means.
If any of the Republicans of Massachusetts,
supported that amendment, they did SO as
apostates from the platform of their party,
and they have been rebuked by the leading
Republicans not only of Massachusetts, but
of all parts of the Union. Why, then,
should the Republican party of the Nation be
held responsible for the acts Of single local.
ity?
But, as we said before, it remains to be
proved, that the obnoxious amendment was
not carried by the votes of the Democrats OF
Massachusetts,, as it certainly could have been
defeated by their united resistance if they had
been disposed to resist it. The distinctive
Republicans are in a minority in that State
The Republican Senator, Henry Wilson, Of
Massachusetts,, both wrote and spoke earnest
" against its adoption. So did other Repub-
lcan statesmen, as well as the distinctive Re
publican press. But their efforts were Tor
the time being futile against the strength OF the
Know Nothings openly used, and that OF the
Democrats secretly cast, to secure the trl-
umph of the measure of prescription.
THE SIMILAR TWO YEARS PRO.
SCRiPTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
But it is also a well known fact that the
Democratic State of South Carolina in the
month of December, 1856, set the example to
Massachusetts, of prescribing foreign-bor cit
liens from the exercise of the elective fran
chise for two years after their becoming " cit
liens" by naturalization. In the leading De-
mocratic paper of South Carolina, the
Charleston Mercury, of July 18th, 1859, the
following article was published, giving clear
idea of the two years prescription law ex-
listing in that State. 1t will be seen that it
contains the retraction of Mr.. Deputy Secre-
tary Hunt of the statements in his letter to
the Germania newspaper of Ohio, and the
testimony of the Mercury and the Southern
Guardian, both leading Democratic papers,
and the latter the party organ at the State
Capital, to the effect that in 1856 an amend
ment to the State Constitution was proposed
in a Legislature unanimously Democratic, and
was finally adopted, which is exactly the same
as the Massachusetts, amendment Read
From the Charleston Mercury, July 1s.
THE NATURALIZATION LAWS OF SOUTH CARO-
LIMA.
When we copied the opinion of Mr.. VIM.
r. Hunt Deputy Secretary of State, we were
aware that it was incorrect, but courtesy Sug-
gested that we should not attack or deride it
until Mr.. HUNT, was heard from. We, there
fore, gave it the benefit of our circulation,
which, by favor of the Southern Guardian, at
Columbia, has brought out the following card
from Mr.. HUNT, and very interesting COM
munication on the subject from contributor
to that journal.
The bill, which became portion of the con-
stitutlon by its passage December 90, 1856,
was introduced in the House of Representa-
tives by Capt E. NJ Whiting, of the Charles
ton delegation. 1t was first enforced in this
city at the election for Mayor, 1857.
From the Southern Guardian.
We copied paragraph yesterday which
we found in the Mercury, relative to the nat
uralization laws of this State, giving the opin-
ion of Mr.. HUNT, Deputy Secretary of State,
in reply to some inquiries made of him. 1t
will be seen, by the card of Mr.. Hunt and the
communication in another column, that the
former inadvertently made mistake, and
that, hereafter, at State elections, those who
have become naturalized since the passage OF
the law, will have to be two years citizens be-
tore they can vote.
OFFICE SECRETARY OF STATE
Columbia, s. c., July IA, 1859.
notice in your issue of to-day letter of
mine to the editor of the Gernaania, Cleve-
land, Ohio, in reply to an inquiry of his,
whether there was law in existence in your
State, DISTINGUISHING foreigner for term of
two years after he has received his certificate
of naturalization" made by me. As it is not
incumbent upon this Office to cxpound the
laws of this State, merely examined, in the
midst of Office business, the subject so far as
it is treated in "Miller's Compilation" not
thinking of the act our Legislature passed in
December, 1856. You will therefore oblige
me by publishing the note and the act of
1856, which explains itself
WILLIAM r. HUNT,
Deputy Secretary of State.
The following is portion of the " Commu-
nication referred to, as published in the South
ern Guardian
An article taken from the Mercury, stating
that a foreigner can vote in South Carolina as
soon as naturalized, is erroneous, and ought
to be corrected.
1.-THE history of our legislation is as fol-
lows: Up to 1890, when our present consti-
tuition was adopted, the qualifications of vot
ers were fixed by act of Assembly and by
A A. 1904 ed Stat. p. 253) an alien could
vote, if, in addition to owning property, &C.,
he had resided in the precinct three months.
BY A. A. 1884 q Stat. p. GOD two years
citizenship was required BY the constitution
of 1890, being citizen at the time, and hav-
ing resided two years, was sufficient In
1910 property qualification of voter (three
oAAiiASS SsSAAi5 SsA paul Woo ooOhohCu, oiIu
in 1856 our constitution was amended as fol-
lows
Be it enacted by the Senate of the House
of Representatives, now met and sitting in
General Assembly, and by the authority of
the same, that the amendment of the fourth
section of the first article of the constitution
of this State, ratified on the nineteenth day of
December in the year of our Lord one thous-
and eight hundred and ten, be altered and
amended to read as follows Every free white
man of the age of twenty -one years, paupers
and non commissioned officer s and pri-
vate soldiers of the army of the United
States excepted, who hath been citizen
and resident in this State too gears precious to
the day Of election, and who hath freehold of
fifty acres of land or town lot, of which he
hath been legally seized and possessed at
six months before such election, or not having