Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-05-13

| Con- NUNICATED.
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State Rights vs.. Gov. Smith.

! 1t seems that there are found in the ~ el.
! low and Green. issued at the Alexandria
Gazette Office some Of those straight for
ward. hard listed truths, which might he more
c"ngenial with some peoples equanimity t.
pass bv unnotced than meet them face T.
face But the funniest part Of the criticism
upon the "Bezonian" tract, is the strained
effort to invoke the agis Of Calhoun name
and fame, to shield Gov. Smith from the
righteous judgment that the people are about
pronouncing against him, for his deserton OF
State Rights.
! But did the lamented Calhoun ever main
tain that Congress had the right to invade
the State Sovcreignty-and dictate to il the
inexorable standard for the qualifications OF
voters? Never, no never. In the published
works of Mr.. Calhoun he is represented, i'll
speaking upon the admission Of Michigan in
to the Union, in 1896, as questioning the
right Of State "to make ana alien citizen Of
the State" Yet in that same speech, Mr..
Calhoun protested that the point at issue be-
fore the Senate was, mot whether a State or
territory has Il right to make an alien citi-
zen: but whether Congress has a right to
prescribe the qualifications of the voters for
members of the Convention to form Constr
tuition, preparatory to the admission OF a ter
ritory into the Union" He says: Il regret
that my colleague has thought proper TO
raise the question, whether State has a
right to make an alien citizen Of the State.
1T is not necessarily involved in the present
question" In passing to the main question
before the Senate, Mr.. Calhoun briefly examin-
ed the side issue raised 10y his Colleague Mr..
I Preston, as to whether State has right 10
make a alien an citizen of the State, and
argued against such right. But he never
urged as an objection to admitting Michigan
into the Union the fact that her Constitu-
ton recognized alien suffrage. Much less
did he ever recognize the monstrous doctrine
that Congress should step in and decide the
question The idea that Mr. Calhoun favor
ed such federal usurpation, is simply prepos-
ferrous No, the call upon the sage of South
Carolina for succor is quite tutile-but II Il
call is made in the opposite dlrecton-cali
upon Massachusetts for help in this the hour
Of 1.-THE Governors" need, and you may get
plenty of help!
So far from that distinguished Statesman
directing to the admission Of Michigan Oh
the ground of the alien suffrage clause, he
in fact offered substitute for the bill al
hitting Michigan, without any objection to
the alien suffrage clause i'll her constitution
And in 1913, Mr. Calhoun voted directly in
favor of the alien suffrage principle, In the
CLAYTON Compromise bill for the organza-
ton of certain territorial governments that
passed the Senate Indeed, Mr.. Calhoun
was member Of the committee which re-
ported the following provision without his
objection, and iol which he voted III Isis
That every free white male inhabltant
above the age Of twenty-one years, who shall
have been a resident of said Territory at the
time Of the passage of this act shall be rnti
tied to vote at the first election, and shall he
eligible 30 any Office i'll said Territory: but
the qualifications Of voters, and oi holding
office, at all subsequent elections, shall be
such H. shall hr prescribed hy the Legisla
tive asscmbly-Provided that the right Of
suffrage. and Of holding Office, shall be- ex"r-
cised only by citizens Of the United states,
and those irhO shall hare declared 0ah
their infrnhoH Ia becUme $Uch, Gnd maH hdrr
h.Een an onh 10 Snppon Tie Constitution Of
m" Fhited states and Me prot'S'"hS Of ms
icf'
Now, what say you. "Brzoni;n, speak. y
Never again Try To couple the nam" OF John
e.. Calhoun with Coy Smith in his war upon
State Rights. WALLACE.