Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-26
portion Of the lcitizens. sncb portion as NAV

be excluded for want of freehold or other
qualification requisite" in the several States
In some of them, at the time the Constitution
was formed, all citizens not possessing free
hold'' were excluded. while in others other
qualifications were requisite for electors of
the most numerous branch of the Legisla-
ture." In some all citizens were allowed 20
vote; in none. however was the right granted
to sHratsvdfizcd foreigners Snch thought as.
allowing aliens TO take part in the election of
members OF Congress never seems to have oc-
Cured to the Convention. The word saquali-
heat1ons was unquestionably intended to
limit, to restrict, to confine the body of voters
to such portions of the citizens as were allowed
to vote in the several States while the words
1.-The people of the several Sraiesn absolutely
excluded all others, because the aliensexere
mo part of the sovereignty, owing il no al
leglanee. and under no obligations to de-
fend it-r
Upon this point, fortunately. we are not
left 20 conjecture. The whole debate In Con-
vention on the adoption of this section of the
Constitution is before US; and it throws a
flood of light upon this question. Here is its
substance Governor Morris moved to strike
out of this section the clause relating to
qualifications" and to insert instead that
none but .'freeholders, should vote The de-
bate then turned wholly upon this precise
issue Mr.. Wilson opposed the motion of Mr.
Morris. on the ground that it would be ..hard
and disagreeable to exclude from voting
those who vote for Representatives in the
State Legislature. Mr.. Ellsworth said .'the
people will not readily subscribe to the Ma
tional Constitution if it should subject them
to be disfrancAisad'' Colonel Mason said,
''eight or nine States have extended the right
of suffrage beyond .freehoLders. What will the
people there sag If they should be disfranclised 20
Mr. Butler "opposed dJridgeaest." Mr.. Dick
inson supported the amendment, advocating
restriction of the right" of suffrage Ito free
holders" Mr.. Madison said: 1.-THE right of
sGtfrag e is certainly one of the fundamental ar
ticles Of Republican Government, and ought not
20 he left to be regulated by the legislature"
whether the constitutional qualification ouqht
10 be dfreehoIa would with him depend much
on the reception such a charge would meet
with by the people," &c. ''In several of the
States freehold was noaO the gualifoation.''
''Dr. Franklin was opposed to 1.-THE elected
narrowing the linaits of the electors Mr. Mpr-
Ger objected to the footing on which the gesali-
ticdfion was put. Mr.. Rutlege opposed 1.-The
dea OF restraining the right OF suffrage to the
freeholders." E
Thus the whole body of debaters saw in the
world qualification nothing but restriction
Laitdtion, ndrroaciRg the hints Of the electors--
The final conclusion was to narrow the limits
only where the States had themselves ex-
pussy uOut co--tudt is. every WDeTe 10 let
those citizens vote for Representatives IN
Congress who were permitted to vote for
members of 'the most numerous branch of
the State Legislature. But the idea of let
ting aliens vote is not only excluded absolute
ly by the first clause of the section combining
the right to the people" or citizens, but
from the whole tenor of the debate it is
manifest that it did not enter the brain of
any solitary member of the Convention.
In 1nf nnCs nd
that Congress can look into the constitution
of State asking for admission further than
TO see that ii is republican, and not in con-
tict with that of the United States; or that
the General Government can regulate the
right of suffrage in the States Far from it.
1t is the right of every State to determine
who OF its own citiz ms shall vote for every
office; and in regard to officers strictly
municipal the States may constitutianally, il
they choose. permit aliens to vote. But.
whilst the States may confer upon aliens
rights Of citizenship IN matters prtaining erclusire
TO the State. they connot constitute the status
OfcitiZenship; they cannot convert aliens into
citizens, Chat power having been conferred by
the Constitution upon Congress alone) and
they cannot, therefore, give to aliens the
rights Of citizenship in matters pertaining 10 the
Federal GoUer7aBaent.
But to give to aliens the right to vote for
case in the Oregon constitution gives them
incidentally power of control over every
department of the General Government: and
therefore II Is our duty to resist this innoya-
ton upon the rights of the General Govern
mant AT the very threshold. As the people
framed and the States ratified the General
Government as it is constituted, they are
bound by every consideration of good faith
TO stand by II, In its letter and spirit. Whilst
apI,rl 10 Of fhn Gt,t a
served, should be sednlously maintained.
those rights which have been conceded to the
General Government should not be ruthlesSly
ignored. Especially is this true with regard
TO those elemental principles upon which
rests its self-preservation. The General Gov
ernment stands between us and all foreign
innovation or invasion. 1t was established
by the citizens of the United States for their
Oacn benefit and the benefit of those who are to
become citizens by birthright or naturaliza-
ton. In all elective Governments. in all ages.
from the time of the Grecian RepubIics down
to our own time. the right of suffrage has
| been held TO belong to none but citizens This
| fundamental principle of self-preservatinn
having been fully granted TO our General
Government il is unwise and unsafe TO ign
ore il, and thoughtlessly give the destinies of
such Government into the hands # those
who " owe it no allegiance " have no right
~ Si''ih Tvs fVteStlOuy OF even ID present
/ to it a petition"
When State has once been admitted into
the Union, with such provisions as that point
ed out In the Oregon Constitution, the under
signed would not counsel coercion by the
Federal Government to bring about a
! change. But when Territory asks to put
on the garb of State sovereignty and to
be admitted into the Union, is, in his judg-
ment, the precise point of time at which to
! make this issue. Such proposed State
should be required to conform Ito use the
language of Mr.. Madison.) to the 'funda-
mental articles of republican government
particularly shat great first article which
regards Republic" Ito use the language of
Mr.. jeff rson) as "a Government BIZ is citizens
~ mass" In this particular the Oregon con
siitution Is not ouly republican" bat is in
direct conflict with the Constitution of the
United States. For this and the foregoing
reasons the undersigned if constrained TO With
hold his assent from the bill admitting Ore
gOn into the Union.