The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-03-25

( Consequently, no State, since the adoption of
the Constitution, can, by nauralizing an alien,
invest him with the rights and privileges secu-
red to citizen of State under the Federal
, Government" &c.
There the gentleman stops, with the sentence
unfinished, at comma. The Chief Justice goes
right on with these words
salthough, so far as the State alone was concern
ed, be would undoubtedly be entitled to the
rights OF citizen, clothed with all the rights
and immunites which the constitution and laws
of the State attached to that character"
In this the Supreme Court says, and says tru-
ly, that no State can make an alien BY birth
citizen of the United States-that is the exclu-
Sive right of Congress; but that each State may
clothe an alien with all the privileges and rights
they see fit, within their own jurisdiction and
limits. The right of suffrage, the right TO de-
clare who shall vote at elections, is expressly
reserved in the Constitution Of the United States
| to each State. This Govera meut cannot inter-
tere with that power. 1t is the last right |
would have the States surrender for upon it
Festi all the great bulwarks OF State rights; and
should it ever be surrendered, 40 yestge OF
State rights would remain.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER. The comments Of
the gentleman from Georgia upon that point of
my report would produce the impression that |
have acted unfairly.
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia. do not say
that. | cannot, however, be interrupted. |
have barely time sufficient t-
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER. But let me make this !
statement. will not be TWO minutes.
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia, Be brief !
will give you two minutes, bat no more.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER [ was enforcing the |
position, as asserted by the court, that a State |
could not confer upon unGatnralized foreigners |
the rights Of citizenship, SO far as the Federal /
Government was Concerned and, therefore, |
quoted only that portion of the sentence found |
in The decision, which showed that to be the po-
sition of the Court That portion of the sem
tence is this.
Mr.. STEPHENS, ofGeorgia. | cannot yield
any further. | have already read it.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER. Let me add the sim
gle remark that, in my report, l distinctly con-
CURED with the court in the naming poF-
ton of that sentence that, SO far as 'the State
atone was concerned, - the State had the right
to confer rights Of citizenship upon unnatnraii-
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia. IT woul have
been much better understood, if the gentleman
had quoted the whole of it, and given his con-
currence in the whole as it stands And !
must be permitted to say, that ic concurring IN
the whole of that decision as stands, he Yields
the whole question. If State has the night
to confer upon aliens all the rights of its own
citizens so far as she is concerned, certainly the
right of suffrage is included
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFRR That is, so far as The
State alone is concerned.
Mr.. STEPHENS, Of Georgia. Exactly :
The State has the control of the right OF suffrage
wIthG her limits and under her laws, accor- ,
ding 10 the decision of the Supreme Court
She can say who may vote for all her officers
who tOE Governor and who for her State Sem
ate and who for her House of Representatives !;
and then the Constitution of The United States
provides that the members of this
House shall be chosen or voted for by those IN :
each STATE who, by the constitution and laws of :
eech State are entitled 10 vote tor the most nu-
merous branch of the State Legislature. In ad Il
mltting that each State may allow an alien to /
vote for members of the most numerous branch n
of their own Legislature the gentleman yields Il
this entire question. The language in Ctaei n
Justice Taney's decision Immediately proceed g
Ing that quoted by the gentleman in his report, Il
is IN these words: A
"Nor have the several States surrendered The Il
power of comforting these rights and Prl- P
Vileges, by adopting the constitution of the n
United States. Each State may still confer n
hem upon an alien, or any one it thinks proper v
or upon any class or description OF persons .
yet he would not be citizen in the sense in r
which that word is used in the constitution of il
he United States, nor entitled to sue as such L
n one OF its courts, nor 10 the privileges aud II
of a citizen in the other States. The 81
lights which he would acquire would be re- II
tricted to the State which gave them" ii
Then comes the gentleman's quotation. And Il
rom the whole the principle is clear, that II
zach State may, if she chooses, confer the right Ii
II citizenship within her own limits and urls CT
fiction, upon an alien. But, without natural al
cation under the laws of the United States, this W
viii not give him the right OF citizenship in g
my respect outside OF that State. In it, his er
lights of citizenship may be as full and COM v;
olete as those ofthe native born. pi
But did not intend TO argue this point. OF
lid that at the last session, on the Minnesota
ill. In that argument, l gave the history OF he
his question of alien suffrage in the Territories. ye
have nothing to add to what | then said =
barely refer to it now, that it may be conSld- tn
red as part and parcel of what | would say ht
IN the same points, if my time allowed, to-day. a
)f the Presidents who, in some form or shape, "
lad given The principle their sanction, either IN pc
he Territories or States, on their admission, / A
FAMED Washington, the elder Adams, Jefferson, th
Madison; Jackson, Polk, Fillmore, and Pierce al
nd to this list may now be added that OF Bu- e
hanan, who signed the Minnesota bill. m,
MY colleague Mr.. Hull yesterday alluded ol
o what MIR. Calhoun said on ths subject IN be
$50. commented upon that last year. ou
ould not 6nd that speech of Mr.. Calhoun in the OF
1obe or any parliamentary record in the coun-