Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-29

from the Confederate States permanent Co
stitution, to which | referred in my remark
lev minutes ago. 1t is important that Q;
aotlon should cc':form 10 that clause Is far I
possible.
Tie first ciau.c OF section 9, article l, of th
Peinanert Constitution of tho Confederate
States reads:
''Tae House OF Representatives shall l.
composed OF members chosen every secon
year by tho people Of the several States, an
the electors in each Slate shall be ci!;z=ns c
the Confederate States, and have the qralii'
cations requisite for electors Of the most nu
merous branch Ct the State Legislature; but nj
person of fforejgu birth, not cltz.n Of The Con
federate States, shall be allowed to vote fn
any officer, civil or political, State or Federal.
Thus it will be seen that the voters 10 choos:
members Of Congress have to DO citizens O
the Confederate States. The Confederate Con
2ress has full r. 51rofar :tat matter, end Ts
| nave Yielded ); 10 lem.
5[r. WYsol. Il desire 10 read al smenf:..trt
:Thich | propcse q. tho proper tine % offer.
hope it will recoacils all opinions UPON this
subject. ,.-,ort rb,,,
1.-The f.l9 1,ss, sos,;in nh.n''
/ .-n,,,J ~ Nr The eI.d 'of the nrSt ScctIUf
''UF any ci,i iZ"!. nstrralztd after the close
.: It's ?r":"nt F'sr, unless 10 shall have been
~ "a:ui:'.2 h! IL enty cae years before be ctsrS
10 vote"
Mr. Ti:LnwAY-Ii IL ~ 10 order, will ao--
ccpt that III lrli cf 80, amendment.
III. PRESIDENT gentleman cen do sc
by gelvl.! consent. This Chair hearing no ob.
jection, will regard tha, as the sense Of the
House
NJ. TTlgr.-I really hu2r gTes! difficulty il
c0rr!rg 10 satisfactory CONCLUSION u2on this
subject. ~ca!d i:kr very wsil to adopt the
quaiiic.t:oH in reference to aliens who may
b=c,no citizeIs hereafter, which has been sug
,gested by the gentleman over the way lMr.
ruEDwAv) requiring the actual possession of
and md Ownership Of Slaves; beca;;se,
witl. li,at identity Q! interest, should be very
SIiiiug to trus; any man WITH tbs right Ct cili
:snshlp E7erv man is governed, mGTe or
kss, by the irGncrcc Of hi.: iptsreata; and il
riteres; IS thus Invested, yoa lava The oc-t
security, although. even that migE: prove
s,metiU.rs deceptive that lie vii. s!ai; :,:de y
Gde with ynu.
Bot difficulty arisea ia another view, 80
What you will to secure yorr:ae.i s.:a'::..: Re
possible i;huI which yea aS,a =: d=:u Ct.
Iou must always remember, .'r, ,a:t :hc StAie
q Virginia is 4 ncun- Of lie Confederate
Government, sad that sou arr living uader
Confederate Constitution. beg leave, before
arrive al tie particular point which was at
the ,nomen, in iiis iainl, 10 give you Eonc
reason wh: ,ho ,'GagreSs-tne o:d rs well Is
the ne;r- ~, been invested with the powcr
70 pass uniform laws Of naturalization.
1t bec.n.c rdi-prnsably necessary that ,a:.t
po~e: a,&;!It ha conferred upoE Congress, tcr
otilcrv;c ;ho States would inevitably pass
laws H. CART Ct With each other An anxious
desire might exist 20 make citizens Us rapidly
as possible, in order 10 increase their rclallvc
political power and thus The States would ua-
derbid each other by diminishing tho period
Of residence tcf9ce naturalization leading 10
cjni:ct by laws upon this subject. which
would necessarily heset iacoGTenlcTc!es and
embarrassment You Cannot III i Confederate
government mango utt'.irs precisely as you
c.n in individual associations. You will thus
perceive :h:,. this power had not been con-
:arred iprr Congress, Virginia might have re-
qui:;d r:sic:cEee Of I've years before confer
-r:y ia right nf citizenship, while our sister,
Nar.h :!aImiina, lor example, m:-':i Gr e7a'h"-
pcrcd She might adopt The term ot two
wears, ie order TO undcrb:d US, and add to
her wcslsh and power | mention this 70
snow yea the Indispensable necessity tina: eX
iitet 10 confer ucor the Confederate Congress
the pa~r: 20 pass uniioTr !a@S Of EGtrTaiiz -
lou, so shat Eirainis could not move in thaS
particular faster ;han any other State in the
Uoniedcracy. That is the derivator OF that
power in the Constitution Of The cd govern.
men. as well as Of the ne1.
But, sir, The fathers OF our SYSTEM 0: gov
crnnlent took OCCASION, AID we have taken
similar occasion, to make in the Constitution
provision which has direct bearing upon the
question nIt: li.der consideration, which de-
cil,ca .naL Inc citizens Of one State shall pos
sess ard crioy all the rights, privileges aid
inmunitcs .; ci:iZcrs in the several States
Wen you como to apply tha: provision, now
wall i: operate upon the States? Why, ti'at
rach S.ate mus; be satisfied to CONFORM her
action 70 the Confederate State laI. In our
hostility ,.~&7,;s the Northern Government
and our r!es7s to exclude lis people from all
future sssociatian wi;i us, no may 10. stop
long eGoush IL consider Zoe poliiico ecnnomi
tsl q'.rs1.Ja in connection with this matter;
bu: ,t y c;r duty to pause and consider the
obligations ;injtr which re rest TO the laws
snd Constitution Of the Confederate States
Government. That Constitution ard the laws,
pissed il pursuance thereof, are SUPREME and
iiiJc al! State la1s.
Surrs.c that one Of your sister States, or
~, ,f ,i...n, should trterR,ine 10 apply itseif
par::cn!arir 10 n: encouragement Of the ue-
,.hsn:c oris AID should invite mechanics snd
yn..; -: science aa3 Industry 20 settle amongst
t!.em, e.,h v!cw to ad7ance the public in
tcrestr, !h.g ad.nt then 10 citizenship OH Q
shorter residence tnnn you; but, iE strict can-
r1rrn;,y with the naturalization laws OF Con
aress, will such cl!z.ns, on coming TO FlrL'ns,
and, after reside C, OF two years in the State
ant csie year in lh= couGtg, os entitled 20 vote
in defiance c: any attempt 10 preTent them
He is entitled 70 the same privileges, rights
and ;nmuuities which arc enjoyed oy the na
tive burn cliz.n, whether these rights be
political or sacial. You cannot by your laT
make Discrimination. Cit;9sas stand on an
eorsljtv. No matter where tncir bir;h-p place
NAV have been and any law you may pass
which undertakes to draw distinction, is an
abortion il. it's birth, being overruied and null
Lifted by lao law Of the Confederate States
which, by tie Constitution ard unasr tie
Constitution is supreme over sil- This is =
are5,ion which addresses itself TO the juGicia!
NINA Ot tuS SOUNelliIbI. W pa 600
the opinion With difidence 10 which have
given utte!ence-that under onr Confederate
Government The :,aturalized citizen Of any one
of ibe Sss;es is, when he comes TO Virginia.
entitled to stand on the same platform with
the native born By this means you have hsr-
tnony in the operations Of the States, and
place ell under one common flag Ii the States
had esct for itself the ri ght TO prcacribe sepa.
rate rnle upon TINS subject, could we fail to
perceive ;hc consequences which YOU'D result
from il II so, each State would have rule
for itself; one would be stringent AID exclu.
ding another lenient and mild in its terms
and the ver" eiitrt 10 exclude aliens from citi-
zanship in Virginia, would be counteracted by
some Other Sta'e; ard thus ts laws, being
more leGicnt would invite aliens to settle
there in order to acquire citizenship, with q
view afterwards to settle in Virginia, wilcrc
your laws could not prevent them from enjoy
| MT