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

which The Slates scvern'ly sh." H.: y" $50
10 TO 'airk that, untci ..., r,T$' ....
IL sl'es 20 Congress the ,nae - r'atrc;' ,--s
at all Who Is 4 cit %: tho j. .,f,.' y, Or. 8.
What rights DOES ;lie Constitution rony, ntr,r
citizen u the Uni,ed States l,.:-l q,
we Will sea-r!i tie pages 81 ;!i,t f.-,.,.n... -,
vain 10 lin! an: rec"gnltia,. W ..,..f .. .;,.i
political being.
The Sfa'rs, befa:a Tic Cona,,n. d. &c
adopted, each for itself prescribed h. mode e.;
natu: al'zaion; and the Constitution aroyi,;,i
that citizen OF each State Should nav. M.
privileges and immunites OF cilizeUs of TIA
several States. 1t will at once be seen rha,
under multiform rules Of Naturalization cr.s,
difficulty would necessarily occur: aid ~ n,o,
vent thar mischief, power %as given to {; or
gress 10 prescribe unliuTW rules Of nu;ur.i,1.
ton; that is 10 prescribe one unifure. ,u.,. NV
which every Stale should naturaliz. s,len. a,d
admit them to the rights Of citizenship
Mr.. HArXoND.-Wlll the gen,,emc permi,
me TO ask him question desire To knn...
whether, III the opinion Of the gentleman
because have great confidence IN his ir,I,-
mcnt-l desire to know whether, under tie
Constitution OF 'he Confederate Sales, this
Convention would be empowered 10 give to a
person o. foreign birth the right to vote in TIL:
Commonwealth uhl2ss he was a citizen Of tic
Confederate States?
Mr. ScorT.-Not under this provision G! H..
Confederate Constitution. But this very ou,,-
tioo has oeen before the Confederate Congress.
Bills were reror;c! al the session OF the Con
lcierat. Congress IN Montgomery to carry or,
this provision OF the Confederate Constitution.
which is almost in terms identical with the
provision in tic la:e Federal Constitution.
and, following the example Of the Federal Crc,,
gress, these bills proposed to prescribe the cere
monies by which foreigners should be ne,r-
rallied, and to make them citizens o.. IT,.
Confederate States.
Well sir, The terms CT those bills gave riss
10 good deal cf discussion in the Ccnfeders,.
Congress and though no final action ia,
been taken upon them, understand it 70 b.,
the sense if not Of the entire body, certsinl,.
Of avery. large majority Of the body, to MAKE
the action Of Congress, in carrying on, ,h;s
provision of the Constitution, accord with ina,
construction of the power which gives to Ca.
gress the power to prescribe the rules o.
which the several States shall make citiy, ~,
and to disavow altogether this notion t.ls,
Congress can make citizen Of the Corr. Tl.,.
States.
Now, sir, if we had tie people o. TIE Con.
faderate States consolidated into oac body pol
tic, can understand how there could be EFT,
zen Of the Confederate States; c2n nadrrs,.n
row, in that body polite, tina; n'tnns'2 s"vg.
rcignty can reside, upon which tie :it.i:S It
government can resi-. B,i;, as tie cn3rli'u'toi
Of the Confederate States has c,,rc,i q IIi:rc
Coniederation-a mere aSSoca tlon ut STAT
ard moi oDerated a consolidation Of the REQ, =
Of these States into one iudv polite. cam,
conceive how there car b. s"cli y pql;;c.!
ing ~ citizen Of the C"rieuerat: safes,
Why should there be ci;iar" o. he Con-
federale States! As suoa rs AZ :rd!:iIual -.
comes citizen Of one uI the States. the CUm.
stltution secures to him the PiIv:'S = and III;
munites of the citizens Of the other Sta,cs
Now, make him citizen Of tie Confederate,
states and what are his rights, what are LIS
privileges and what are his iinlsuni;css "
Constitution is silent 1t gives no plivi'cy' --
i, gives no ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the privileges
and mmunities secured To citizens are CT.
ned to citizens Of the States. So that, tru>i.
sir, we will not incorporate in the Constitution!
Of Virginia a provision th:t seems TO rlr III
conflict with what regard, is about - lie
tabishcd ~ the sc.:l policy Of the Somt''srl
Conlederacy and that gentlemen wf;H n'i",
par excellence 10 the State rights party IN Er
gina will not bu themselves foremost ~ ir,su
gura,ing in this new government that :'sa rl,".l
whic! the consolidation schemes Of tie JiL = v
eminent have heretofore proceeded.
The question was then taken N me "Tard
Inent offered by Mr.. HAYMoND, and /. "a+ re-
jectcd.
frn Dr roNT,SrrD