Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-11-29
vIggIH,a sT:Ea:E, CONVENTION.
syrTH D4Y-THIfD SESSION.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 1851.
IroSrI tTDsD.


Ma Bor1p1s, Of Charlotte.-lt appears 10
NO tbet lie meaning of the clause in
tnc sec;ron nf Tie Confederate oonstltu-
,ion referred 10 by gentlemen, has been
lpprehend that the por-
ton of that clause which prn7ioes tnas tnS
c;tizcrs Of each State shsll be entitled 10 Ill
the privileges end irnmunitIes oil citizehs 10 Tue
several States" was not intenoeo 10 ptoViue
Cyr the case Of citizen of one state ceasing
70 be such, and becoming citizen OF another
State, and vito, being no longer clt'1en Vi
the State from which he. came, Is IN iac1'
citizen Of the State IN which he resines' anu
offers to vote; but that it was extended as
rule OF county between the States, 10 proEiue
that the privileges ard insnunl!les referred u
should DO enjoyed in each and every STATE, oy
all persons being at the time citizens Oh otner
States. Such persons, the moment lney enler
another State OF the Coniederaey, WITHOUT
a years or even weeks residence are entitled
to all the privileges and lmmunltieS referred
10, and they ARE at the same time ehl',eu 10
these privileges and immunities IN III lne
States: nor as newly made cltiZens Vi theso
States but under this rule of comfy, as citl-
zens of another State Of the Confederacy.-
Can it be possible, under any inst lnterpreta-
ton Of this clause, that ctizon o. virginia OF
North Carolina shall have the right 10 vote IN
each and oil the States Of the Con!edsreey ny
merely going into such States! apprenerd
not. A careful reading of the clause Will show
very clearly that it is providing RUE OF count
~ between the several States, ana c'u2eHs OF
other States Alter providing thai 'the GU
zens of each States shall be enttled to all Tue
privileges and imtnunities ni erZahs III lhe
several States" hot il any one state 70
which they may remove, but IN tue several
Slatcs-in all Of them, and in ali at the same
timo-it goes CT tc give these same citizens
18th bes s yF a Of r1r a"a So
showing evidently, tina. ti:ese privileges are
accorded to them as travellers ant s'JnuTners
from other States, and NOT as lie WY lLaie clh
zons of The Stale in which they may happen 10
scjourn.
But suppose the construction placed upon
this clause Of the Confederate Constitution by
NV venerable friend, tho distinguished gentle
MN from Charles City (Mr. TrLEK), DC cor
rect, would the proposed restriction OH TIE
right oil naturalzed citizens 10 vote in W.
| GINA como in conflict with tina. provision p
Would it deny to the natural:zed citizens OF
other States any right enjoyed By the Datura!'
ICED citizens nC Virginia? Certainly not.-
Let rs see We will suppose thar the Suite
Of North Carolina should allow naturaiz.d
citizen to vote after tivc,yesrs' residence, "nd
that tho proposed limitation Of tweaty-one
years residence should be adopted in Virginia
should then naturallzcd citizen of North
Carolina come into the State OF Virginia as Il
resident? VIVA, rights would he claim? Oniy
those of naturalzed cisizen Of Virginia.
Should he offsr to vote in an election in Nir-
GINA be could only claim to vote by reason; u
| bis being 4 naturalized citizen Of North Caro-
lima now residing in Virginia, and, RS such, Gil
titled to the rights Of na;nralzed citizen o!
| Virginia. He would b. tull that lie was en-
titled TO the same right, ard would be asked
how long nc had bsen in the country arid how
long since he was raturalized. We will sup
pose hun to reply Ea; lie had been in tie Con.
iuderate S:etcs len years and mad hecn :: na,u.
raliz=d citizen i've years, and. ne such, had
voted ii Martin Carolina. lie would again 81
told that 1t was no: his rights us Il na.ural:zsd
citizen of North Carolina that he could rxsr-
| else here, but the rights Of naturalzed cit-
son in Virginia, and those only; that TO such
citizen would vote in Virginia within twenty
one yelrs after his naturalization, and that his
vote must be rejected. Would he be denied
by such action any right Of L naturazcd
citizen Of Virginia Clearly not. Lilo would
enjoy precisely aid exactly the privilege Of
the naturslized citizen Of Virgina-n>rhtr
moro no less.
Gentlemen have not noticed with sufficient
care the distinction between citizenship uhd
the right Of suffrage. AL ;sho vote We re-
quire to be citizens, but all citizens have not
the right to vote. We are now regulating net
the right Of citizenship, but the right Of SUI.
fra ge-not who shall DC citizens, but which Vi
our citizens shall have the right to vote W"
propose 10 allow To foreigner hereafter Ealu-
rallied the right Ct suffrage within twenty-:Ec
years after his Naturalization and We are cor
ten, 20 put IiatIrsllzsd clizgns Of ether States.
becoming citizens Of Virginia, or the saIue
platform.
One word in reply TO Inc remarks of my
poses that the proposed restriction would be
in conflict With the .irst clause Of the second
section of the Confederate Constitution, pre-.
scrbiDg qualifications; for tho electors of mem
bers Of The House Of Representatives. Permit
me TO say that the gentleman is in error when
he supposes tina; this Clause prescribes in terms
any qualification other than citizenship Of the
Confederate States. Il merely provides that
the electors shall have the qualifications rcqui-
site for electors Of the most numerous branch
of the Stale Legislature, TINS, in terms, leaving
it to the States to ascertain these qualifications.
Each State for itself fixes these qualifications;
and although they may be entirely different in
the several States, they are, nevertheless, con.
siSient with the Confederate Constitution,
which, in this matter, adopts the legislation o!
each State. Each State, when il constitutes
its own voters frso tacte, creates electors for
tho lower house OF Congress. The quaii6cc.
tons ascertained by this Convention, lhel, for
the electors Of members Of the House Of Dele
gates become at once the qualifications for the
electors Of members Of Congress, and re
spectully submit there can be no conflict.
Mr. TURNER, of Jackson. The provision III
the Confederate States Constitution, says that
the qualification which We fix hero for the most
numerous branch Of The General Assembly,
constitutes or will constitute rather the quail
cation OF electors for members Of Congress
Mr. BnrEpIS--There is in that I'll lnhca--
ton RS to who shall he citizen vi the CDll.
federacy.
Mr.. RAYMOND Il call tpr tbs yeas AID
nays.
The call was sustained, aid the question
being put on the amendment to tho amend. |
1nent offered by Mr.. BLAKEy, was decided in
the negative yeas II, nays 9S, as follows:
igAs.-Messrs Amber Barbour Biakry Brooke,
Randolph, saunders, Ssswell-ia
skArs-aessrs: McntaSue (posident), Armstrong. As
tom Baylor Berln How, BOissssu, norsi, DouIdu boyd
Branch, prawnrr, Brent, Campbell, csperoa, Carter
Chambl!s, Gotham. Q. II. Conrad, Robert Y. Conrad,
cowan Cooper, Cox, cresap. Crchcr, Gusts Drrk;n,
Dorman Rlournoy, Forbes fugste. Garland Gillespie
Graham, 6rsvey, Gray, Gogsn. tioode. Hale, Addison
BALI cyru, HALL beck, l.; > Hali, is'y!e, Raymond
Kiiby, Kindred, Lesfe. Mcclure, Macfarlend, c. Z. !
Mallory, j. D. Mallory, Jacob w., Marshall, JANIS Mar
shall Msrtlu, Marye, MasiIn, Masters, Miller, Mone
Norris Morgan Moore Sebe't, Park. Prudrtrn, Pres
Ton, PRICE, Fugh Randolph, hives, Scott. snaIp ssry
siling.on. slaughter speed, sATles, stuart :uherlin
Tayloe Tredway. Roet. n. Turne", Franklin Turner
Tysr, wau,r, white, WHITFIELD Williams, Woods, Wy or
Young-9s.
So the aH1cnl:n.n, 10 he amendment: @as