The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-18

alton made marked lines of distinction,
between the races. The negroes, We're
nut nnder special police regulations.
At the adoption of the constitution,
were the negro race, or any OF them In
clnded in the term People" in the pre-
anb!e of the Constituuon-"We the
people of the United States, for the pur
pose &c. do make and ordain TINS Cons
stitution" 1t were a very violent pre-
sumption to say that the delegates 10 the |
| Convention, every one of whom repre-
| sented siayeholding constituencies were
making a government to include part |
of the negroes as citizens, and very |
| small part too-when the great body OF |
! them were slaves. AT the period to
which | am referring the Indians lnhab-
/ iting several of the States were nearly or
quite as numerous as the whites. In
! virginia. New York, North Carolina and
! Georgia they were probably more nu.
merous. It never has been pretended
by any commentator on the Constitution.
or any authority of the least respecta-
hiIitv that the Indians were included
They occupied a higher position than the
negroes-they were the original natives
ond occupants of the country-they wel
conceded 10 have some sort OF title to
the domain. individuals were not
allowed to disposess them until their IL
tie was first extinguished by the State.
Both the red and colored races were IN
habitants of the counry-each in an IN
ferior sphere-and to each the dominant
race applied such regulations OF law as
suited their respective conditions.
The second section, first article of the
Constitution, apportioniug direct tax
alton according to representation among
the States proportioned 10 their popnia
tions -''which shall be detel mined by
adding to the whole number, excluding
Indians, dc, Hree.ftihs Of all other per
sons" These 'other persons" have al
: WAYS been held TO be the negroes. So
, the article having reference to fugltlves
, from labor or service and their extradi-
, ton has been construed to rater to
slaves. From which it is plainly dedu-
chile that so far from the Constitution
| embracing the negro race, or any OF II
: in the term people" that the people
who made the Constitution spoke of the
: race as "other pecsOns' outside OF ana
separate from themselves. 1t is very
o ! cleal therefore that the negroes born IN
! the States as well as those imported were
not embraced in the body of citizens.
. Now there are but two titles of citizen
2 ship-the one, nativity-the other, nat
y urallzatlOn.
. IL mas btSH SHOWN iiidJ lIIt nv Oto l'i
the United States in lTS7, were not citl-
4 zens on the ground of nativity. or any
q other: and those descended from them,
# bond and free, are in precisely the same
# situation. The Constitution authorizes
: Congress to pass naturalization laws
IF that Is, to prescribe the terms on which
=. aliens and foreigners those under allie
- glance to foreign prince or gOve' nment
4 MAJ ablure that allegiance, and become
% engrafted into the American family
- Those born in the United States are not,
O. and can not be, the citizens or subjects OF
w foreign government. They can not
q then, renounce an allegiance which they
do not owe, and there is no power con
j. ferred on congress to pass any naturah
> z3tion law which can embrace them
Congress can provide for the case of the
. Frenchman, the Englishman, the Ger
Pc man, or the Turk, for they are aliens.
as Chancellor Kent, speaking of Indians
as declared 9TH It by the law of New
"a York, they (within the States, are no
W citizens, but distinct tribes, being under
20 the protection of Government, and con
Id sequentIy never can be made citizens un
der the act OF Congress" And il SO o
N the Indians, t0rti0rl Of the negroes.
IN The Supreme Court of the United State
n. in the case of Scott & Dandridge decided
-
2a could not, therefore claim the benefits o
OF that PARTICLE of the Constitution which
s gives the ''citzen of each State the priv
M ileges and immunities OF citizens in tn
co several States" Such was also the opin.
in ion OF Chief Justice Daggett in a case re
nv ported in 10th Connecticut, in 1884.
al NEGROES N TIE STATES.
ep Having endeavored to define the statu
of negroes in the United States, | pre-
n c2ed to enquire what it is in the State
The whole subject Of what political fran
N. chises they shall have, is left with eac
State to consider and decide for ITSELF
They are not. and never can become Gil
izens of the United States. The State
he may enlarge political franchises, to b
he enioyed in the States, but the Legislator
is is powerless on the subject. The right
q of citizenship are confined by the Const
IL tuition to free white persons, and the ba
It'll lot to men over the age of twenty on
years. The State can, 10y DO act OF her
tes conventional or otherwise, raise the ne
in gro TO higher dignity in the Unite
of States than he now fills, Both in tn
an Federal Union, and in the State, his pt
no stion has been that of an inferior; gov
me erned and controlled 10y the dominar
he race The free States have always regu
lated their polity on that fact and ASSUME
ing tIon. The State OF Indiana, by ht
he amended Constitution, denies home o
vas her soil to any of the race who may de
It sire to come. They are absolutely pre-
all hibited from entering her territory for tk
ted purpose of domicil. This is a pefectl
ica legitimate exercise of authority. In or
ere form or another quite all the free STATE
rts have INDUCED in this sort of Legislation
for We then, of Mississippi, have con
nd plete control of the subject. There is r
fic. person or power, outside the State, tn;
mi can interfere or Intervene. It is i'd
then, TO attempt to alarm the fea
he and ser sibili;ies of our people by holdin
N, up the mere civil right to tell in cour
de under oath, what freedman knows,
nd the legal antceedent to either the ballo
EN- box or the jury box. There is neitht
eat dependence nor connection the one wit
ed the other.
les. Nor does the duty to extend protectio
an to persons, which IS natural right du
nd to the ''Scythian and the barbarian
err who may happen among US as complete
en- as the citizen, commit or tend to comm
orr any body to go, because of so doin
the length of conierring franchises whic
yer belong alone to the citizen. The Arab
ent the desert and the subject of the Cele
| It;a NO -