Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-04-09

81 centered in the Senate to-day, the moor
being occupied for nearly two hours and
half by Senator TrumbuIl in review
of the Presidents late veto message,
and in support of the Civil rights bill
The speech Is conceded by everybody TO
be one OF the few great speeches of re-
sla cent years, and is commented upon by
Aas members of all political views, as a
nsasl master piece of clear and concise logic.
The opening and concluding portions.
~ - embracing the chief points, are as
follows:
THE VETO REGRETTED.
Mr. PREsIDEHT fully share with the
y ~ President of the United States in the
Z a7i regret expressed, that he is unable to
sign the bill TO protect all persons in
the United States in their civil rights,
and secure the means for their vindica.
ton / regret it, on my own account,
because of the disappointment of the
4 Just expectation raised when this bill
was presented 10 the President, before
it's introduction to the Senate. / regret
it on the Presidents account, because it
aU lie calculated to ALLEVIATE him from those
who elevated him to power, and who
"a gladly rallied around his administration
TO sustain him in the principles upon
which he was elected; but above ell,
81 sir, regret it for liberfy's sake, to Sc
sss this Government was founded; bat If
- the bill is unconstitutional, and is un-s
just to the whole people, / would not
have had the President signit.
TEE PRESIDENTS OBJECTIONS REVIEWED.
That its provisions are not unjust to
the whole or any portion of the people,
and not Unconstitutional, shall endea~
vor to show by calm and dispassionate
review and examination of the Pres-
dents various objections. He begins
these objections with the very FIRST lines
of the bill, which declare that all per-
ses sons born in the United States and not
subject to any foreign power, except In
dams not taxed, are declared citizens of
the United States. The bill as originally
introduced did not contain this provis
s# ion. 1t was believed by myself and
many others that all native born per-
sons since the abolition of slavery were
citizens Of the United States. This was
the opinion, the oficiai opinion, of Mr..
Bates, the Attorney General of Mr.. Lin.
coins Administration the opinion
adopted by his Administration and acted
upon since by all the Departments of
the Executive Government, including
the Secretary Of State, who has issued
passports to persons of color, recogni-
zlng them as citizens. It was the opn-
rotary of State, that all persons born in
the United States were citizens of the
United States, not referring of course to
slaves; slavery at that time existing in
the country. The President does not
object TO the declaration in the bill as
unconstitutional He does, however,
say that it does not purport to declare
al or confer any other right of citizenship
r. than Federal citizenship 1t does not
bou rvs.y Al &c
~ persons any status az citizens of States
except that viii h may result from their
= bs status as citizens Of the United States.
The power, he adds to confer the right
of State citizenship is Just IS exclusively
with the several States as the power to
declare tue right to Federal citizenship
is with Congress. Now, sir, we all know
snt that no State has the authority to make
a citizen of the United States The
Constitution of the United States vests
with Congress the sole power of natu-
ralization, and it may make citizen of
a foreigner but no State can make q
citizen of the United States of for
eigner.
But is il true, sir, that when o person
becomes citizen of the United States,
he is not also citizen of the State
wherein be is residing2 On this point
will refer to decision pronounced by
Tue 6upFomo OOuFI Oh the OnlIeu states,
ar delivered by Chief Justice Marshall, the
most eminent jurist who ever sat upon
the American bench: The Court says the
defendant in error is alleged in the pro-
ceedings to be a citizen of the, United
States, naturalized as in Louisiana, and
residing there This is equivalent to an
averment that he is citizen of that
State. A citizen of the United States
residing ia any State of the Union, is
citizen of that State. This was the only
point in the case.
This was the opinion of the highest
tribunal in the country, pronounced by
the most eminent man who ever sat UPON
the bench in America But, sir, unless
the authority is to be disregarded the
President of the United States is mis-
taken in his law. 1t is not true that
when man is made citizen of the
United States he ia not a citizen of every
State.
The President next alleges that the
right of Federal citizenship thus to be
- conferred on the several excepted races
before mentioned, is now for the FIRST
time proposed to be given by law. Now,
sir, this is q mistake, not of the law, but
q Misrepresentation of fact, and il will
appear by facts, to which shall call the
attention of the Senate in moment,
that the Presidents facts are as bad as
20 his law There have been in the United
States several cases of collective natural
ization by the annexation of territories.
By the third article of the first conven-
ton of April 80, 1900, with France, in
the eession of Louisiana, it is provided
that the inhabitants Of the ceded
territories to be incorporated into the
United States should be admitted as
soon as possible, according to the prin-
ciples of the Federal Constitution, to
the enjoyment of the rights, privileges,
and immunities of the citizens of the
United States A provision to the same
.i-.l effect is to be found in the sixth article
of treaty with Spain for the purchase
of Florida, and by the eighth article OF
the treaty Of l848 with Mexico; also, by
the annexation of Texas, under a reso-
luton of Congress of March. 1916. in
it's admission into the Union on an equal
footing with the other States Collect
i've naturalization, says the authority
from which quote, may also take place
in the case Of class of persons, natives
of the country or otherwise, who, with
out any act on the part of the individu.
ais, may be made citizens of the United
states. 1t is incorrect to suppose that
ahens, as opposed TO. citizens, imply
Foreigners 80 respects the country. In
dams are the subjects Of the United
States, out they are not therefore citi.
zens, Nor can they become -oit;zens I'M.
der the existing NATURALIZATION laws. bu,
they may be made citizens by some
competent act Of the General Gosorn.
menf, by treaty or Otherwise, By thesl
.s various treaties and resolutions and
acts Of Congress, it viii be observed
that Frenchmen, Spaniards, Nexicans
and Indians have all been made citizens
OF the United States--scme of the yerj
class of persons spoken of in this bill,
4 . and Jet the President tells ne that thiI
right of Federal citizenship-as if thert
was such thing az Federal citizenship
as contradstinguished from State cit;
srsi zenship--heeella MS that it ID now. "a.
the nrHt tine, 10 be given By law