The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-03-29
PRESIDENT JONsSON'S MESSAGE We.
TONG TIVE CIVIL RIGHTS
BILL. "a

.so, ali osrsons in she United States in their
civil rights. and 60 furnish the means OF their
vind,ca,ion" contains provisions which
cannot auprove consistently with my sense OF
duty to the whole people, and my obligations
To the constitution of the United States. L
am. therefore, constrained to return it to the
sepate-the house in which it originated
with my objections to its becoming a law.
By the first section OF the bill, all persons
born in the United States, and not subject to
any foreign power, excluding Indians not
taxed. are declared to be citizens of the Unit
cd States. This provision comprehends the
Chinese of the Pacific states, Indians subject
to taxation, the people called Gypsies, a.
we'll as the entire race designated as blacks,
people of color, negroes, muiattoes, and per
soos of African blood. Every individual of
these races, born in the United States, is by
the bill made citizen of the United States
1t does not propose to declare or confer any
other right OF citizenship than federal citizen
ship. 1t does not propose to give these class
% any status as citizens of states. except that
which may result from their status as citi-
gems of the United States.
The power to confer the right of state citi-
zenship is just as exclusively with the sever
al states, as the power to confer the right Of
federal citizenship is with congress. The
right Of federal citizenship, thus to be con-
ferred in the several excepted cases before
mentioned, is now, for the first time, propos-
ed to be given by law. If as is claimed by
many, all persons who are native born are
already, by virtue Of the constitution, citi-
xens of the United States, the passage of the
pending bill cannot be necessary to make
them such. If, on the other hand, such per-
sons are not citizens, as may be assumed
from the proposed legislation to make them
such. the grave Question presents itself
whether, where eleven of the thirty six states
are unrepresented in congress at this time, ii
10 sound policy to make our entire colored
population, and all other excepted classes,
citizens of the United States. Four millions
of them have just emerged from slavery into
freedom. Can 1t be reasonably supposed
that they possess the requisite qualifications
to entisle them 60 all the privileges and I'm.
munitiss of citizenship of the United States
Have the people of the several states express
cd such conviction? L. may also be asked
whether it is necessary that they should be
declared citizens IN order that they may be
secured in the enjoyment of the civil rights
proposed to be conferred by the bill. These
rights are, by federal as we'll as by state
laws, secured to all domiciled aliens and for
eigners: even before the completion of the
process of naturalization and il may safely
be assumed that the same enactments are
sufficient to give like protection and benefits
to thuse for whom this bill provides special
legislation.
Besides, the policy of the government, from
its origin TO the present time. seems to have
been that persons who are strangers to and
unfamiliar with our institutions aud on,
| laws, should pass through certain proba
| ton. at the end of which. before allowing the
covsted prize. they must svince their fitness
to receive and TO exercise the rights of citi
| Eens as contemplated by the constitution Of
the United States. The bill, In effect, propo
ses discrimination against large numbers
of intelligent, worthy, and patriotic foreign
ers, and in favor of the negro. to whom at
ter long years of bondage, the avenues o.
freedom and intelligenos have just now beer
| suddenly opened. He must of necessity
| from his previous unfortunate condition o
ssrvitude, be less informed as to the nature
and character of cur institutions than h'
who, coming from abroad, has. to some ex
| tent at least, familiarixed himself with tht
| principles of a government TO which he vol
| unfairly intrusts life. liberty and the pur
| suit of happiness. Yet it is now proposed
/ by g single legislative enactment. to confe
| the rights Of citizens upon all persons OF Al
riean descent, born within the extended lien
| lite of the United States, while persons of for
| eign birth who make our land their hum
| must undergo probation of five years, an,
| can only then become citizens upon proc
that they are of good moral character. at
| tached TO the principles of the constitution O
the United States. and we'll disposed to th
good order and happiness of the same.
| The first section of the bill also contain
an enumeration of the rights to be enjoye
by those classes made citizens in ever
state and territory of the United States -
These rights are 30 make aud enforce con
tracts /; to sue, be parties, and give evidence
to inherit, purchase, lease, sell. hold, an
convey real and personal property and &
have full and equal benefit of all laws an
proceedings for the security of person ant
property as is enjoyed by white citizens. So
too, they are made subject to the same pun
lshment, palms. and penalties in common wit
white citizens. and to none others. Thus
perfect equality of the white and colofe
races is attempted to be fixed by federal Law
in every state in the Union. Over the vas
fold of state Jurisdiction covered by thes,
enumerated rights, in no one Of them ca
any state exercise any power OF discrimiua
ton between different races In the exer
else of state policy over matters exclusivel
affecting the people of each state. it has FIRE
auently been thought expedient to discrimln
ate between the two races. By the statute
OF some of the states, north az well as south
it lie enacted. for instance, that no white per
son shall intermarry with q negro or mulat
to. Chancellor Kent says. speaking of tn,
blacks, that marriages between them and tn
| whites are forbidden In come of the state
where slavery does not exist. and they ar
| prohibited in all the slsveholding states b.
law. and when not absolutely contrary 4
law they are revolving and regarded as al
| ofense against public deoorum.
do not say that this bill repeats stat,
| laws on the subject CT marriage between tbs
| two races. for as the whites are forbidden Il
intermarry with the blacks, the blacks car
only make such contracts az the whites them
selves are allowed TO make. and therefore car