Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-04-04
M Miseeltam Il.
THE PRESIDENTS VETO MESSAGE TO
THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL.
To the Senate of the United States

both houses of Congress- entitled IAN
act to protect all persons in the United
States in their civil rights and furnish
the means of their vindication," contains
provisions which [ cannot approve consis
tently with my sense of duty to the whole
people and my obligations to the Consti-
tuition Of the United States. am, there
fore constrained to return it to the Sen
ate, the house in which it originated, with
my objections to its becoming law.
By the first section of the bill all per-
sons born in the United States, and not
subject to any foreign powers, excluding
Indians not taxed. are declared to be cit
liens of the United States This provis-
ion comprebends the Chinese of the Pa
cifc STATES, Indians subjected to taxation,
the people called gypsies, as we'll as the
entire race designated as blacks people
of color negroes, mulattoes and persons of
color, African blood. Every individual
of these races born in the United States
1t does not purport to declare or confer
any other right of citizenship than Fede-
raj citizenship. 1t does not propose to
give these classes Of persons any status
as citizens of States, except that which
may result from their status as citizens
of the United States The power to con-
fer the right of State citizenship is just
as exclusively with the several States as
the power to confer the right of Federal
citizenship is with Congress. The right
of Federal citizenship thus to be conferred
in the several excepted ratio before men
toned is now for the first time proposed
to be given by law, IT, as is claimed by
many, all persons who are native born al
ready are, by virtue of the constitution,
citizens of the United States, the passage
of the pending bill cannot be necessary
to make them such. If, on the other
hand, such persons are not citizens, as
may be assumed from the proposed lcgis.
lation to make them such, the grave ques
ton presents itself whether, where eleven
of the thirty six States are unreprescnted
in Congress at this time, it is sound pol
icy to make our entire colored population,
and all other excepted classes, citizens o!
the United States. Four millions have
Just emerged from slavery into freedom,
Can it reasonably be supposed that they
possess the requisite qualification to cnti-
tie them to all the privileges and immuni.
ties of citizenship of the Unitcd States
Have the people of the several States ex'
pressed such conviction 1t 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 Those rights are by Fcde
raj, as we'll as by State laws secured tc
all domicilcd aliens, and foreigners even
before the completion of the procession Of
naturalization. and it may safely be as
sumcd that the same enactments are suffi
cient to give like protection and benefits
, to those for whom this bill provides spec.
ial 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 and our laws, should pass
through certain probation, at the emo
of which, before attaining the coveted
prize, they must give evidence of theil
fitness to receive and to exercise the rights
) of citizens, as contemplated by the Con
stitutiun of the United States.
The bill in effect proposes discrimin
alton against large numbers Of intelligent
. worthy and patriotic foreigners and il
favor of the negro. to whom, after lons
years of bondage, the avenues to freedom
e e and intelligence have now been suddenly
opened. He must of necessity, from hi
: previous unfortunate condition of servi
, tude, be less informed as to the mature
and character of our institutions than h,
who, coming from abroad, has, to SOM
: extent at least, familiarized himself will
: the principles of government to which
D he voluntarily entrusts life, liberty anc
the pursuit of happiness Yet it is nov
: proposed, by a single legislative enactment
to confer the rights of citizenship upol
p all persons Of African descent born with
!. in the extended limits of the United
States, while persons of foreign birth, VIII
make our land their home, must underg
J. probation of five years, and can onl..
Il then become citizens upon proof that the.
!. are of good moral character, attached t
IS the principles of the Constitution Of tn
United States, and we'll disposed to tn
e good order and happiness Of the same.
. The first section Of the bill also contain
an enumeration of the rights TO be enjoy
e ed by those classes so made citizens in eV
e cry State and Territory Of the Unite
States. These rights are to make an
;. enforce contracts to sue, be parties an
: : give evidence, to inherit, purchase leas'
! sell. hold and convey real and persona
property, and to have the full aud equ,'
x benefit Of ali laws and proceedings fc
IS the security Of persons and property
l. is enjoyed by white citizeDs. so, to-