Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-04-13
THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL:
VEro MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.

VEro MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
The following important message Of
President johnson, was transmitted to the
United States Senate on the 9th inst, Civ
ing his reasons for returning the "Civil
Rights Bill" with his signature:
TO the Senate Of the United States:
Iregret that the bill which has passed
hoth houses of Congress, entitled "An act
to protect all persons in the United States in
their civil rights, and furnish the means for
their viudication," contains provisions which
Cannot approve, consistently with my sense l
Of duty to the whole people, and my obi
cations to the Constitution of the United
States. am therefore constrained to re-
turn it to the Senate, the house in which
it originated, with my objections to its be-
coming law.
BY the first section of the bill, all person
born in the United States and not subject
to any foeign power, excluding Indians not
taxed, are declared to be citizens Of the
United States. This provision compre-
hends the Chinese of the Pacific States,
Indians subject to taxation, the people
called Gipsies, as we'll as the entire race
designated as blacks, people of color, ne
groes, mulattoes, and persons of African
blood. Every individual of these races, born
in the United States, is by the bill made q
citizen Of the United States. 1t does not
purport to declare or confer any other right
of citizenship than Federal citizenship. 1t
does not purport to give these classes OF per-
sons any status as citizens of States, except
that which may result from their status as
citizens of the United States. The
power to confer the right of States citizen
ship 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 on several excepted races be-
fore mentioned is now, the first time, pro-
posed 10 be,given by law. If is CLAIMED
by many, all persons who are native-born'
already are. by virture 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 legislation to
make them such, the grave question pre-
sents itself, whether, when eleven of the
thirty-six States are uprepreaented in Con.
.grese, at this time it is 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
it be reasonably supposed that they possess
the requisite qualifications to ,entitle them
to all the The privileges and immuuities of
citizens Of the United States9 Have the
people of the several States expressed such
convictions
It may also be asked whether it is neces.
:sary that they should be declared citizens
in order that they may be secured in the
enjoyment Of civil rights Those rights
proposed to be coferred by the bill are, by
FederaI,as we'll as State laws, secured to all
domiciled aliens and foreigners, even before
the completion Of the process of natufaliza-
ton; and it may safely bs assumed that
the same enactments are sufficient to give
like protection and benefits to those for
whom this bill provides special legislation.
Besides, the policy ofthe government, from
its origin to the present time seems to
havs been that persons who are strangers
, to and unfamiliar with our institutions and
our laws should pass through certain pro.
baton, at the end Of which, before attain
ing the coveted prize, they mustsgive eyi-
dence of their ftness,to receive and to exer.
<eiss.thesriehts Of citizens, as contemplated
BY the Constitution tof the United States.
The bill, in effect, proposes aiscrip,ina.:
tion against large numbers Of Intelligent
worthy and pasrotie foreigners, and 10 fla
gor, r,of the negro, 10 whom, after long years
ofbondsge, the avenues to freedom and in.
Z tslligencs hare nov been suddenly opened.
He must Of nscessity, from bis previous, un.
fortunate. condition Of servitade, be less in
formed, as .to,the natase and character Of
onr institutions than Be- who, coming from
abroad, has, "a. soms extent at'lsast, famil-,
iarissd himselt with ths principles fagoy5
ssmsns 70 ybich;he xoldntail shrasb 4lite.5