Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-04-18

some competent act Of the General Govern
ment. by treaty, or otherwise.
By these various treaties. resolutions and acts
of Congress, it will be observed that Frenchmen,
Spanards Mexicans, and Indians have all been
ma ade citizens of the United States-soms of the
very classes of persons spoken of in this bill and
vet the President tells us that this right Of Fed
eral citizenship. If there such thing
Federal citizenship. contra distinguished from
State citizenship. He tells us that it is now for
the hrst time proposed TO be given by law. II,
says the President, as Is claimed by many per
sons, all who are native born are already. by viz
tue OF the Constitution, citizens of the United
states the passage OF the pending bill cannot be
necessary to make them such Well. naw that is
here SIR but is the President to learn now for
the hrst time that principle to be foand in the
very home books of the law. that an act declaring
what law Is is one of the most common acts
passed by Legislative bodies when there il no.
question as to what the law is. for their greater
certainty,it is the most common thing in the
world to pass statute declaring its obiecte Nv
opinion Is, such was the opinion of the Attorney
General, ana of the present Secretary of State
such was the opinion of Mr.. Lincon's Adminis-
tration in all its departments. and such believe
to be the prevailing opinion in the United States
that all native born persons. not subject to for
eign powers. are by virtue of their birth citizens
of the United States But some dispute this
hence, for greater certainly ii is proposed pass
this law, IL is now made an objection, to the
passage of this law, and reason given by the
President why he cannot approve it, because it il
a deciamatory act. But if such is the law
says the President. grave question presents
itself: Whether when Ii of the Sc States are un-
represented In Congress, at the preset Mt time IL
sound policy to make entire colored popuIa.
ton, and ali other excepted population and all
other excepted classes. citizens of the United
States. This is a standing objection, not urged
il seems, against all bills for the Presiden Mt tell.
US in this message, that he has signed some 40
bills that have been presented to him. Why isit
made an objection to this bill The President
states no objection applicable 10 this particular
bill. 1t Is q general objection hat he makes an
plicable to all bills. But if there is anything in
it no bill can pass the Congress of the United
States until these States represented Well
sir, whose fault is il that the States arc not rem
resented Whose fault is il that % lovaI States
which have stood by the | uion ard the Constitu
ton. are to be depriy ed of their right to lecisste
Sir it is not the fault of the % loyal States and
If The reason urged by the President is a good
one now. ii has been q good one for all time If
the fact vi some states having rebelled against
the Government is to take from the Government
the right to legslats wig sir then the criminal in
| to take advantage of his crime. and the innocent
are TO be punished for the guilty. Within few
days the President has issued proclaim alton not
| of peace, as the Senator from Nevada (Mr Stew.
| art seems to suppose: by means. Not a proc
lamaton that the Rebellion is over but that in
certain states il is over. The President does not
tell as that Texas, of the States that wore in
rebellion. is in condition to be represented here
Si:, if We had to wait for the eleven States must
| we not wait for Texasl The same principle
would require US to wait for Texas, and she has
not yet reorganized her State Government And
| those States which have reorganized have not vet
| been recognized as having a republican form of
| government emitting them to representatives
| The representatives they have chosen from most
of those States that have undertaken to reergan-
| ize persons fresh from the Rebel army men
| who could not be admitted here-could not take
the requisite oath to entitle them to their seats
and are to wait, and to abstain from all leRis-
lation of general character! Are the loyal peo-
pie of this country to be compelled to wait for ne
cesssry leg slation until these States shall be ad
mitted to. representation here, when they refuse
| to send men here, except those whose hands are
dripping with the blood Of loyal men? Are the
| Vice President of tho Rebel COnfederacy and his
colleague. one of the Senators in the Rebel Con-
gress, to here and legslate for the oya pee
| pie of this country Arethe men who organi rod
| the Government that carried on four years
| war. the result Of which this nation has had
to spend more tn four thousand millions of dol.
| lars, and as q consequence of which than
| a quarter of a million of men-patriotie heroes
have laid down their lives upon the battle. field.
and in the hospital, Are these men to come
here to legisate for the loyal people of this
| try Sir. these States can only be represented
through State organization. All members of this
body can only be elected by State Legislatures
| Members of the other House only be ee.ted
| in pursuance of State laws. Hence, prelinin- D.
ary to any representation in other House of
Congress. it must be determined whether thcrc
is a State Government. whether there is a State
Legislature having authority TO elect Senators
and having authority 10 provide laws under
which representatives may be elected Theirs
! Legislatures in any of the eleven States. There
was time when the only kind of government in
any of them was hostile to the United States and
sworn allegiance to a Government hostile to this.
Will anybody pretend that while State Govern
| ment was in their hands it was entitled to.repre
| sentation in either House of Congress- If not
| shall we not inquire whether it has goi out of
those hands into the hands of loyal men Sir.
the proposition that no bill Is TO be passed be
cause certain States are unrepresented when 1t II
their fault that they unrepresented
But III President tells us that the bill in effec.
proposes to discriminate against large numbers
OF intelligent. worthy and patriotic foreigner
and in favor of the negro Now.sir is this true Z
What is the bill Why it declares that thero
sb all be distinction in civ il rights between any
other color and the white race II de-
ciares that there shalt be no different punish
4 me nt inflicted a coored man in conseque nee
Of his Co than that which Is inflicted on 4
white for the samo odenee. Is that n dis
crimination in favor of the negro and against the
foreigner in n bill the only obje;t of which is
to preserve equality of rights. But perhaps IL
would be replied to this that he bill proposes to
make acitizen of any person born in the United
States, anl therefore it Disseminated in that
spect against the foreigners. But. Mr.. President
is not a white child who is born in the United
States citizen Is it not to be presumed that
there is a discrimination here in favor Of the
white infant, who is citizen the moment of its
birth. and against the worthy, intelligent and pa
triotic foreigner who emf grated to this country
and, as suggested by Senator behind me. even
, the child of foreigner-the infant child of q
, foregner-born in this land, is citizen long be
| fore its father The President also has an obJec
tion to making citizens of Chinese and Gipsies
L am told that but few Chinese born in THU
, country, and where the Gipsies are born cannot
tell. Like Topsy, it is questionable. for they
, / were not born at all but just come. Laughter
But Mr.. President. perhaps the best answer t.
this objection that the bill proposes to make cit
izens of Chinese and Gipsies. and this reference
to foreigners. is to be found in a speech defvsr
! ed in this body, by Senator occupying, think
the seat now occupied across the chamber by ny
friend from Oregon Mr. wiliiams) less tnaa !: