Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-04-11
TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

have reached a turning point in the
country's career. The President has
boldly checked the making of void laws
and so far saves the Constitution The
bad men who have combined to usurp
the power Of the States, have become
desperate, as men always do, when foiled,
and .hey have on mere plot TO gain the
two-thirds power in the Senate, un-
dertaken to say how States shall choose
their Senators and have elected Mr..
Stockton of New Jersey. Why do they
conspire2 ? because they seek to do a
wrong thing by secret means which shows
that at heart they are towards. The
People must decide. The supporters of
Law must not keep silent. Make them
hear. The President is right support
him-fOr he supports Law Stand by
the Law and all will yet be well
To the Senate of United States
1 regret that the bill which has passed
both Houses OF Congress, entitled An act
to protect all persons in the United States in
their civil rights and furnish the means ol
their vndication,H contains prov siOns which
! I cannot approve consistently with my sense
of duty to the people and my obligations to
the Constitution Of the United STATES.
am. therefore, constrained TO return it ts1he
Senate, with my objections to its becoming
law.
t}v the first section Of the bill all persons
born In the United States and not subject to
anv snverSe.n power; excluding Ildians ret
taxed. are hereby declared to be citizens of
the United States. This provision compre-
heuds the Chinese Of the Pacific Sales, In
dians subject to taxation, the pecs'le called
Gypsies, MS well as Tie entire race designated
as blacks people Of color, negroes: mulat-
toes and persons of African blood Every
individual of these races. living in the Unit
ed States. is by the bill made a citizen Of the
United States. It does not purport to de-
clare or confer any other right of citizenship
the Federal citizenship. 1t dnes not purpose
to give these classes of persons any stains Of
citizens of States except that which NAV re-
Sult from their status rs citizens Of the Uni
ted States The nnwer to confer 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 Fereral citizenship thus to be
conferred in'the several excepted races be-
fore mentioned. is now for the first time pro-
posed to be given by law.
r. AS is claimed by many, all persons who
are native horn already are, by virtue Of the
Constitution. citizens of the United States,
the passage ofthe pending bill canaot be ne
cessary to make them such. II, on the 9TH
er hand, such persons are rot citizens, as
nav be assumed from the proposed legiSlS-
ton to make them such, the grave question
presents itself whether, where eleven ol the
thirty-six States arc unrepresented in Con-
gress at this time. it Is sound policy 10 make
the entire eolored population. and all other
excepted classes. of the United States. Four
millions of them have Just emerged from
slavery into freedom. Can il be reasonably
supposed that they possess the requisite quail
IfGations to entitle them 10 all The p ivileges
and immunities Of citizens Of the United
States? Have the people of the several
States express such a convictOnf It may
also be asked whether it is necessary that
they should be declared citizens, in order that
they may be secured in the enjoyment or the
civil rights proposed to be conferred by the
bill. Those rights are. by Federal as well as
by State laws, secured by all domiciled aliens
and foreigners, even before the completion
Of the process Of naturalization. and it may
safely he assumed that the same enactments
are sufficient to give like protection to those
for whom this bill provides special legislation
Besides the policy Of the Government, from
its origin to these present time, seemst to have
been that persons who are strangers to. and
unfamiliar with our institutions and our laws
shorld PASS through a certain probation, at
the end Of which, before obtaining the Gov
eted prize, they must give evidence Of their
fitness of receive and to exercise the rights
Of citizens, as contemplated by the Consli-
tuition of the United States
The bill in effect proposes DISSEMINATION
against large number Of intelligent, worthy
and patriotic foreigners and in favor Of the
negro, to whom. after long years Of bondage,
the avenues to freedom and intelligence have
Just now been suddenly opened. He must,
OF necessity, from his previous unfortunate
condition Of servitnde, be less informed as TO
the nature and character of our institutions
than he who, coming from abroad, has to
some extent. at least familiarized himself
with the principles Of Government to which
he voluntarily entrusfs life. liberty, and the
nnrsr1it nf happiness" Yet it is row propoE-
p hv single legislative enactment, TO con-
fer the rights oi persons Of African descent
born within the extended limits Of the Unit
ed States. while persons of foreign birth. who
make our land their home. must undergo a
probation If FIVE years and can only then
become citizens unon proof that they are ot
good moral character. attached to the prih-
cinles of,ha Constitution of the United States,
and we'll disposed to the good order and hap
piness Of the same.