The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-04-10
P residents S M e ssage,
He VetoeS the "CiVil Rights Bill.
His Reasons for Returning
fhe Bill. -
o the Senate of The United States.

To the, Senate of the United States.
I regret that the bill which has passed
both Houses of Congress, entitled "Ar
act to protect all persons in the United
States in their civil rights, and provid,
means of their vindication, contains pro
visions which / cannot approve consist
ently with my sense of duty to the whole
lpeople, and my obligations to the Consti
tuition Of the United States. | an, there.
fore, constrained to return it to the Sen
| ate, the house in which it originated will
my objections to its becoming law b.
the first section of the bill all person.
born in the United States, and not sub
lject to any foreign power, excluding In
ldians not taxed, are declared to be citi
zens of the United States.
This provision comprehends the Chi.
nese of the Pacific States, Indians sub
ject to taxation, the people called gipsics
as we'll as the entire race designated as
blacks, people of color, negroes, mulat
toes, and persons of African blood; every
individual of these races born in the I'm
ted States is, by the bill, made citizen OF
| the United States. It does not purport
! to declare or confer any other right Of
citizenship than federal citizenship.
1t does not propose TO give these classes
of persons any status of citizens of States
except that which may result from Their
status as citizens of the United States
The power to confer the right of State
citizenship is just as exclusively with the
several States as the power to confer the
rightsof Federal citizenship is with Con.
gress. The right OF Federal citizenship
thus to be conferred in the several excep,
ted races before mentioned. is now, fol
the first time, proposed to be given by
law.
If, as is claimed by many, thatall per.
sons who are native born, already are by
virtue of the Constitution citizens of the
United States, the passage of the pend
ing bill can not be necessary to make
them SUCH If, on the other hand, such
persons are not citizens, as may be as.
stunned from the proposed legislation to
make them such, the grave question pre-
sents itself, whether where eleven Of the
thirty six States are uurepresented in Con
gress at this time, it is sound policy te
make our entire colored population and
all other excepted classes citizens Of the
United States.
Four millions of them have JUS
emerged from slavery into freedom. anc
can it be reasonable to suppose that they
possess the requisite qualifications to en-
title them all the privileges and immuni
ties of citizenship of the United States
Have the people Of the several States ex
pressed such conviction? 1t may also
be Easked whether it is necessary they
should be declared citizens in. order thai
they may be secured in the enjoyment Of
the civil rights proposed to be conferred
by the billl aeas SOB en-
Those rights are by Federal as.wella as
State laws secured to all domiciled aliens
and foreigners even before the compile
| tion of the process of naturalization, anf
| it may safely be assumed the same enact
ments are sufficient to give like protection
and benefits to those for whom this bill
provides special legislation. ~ p4s
| Besides, the policy Of the Government
from its origin to the present time, seems
to have been that persons who are. ,stran
gers to and unfamiliar with our institu
tions and our laws should pass through a
certain prohibition, at the end of which
before allowing the coveted prize, they
must give evidence Of their fitness to re.
ceiYe and exercise the rights of citizens
as contemplated BY the Constitution Of
| the United States. = =
The bill, in effect, proposes discrimi
nation against large numbers of intelli
gent, worthy and patriotic foreigners, and
in favor of the negro, to whom, after long
years of bondage, avenues to freedom and
intelligence have just now been suddenly
lopened. He must, of necessity, from his
previous unfortunate condition of servi
ltude, be less informed7as to the nature
and character of our institutions. than he
who, coming from abroad, has to some ex-
tent, at least, familiarized himself with
the principles of a Governments to which
he Voluntarily entrusts life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. sass5 ags9
Yetit is now proposed by singleleg
islative enactment to confer the rights o.
citizens upon all persons of African de
scent born within the extended limits O.
the United States, while persons of for
eign birth, who make our land theil
homes, must undergo probation of five
years, and can only then become citizens
upon proof that they are of good mora
character, attached to the principles o
the Constitution of the United States, ,ant
well disposed to the good order and hap
piness of the same. - -
The first section of the bill also con
trims an enumeration of the rights to b
tehjoyed by those classes SO made citizens
in every State and Territory IN the Unite,
lBtates.l These rightsiare, to- makei ant
enforce. contracts, to sue the parties, ,ot,
fgive evidence, to inherit, purchase, lease
tsell, hold and convey reahand persona
property, and to have the fullsand equa
benefit of all laws and proceedings for th
security of persons and property asissen
Ijoyed by white citizens. sad 3D. ai iisi5
So, too, they are made subjeetsto tn
same punishment, pains and penaltie
common with white citizens, and to non
tothersi thus a perfect equality of tn
white and colored races is attempted to b
4 I - n. I u II