The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-29
r,idrut John>om's Veto Of the Civil Rights
RilI.

py,>idru; Johu>on's Veto Of the Civil Rights
~.". Saaa'. n tie Tajt.8 SfoteS;
y,-ret that the bill which has passed both
Houses of Congress, entitled AN act 10 pro
-, MI persons IN the United States in their
c,,u iI.uts, and furnish the means for their
,.gd4,.llun." contains provisions which l
,.,uurt aunrOVr, consistently with my sense
~ duty 10 the whole people, and my obliSa-
,ig.., 10 the Constitution of the United states
am therefore constrained 10 return II 10 the
SENATE" the House in which ii originated, with
nv objections 10 its becoming law.
Ry The first section of the bill, All persons
h4~i, IN the United States and not subject 10
any foreign Power. excluding Indians MOI
taxed are declared 10 be citizens OF the United
States.
the Pacific States, Indians subject 10 taxation,
grJ The uroplr called GipsieS, Is well as the
entire race designated blacks, people OF color,
negroes. mulattoes, and persons OF African
blood. Every individual OF these races born
IN me United States l. by the bill made
eltizrn OF III" United states. 1t does not purc
mort 10 declare or confer any other right OF
citizenship Than Federal citizenship. II does
not lw!pOrt 10 give these classes OF persons
auv N,..ly as citizens Of States except that
which may result from their Stnt@S rs citizens
Of the United States.
THE power 10 confer the right of State citi.
zrusAip i just rs exclusively with the seEeral
States the power to CONFER lnt Ilsil VI
raj citizenship i with Congress.
The right OF Federal citizenship thus 10 ID"
conferred on the several excepted races before
mentioned i now, for the lirst ltne, proposes
IA ..Iyru hv law. If rs is claimed by many, ;tli
persons whu are native born already are, DY VIZ
Inc Of the Constitution, citizens of the United
States thc passage OF the pending bill cannot
b. necessary TO make them such. III, on the
uthr! hand. such persons are not cltlZelS, us
may br assumed from the proposed leglsla-
tls.,f it.rn Ish
presents Itself whether, when eleven OF the
IAIrty.sN States are unrcpresehted III Con
.,r,s> al this time il is sound polcy TO make
oar entire c0Orcd population ana an olhc! eA-
cppttd classes citizens of the United states !
Fovr millions of them have Just emerged from
slavery into freedom. Can it BE- reasonably
supposed that they possess the requisite quail
lcatiouS 10 entitle them TO all the privileges
and immuuiticS of citizens of the United
States Have the people Of the several STATES
expressed such Il conviction 1t may also be-
asked whether il is necessary that they should
be declared citizens in order that they may Dc
secured in the enjoyment of civil rlShls
Those rights proposed TO be conferred by the
bill are, by Federal as well as State laws, Sc
cared 10 all domiciled aliens and foreigners
even before the complexion OF the process OF
naturalization and il may safely be assumed
that the same enactments are suihclent 10
give like protection and benefits 10 those
for whom this bill provides special leSisla-
ton. BESIDES, the policy OF the Government,
IRON lis origin 10 the present time, seems: 10
have been that persons who are strangers 10,
and unfamiliar with, our institutions ana
our laws should pass through q certain pro-
baton, ut the end of which, before obtaining
The coveted prize, they must give evidence
OF their fitness 10 receive and TO exercise
the rights of citizens us contemplated by
The Constitution of the United States
Inc bIl in effect, proposes DISCRIMINATION
against large numbers OF lnteiilSent, Woi-
my. and patriotic foreigners, and IN favor
ma
bondage, the avenues 10 freedom ana intel
A.~nce have now been suddenly opened. lie
must, OF necessity, from his previous un1ortu,
nate condition of servitude, be less informed
rs 10 the nature and character OF our lhslltu-
'iohs than he who, coming from ABROAD ma,
70 some extent at least famliariZed hihseii
WIN the principles of a government 10 Which ne
Voluntarily entrusts life, liberty, ana tlie
pursuit of happiness. Yet ii is now proposed
by single legislative enactment 10 confer the
fIsLls Of citizens upon all persons OF hiicah
descent born within the extended limits OF inc
United States, while persons OF foreign oiiln
who make our land their home must Ilso
probation of five years, and can only lheii
become citizens upon proof that lney are VI
good moral character, attached TO the primer
pies OF the Constitution of the United states,
and well disposed 10 the good oIder ana nap
p!ness OF the same"
The first section of the bill also contains an
enumeration of the rights 10 be enjoyed hy
'hese classes, so made citizens, I'm every state
ana Territory in the United States lhese
rights are ITO make and enforce contracts,
10 sue, be parties, and give evidence, u
inherit, purchase lease, sell, hold ana convey
teh aud personal property, ana 10 htse
!ull and equal benefit of all laws ana pro-
weddings for the security OF person anu pro-
itfty us Is enjoyed by white citizens. 30
100 they are made subject 10 the same PUNISH
meht, pains, and penalties, In common win
"Lle citizens, and TO none others. nus
Perfect equality of the white and black races
- attempted to be fixed by fedfrai law III
Every State of the Union, over the vast neld OF
o'ale jurisdiction covered by these enumerated
nights. IN no one of these can any State ever
exercise any power of discrimination between
''1s Inherent races.
In the exercise of State policy oyer matters
rAclusiyely affecting the people OF eacn ot'te'
- mas frequently been thought expedieht 10
discriminate between the two races. by tue
statutes of some of the States, northern as
wei Dc southern it is enacted for instance,
mat no white person shall intermarry win
negro or mulaiio. Chancellor Kent says
speaking Of the blacks, that marriages De-
tween them and the whites are forbidden III
Sothe OF the States where slavery does not
e1si and they are prohibited In all the slave
Aoihing States, and when not absolutely con-
uafy 10 law, they are revolving, and regarded
as an offence against public decorum.'
:, 90 not say this bin repeats State laws on
t ene subject Of marriage between the two races,
iof DIS the whites are forbidden W intermarry
WIN the blacks the blacks can only make
such contracts as the whites themselves are
pllQWed 70 make and therefore cannot, under