Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-11

1
the criminal is to take advantage of his crime
| the innocent are to be punished for the
guilty.
| But the President tells us that thesbill il
effect proposes a discrimination against large
| numbers of intelligent, worthy and patriotic
| foreigners, and in favor of the negro. Is thai
true -? What is the bill ? 1t declares tha
there sh all be no distinction in civil rights be
tween any other race or color ana the "hltt
race. Is there a Discrimination il favor OF the
negro anu against the torelgners-a bill the
only effect OF which is to preserve equality O.
rights? But perhaps ii may be replied 20 TIN:
that the oii proi Oses to make citizen OF every
person oorn 10 the United States, and therefore
ii Glscriminates N that respect against the for
eiguer. Not 30. Foreigners are all upon the
same footing, whether black or white. Toe
while child who is born IN the United States \
citizen Is not 10 be presumed at lis birth to be
the equal Intellectually with the worthy, intel
ligent and patriotic foreigner who emigrates 10
this country.
The Presid ent also has objection TO the
making citizens OF Chinese and Uypsles. am
told that but few Chinese are born in this coun-
try, and where the Gypsies born never
knew Uaughter.) Like ToPsy, it is ques-
| tionable whether they were born at all, "but
Just come" lL4ughter.) But, sir, perhaps
the best answer to this objection that the OH
proposes to make citizens OF Chinese and Oyp-
sizes, and this reference TO foreigners, Is 10 ue
| found in a speech delivered IN this BODY o!
Senator occupying, / mink, th7 seat now occu-
pied across tie chamber by my friend from Or
! egon (Mr Wiiliams), less than SIX years ago,
| ia reply to message sent 10 this BODY oy MI.
| Buchanan, the then Pr-s.dent OF the United
! states, reforming with his objections what Was
/ D., L. Ftat.F
sion the Senator TO whom | alluds said But
this idea about poor foreigners, somehow or
other, besders and haunts the imagination OF
great many. | am constrained to say that L
| look upon tnis objection TO the bill as 4 poor
Quibble ON the par. of the President, and as
being hard pressed Tor some excuse 10 with
holding his approval Of the measure; and his
aiiusou TO foreigners in this connection looks 10
me more lAu the al cdptGftdum of tbs mere
politician demagogue tnan grave and sound
reason 10 be offered by the President OF the
United States IN a veto message upon 80 Inpor-
tant i measure as the Homestead bill
MIR SUMNER and Mr.. JOHNsON-who was
the Senator
Air. RUMBkLL-Ihat the lauguags OF
Senator Andrew Johnson, now Presidens of
the United Safes. daughter That is prob
ably the best answer to THIS objection, though /
should hardly have ventured 10 use such harsh
language IN reference 20 the President as to
accuse him OF clubbing, OF demagoguery and
OF playing the mere politician 10 sendlng veto
message to the Congress OF the United States
The PTesident also makes some other allu-
sons in this veto message OF similar charac-
ter. For instance, ne speaks OF the lmproprie-
" OF marriages between whites ana blacks, ana
then he goes Oh 10 say: Il 90 not say that
this till repeats stae laws on the SUBJECT OF
marriage betw cen the TWO races Then Tor
what purpose Is II introduced into Tue mes
sage? Not surely Us al at cdptGnduHs arSu-
menL 10 exsIte prs sJuQIce-the argument OF a
demagogue ana politician. Mr. johnson
eou.4 not 40 thal, having condemned sucn
qulobles IN Mr. Buchanan.
But sir, what rights 20 citizens of the I'm
| ted States have To ue ciJlz-n OF the NJ
ted States carries with Al sc me rights, and what
are they They are taose inherent, tunda-
mental rights 81 nich e.ong 20 free cltlLens or
freeman IN al counties such the rights emu
meraied 10 ms blll-and they belong to them
in all the states OF the Union. The night OF
American citizenship means something. Il
I does not mean in he case of i foreigner that
wnen be Is naturallzed ne Is TO be left entirely
/ To the mercy OF state egI lallon. bis has d
right, when duly naturalized, 10 go into any
4 United States Government vii! protect him In
! that right. Il will protect q citizen of the UNI
/ ted States, not only IN any OF the states of the
Union, but Il viii protect him IN foreign lands.
! Mr.. NJ lrcy, when Secretary OF State, held that
a citizen IN i fOre.gn country was entitled TO
the same protectIon that was extended by that
government 10 lis own CITIZENS. These rights
belonging TO tne cItx7n, anC known as natural
rls hts, are detaed 10y leading .egal authorities.
I " nat are lney? Inc right OF personal securl-
", tne risul Ui personal liberty, the right &c
acquire aud ENJOY property these ale deciar-
/ ed 10 De In4leuaUle rights, belonging 10 every
! citizen OF tne C-IIed States Sucn. no mat er
ehere he MAY oe. tiow Is Il t..at every person
1 oJTn Ia these United States owes aAegIanee 10
tne government? < Every thing mat lie is or Ia,
--u,s properly and MS lIte-nay De taken by
| the G0yeIuuIent u the United States III lis oe-
fense y 10 maintain the honor OF the nation
ana ca.. It That our ancestors strussi ieu
thTough Il s. long war, anu set up this government
| and that The people OF our DAY have struggl LED
through anol ner war, Win all lis sacrifices anC
ii. us desvlailon, 10 ma utaln 1T lhe last, tha
| we have gct = government winch is all power
tui 10 command tue obedience OF the citizen
but has no power 10 afford him protection
Is that ali Iaat this DO tsted American cItlzea
ship amounts TO 90 lei. 1t, sir, 10 the Iathel
whose son VAS starved Al AndeTsonVIlie, or th'
| widow WHOSE husband was siaIn AiIsslol
Ridge, or the little Dol VINO leads his sigbiles
father Through the streets OF yoIT city, maI,
blind by The NaGs anu The e.nu ot tn South
eTn coast, or me thousand oshor manged he
roes to be seen on every Side, that this govern
meut in defense OF winch the son and th'
husband ieIl-the Ialher lost niS eyes and sh'
Others were csipped-nac the rg-.t 10 cal
these persons To It's defense, but has no rish
TO protect the Survivors or Their trends IN an,
right whatever, in any oI the states. SIR,
cannot be-. such : not tue meaning OF our Con
stitution. Such is not the meaning OF Amer
ican citizenship. This Government, whlcl
would go 10 war to protect its meanest-I Wi
not say cltlzen-nhabant, II you piease-l
any foreign and, whose rights we're unjusti
encroached upon, has certainly some power L
protect its own citizens in their own country
Allegiance and protection irreyocable rig hts
Mr.. TrumbuIl ent on 10 review the re
mainder OF the bill, 10 combat the objection
of the President, ana to show the necessity fo
legislation. He then said IN ciusion
MIR PREsIDkNT-i have gone throusi
this veto message, replying with what pstienc
i could command TO It's various objections Il
the bill. W ould that | could stop here tina
there was no occasion 10 go farther but lustic,
to myself-Juslice to the State whose Represen
tatlve | am -Justc- to the people OF the who'll
country, in ieSlsiatlng for who behalf an
Gale d TO psrticipate-]ustice TO the Constitution
1 am sworn to support-Justlce to the rights o
American citizenship 1t secures, and TO human
liberty, now imperisd-requlre me 10 go tar
ther. Gladly would refrain from speaking 0
the spirit of this message-of the dangerou
doctrines it promulgates-of the inconsisten
cies and contradictions OF its author-of hi
encroachments uilnu The Constitutional riphf