American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-03-31
THE PRESIDENTS VETO MESSAGE,
WAsuISGroN, March q, 1866

Ch''N'N
Iregrct that the bill which passed
the House Of Congress, entitled "An
.Act to protect all persons in the
United States, and furnish means OF
their vindication," contains proYlS-
ions which | cannot approve, consist
entity with my sense of duty to the
people and my obligations to the
Constitution of the United States.
am therefore constrained to return
it to the Senate and the House
in which it originated, with my OBJ
iectionS to its becoming law.
BY the first section of the bill all
DprSons being within the United
States and not subject to any foreign
powcr-excluding the Indians, who
are not taX2d-arc declared to be cit
liens of the United States. The pro
vision comprehendS the Chinese OF
Pacific States and the Indians sub
ipct to taxation, the people called
tiipsies, as well as the entire race
designated as blacks-pcople OF col
or. mulattoeS, negroes, and persons or
African blood. Every individual OF
These races born within the United
States is. by this bill, made a citizen
of the United States. 1t does not
Durport to declare or confer any oth.
or right of citizenship than Federal
citizenship. 1t does notpurport TO
rive these classes ofpersonS any stat
usOf citizens of the States, except tndt
which NAV result from their status
as citizens of the United States.
III. mower to the completion OF the
>rorSSs Of naturalization, and 1t may
safely be assumed that the same ell
3ctmpnts are sufficient to give IKE
PROTECTION to those for whom tins bill
provides. provides special legislation.
Besides, the policy Of the Govern
nlnt. from its origin to the present
time seems to have been that persons
who are strangers to and unfamiliar
with our institutions and our laws
should pass through certain proba-
ton, at the end of which, before al
lowing the coveted prize, they must
rive evidence of their fitness to re-
cciye and exercise the rights OF CIT
liens, as contemplated by the Con
stitutianQf the United States. the
bill, in effect, proposes a dlScrlmha
ton aruinst large numbers OF intel
Nrcnt, worthy and patriotic foreign
t.s, and in favor of the negroes, te
whom, after long years OF pohuaSe
avenues to freedom and Intelligence
have inst now been suddenly opened
IIc.must Of necessity, from his pre-
yipuS unfortunate condition OF ser
Iitudc. he less informcdaS to the ma
tlrc and character of our institutions
than he. who, coming from abroad
has TO some extent at least, familiar
lied himself with the principles o
government to which he voluntary
cutrusts "life, liberty and the pulSu
of happiness" Yet it is now pro
posed by single legislative enact
mont TO confer the rights of citizen
ship upon all persons of African de
scent born within the extended nm
its of thc United States. The pass
are of the pending bill can not d.
NECESSARY to make them such. Ii, OF
the other hand; such persons are no
citizens. rs may be assumed from TN
proposed legislation to make theh
such. the graver question present
itself whether, where eleven OF tn
tLirty-siX States are unrcprcSente
in Congress at this time, it Is SCUM
nolicv 10 make our entire cOlorrd POI
ulation. over all other excepted class
rs citizens of the United States
rour millions of them have JUS
emerged from slavery into freedom
: can it reasonably be supposed tha
{ they possess the requirements an
, Qualifications to entitle them to a
the privileges and immunitieS OF tlt
zruship of the United States. laN
the people Of the several states g,
I pressed such conviction! 1t ma
also be asked whether it is neceSSal
tbat thcv sh0uld be declared citiZel
in order that they may he secured
the ENJOYMENT of the civil rights pr
C posnI to br conferred by the bi
c Those rights are, by the Federal
/, well ms tlc State lawS, secured to
aliens and foreigners, upon pro
tI,a+ thcv are of good moral chara
..r. attached to the Constitution
the United States, and well diSp0S'
n towards the good order and hapl
b ness Cf t. same.
The second section of the bill nj
contains an enumeration of the rI%ll
A to I've enjoyed by those classes.
the .so-mdde" citizens in every sta
:, and Territory in the United state
81 II Gives the parties the right to
pc bclit, give in evidence, purchase, Sc
lease. hold, and convey real and p'
a souai prop erty, and to have the I
re and equal benefit of all laws ami p
n, rnrdiups for the security OF per'
70 and property, the same as enjoyed
n White citizens. SO, too, are II
h made subject to the same punishm
Ii end penalties. in common with
r ,cl5fp citizens, and to no oth'
D, Thusis an equality of the white
IA ,olorrl races attempted to DE II
De 1y Federal law in every state OF
', Union. arN over the vast field
m c49te Jurisdiction and, governed
II thcSp numarated rights, in no
Ii ,f them can any State exercise
dh f,vnr or discrimination between
m, g;a,rcnt r.lceS. or in the cxcrcis'
6J Sta... rrIi,.y over matters cxcluslN
gttectinr the people of such IT
II Ina, Frequently been Thought g.
\ ,irut - discriminate between