Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-04-19

y
born at ALL but just come. Lapgbter.
But sif,, perhaps the best answer TO this
objection, that the bill proposes 10 make
citizens Of Chinese aad Gypsies, and this
reference to the foreigners, IL to be found in
aspeech delivered 10 this body by - Sena,
tor occupying, | think, the seat now .occn.
pied across the Chamber by my friend ffem
Oregon, Mr.. Williams. less than six years
ago, IN reply to message sent 70 this body
by Mr.. Buchanan, the then President Of
the United States, returning, with bis OBJ.
jections, what was known as the homestead
bill On that occasion the Senator to whom
allude said .U ..... .-. o...T fs1fI
"But this idea about poor foreigners, seraehos or
Other, sewiasf' and .ana.. tn: imagination Of great
al am constrained Ia say that look upon this ob
lection TO the bill as mere qubPc on the part Of ,the
Presidc and as being hardpressed for SOME excuse
withholding his approval OF the measute aud his al.
usion to foreigners in this connection looks
like the ad capiandum Of the mere icinr and dema
the President Of the United Sales in veto message up.
OH important As the homestead bill " -
Mr. SUMNER and Mr. JOHNSON. Who
was the Senator2 al .'tsL -7,t A.-9sf
Mr.. TRUMBULL. That was the language
of Senatsr Andrew johnson, now President
fthe United States. Laughter. That
is probably the best answer to this objection,
though | should hardly have ventured to
use such harsh language 10 reference to the
President as to accuse him Of quibbling and
Of demagoguery, and sof playing the mere
politician 10 sending veto message to the
Congress of the United States. .
The President also makes some other allu-
sions in this veto message of atsimilar chatac.
ter. For instance, he speaks ofthe impropriety
of marriages between whites and blacks, and
then he goes on to say, Il do not say that
this bill repeals State laws on the subject of
marriage between the two races. q" Then
for what purpose is it introduced into this
message? Not surely as an ad captdaditm
argument to excite prejudice--the argument
Of demagogue and Q politician ? Mr..
johnson could not do that, having condemn
ed such" bubbles in Mr.. Buchanan.
The President further says: D. o.. ,..,..',j
"f il be granted that Congress can repeal all State
laws discriminating between whites and blacks in the
subjects covered by this bill why, may be asked may
discriminating between the two the subjects of
suffrage and Office! IL Congress can declare by law
who shall hold lands, who shall testify who shall have
capacity make a contract in State, then Congress
can by law also declare who. without regard to color
race shall have the right to sit juror Judge.
to hold office. and, finally TO VOTE in every State
and Territory in the United States =" ~
Perhaps the best answer [ could give to
this would be the answer of Andrew John
son himself. He undertook to reorganise
State governments in the disloyal States. -
! When he did so, to whom did he extend the
right of suffrage? To the blacks? Ne,
sir; but he extended the right of suffrage
to those who were authorized to vote under
the laws ofthoso States before the rebellion;
and when urged to allow loyal blacks tn
vote, what was his answerp That he had
no power it was unconstitutional but he
has claimed and exercised the power to pro-
tect colored persons in their civil rights, and
if it be true that protection in civil right.
carries with it the right of suffrage, wha
becomes Of the position which he assumed
when he extended civil rights to the negsoe
. that he had no constitutional power to ex
tend to them the right to vote; that it wa
a right vested in the States with which h
could not interfere ? - .,,..{ D.. ...,
But, sir, the granting of civil rights doe
not, and never did in this country, carr
with it rights or, more properly speaking
political, privileges, A man may be cit
zen in this country without right to yot
or without right to hold Office. The righ
to vote and hold Office in the States depend
upon the legislation of the various States
the right to hold certain offices under tn
Federal Government depends upon the Con
stitution of the United States. The Presi
dent must be natural born citizen; and
Senator or Representative must be q citize
of the United States for a certain number {
years before he is ELIGIBLE to seat eithe
in this or the other House of Congress; e
I cessarily qualify person foraan office, n(
> does it necessarily authorize him to vote
Woman are citizens; children are citizens
. | hut fhau do avaraioa fha aIanflva fna
: chise BY virtue Of their citizenship. Fo
eigners, as. is stated by the President in ,th
9 message, before they are naturalized a
. protected in the rights. enumerated in th
u bill, but because they possess those rights,
y most, if not all, the States, that carries wi
= it no right to vote. .'.,,' ...,.',5 ..
v But, sir, what rights do citizens of Il
g. United States have? To be citizen of Il
Is United States carries with ii some right.
, and what are they? They are those inh
:; rent, Fundamental rights which belong
- free citizens or free men in all countrie
a. such as the rights enumerated in this bi
70 and they belong to them in all the. States,
81 the Union. The right of American citize
IN ship means something. 1t does not mea
in the case Of a foreigner, that whenhe is nj
an an uralized he is to. be left entirely to u
TO mercy OF State legislation. He has rig
TO When duly naturalized to 20 into any Sti
Of the Union and to reside there, and
% United States Government will protect b
e in that right It will protect o citizen
Is the United States, not only in one Of
81 States 3f the Union, but it will protect h
W. ID foreign lands Mr.. Marcy, when Sec
=, tsry Of State, held that acitizen 10 q 4
~. eig1 country was entitled to the same p
S lsSt tection that was extended BY that Cove