The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-09-06

Scan it be true that this almost nareless being has
ally and poticaly that he must Command nation
while an Irishman Englishman or German who has de-
placed in the circumstances has rights that the
blacklist citizen bound to espect?"-KenoshG Unon
Aug. 50
A question so pathetically put, should have
an answer This "nameless being" is a live
Negro born on American soil. Several speci-
mems of this genus homo have been heard of
during the past rebellion fully demonstrating
their manhood, and from various high militia
ry authorities have been styled SOLDIERS ofthe
Union Army" who contributed not a little to
the success of our arms, standing firmly by the
flag of the Union at home and in the field,
while many a white man played the traitor
Should they not be rewarded? They ask for
simple justice, nothing more. They ask to be
called and recognized as American citizens
This is the vast proportions to which they
aspire, nothing more.
The Constitutional amendment proposed by
Congress gives it to them, freely, fully, and in
giving it, does not deprive any other human
being of his rights. Every American born man
or woman is to have the same rights of citizen
acquired it under the constitution and laws
made in pursuance thereof, by residence OF
five years though practically he has it, in
most Of the States, upon simply declaring his
intentions. And so far as Governmental pro-
lection is concerned, Secretary Marcy asserted
it in one case of foreigner who had only de-
clared his intentions and the nation sustained
him in it.
| Our nation has never been backward to pro-
tect foreigners who were seeking homes here.
No nation on the globe has ever done so much
| to put them on an equality with the native
born citizen. Our own state allowed them to
vote for nearly twenty years before it did the
| celored man. And the effort of the Union to
show that the Negro under the amendments
proposed may have more rights than the for
eigner who has declared his intentions but not
fully naturalized, is simply an effort to arouse
prejudice and not to prevent grievance to
the "Irishman, Englishnan or German" seek
ing homes in this country.
| Congress has already established uniform
rule of naturalization more liberal than that OF
any other nation, whereby a foreigner in five
years can be invested with all the rights ofct-
| izenship, and practically he is before, except
sitting upon juries rights which not only the
african, F" but every American citizen is bound
to respect. The poorest and most beggarly
immigrant that lands upon the New York
wharfs can command the arm of thirty mill
ions of people to protect her in her rights
The government is pledged to do it. Ought it
not to be equally powerful to protect those
born upon its own soil? For eighty years it
| has not done it to the colored race. Slavery
being abolished, it now proposes to do it by
an amendment to the constitution ratifying
and confirming the Civil Rights Bill and
thereby giving tho Negro the same ''vast pro-
portions" that it gives every other man, moth
ing more. To this Democracy objects, and I'M
der the lead of that ''humble individual' who
was to be 'the Moses of the enslaved race, it
proposes to keep them for the next century at
least in the ''back seats" while perjured rebels
are to take the front seats" in Congress to
rule over us as in the good old days of Buchan-