The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-04-06
Message of the President,
'ETUlNG The CIVIL RIGHTS BILL
WAsnINGToN, March &c.

OF their NlndlCatiOn, contains provisions
which | can not approve consistently with
my sense Of duty to the whole people, and
my Obligations to the constitution OF the
United States. am therefore constrain-
ed to return il to the Senate, the House
in which it originated, "tth my objections
to Is becoming law.
BY The first section of the bill all per
soL3 born in the United States aud not
subject TO any foreign power, excluding
indians not taxed. are declared 10 be
citizens of The United States. This
provision comprehends the Chinese Of
he Pacific States, Indians ufject 20 tax,
alton, the people called Gipsies, as well
rs The entire race designated AZ blacks,
people of color, negroes, mulattoes and
persons OF African blood Every indisid
uaI OF these races born in The United
States Is BY this bill citizen of the Uni>
ted States. II does not purport to de-
clare or corier any other right OF citizen
ship than federal citizenship. II does not
propose 10 give these classes Of persons
any stutuS of citizens of states excep, that
which may result from then status as citi
zens Of the United states
The power to confer the right Of state
citizenship is ust as exclusively with the
several states as the power to confer the
right Of federal citizenship is with Con
gress. The right of federal citizenship
thus to be conferred in the several excep>
ted ratios before mentioned is now for the
first time proposed to be given by law.
If, as Is claimed lry many, all persons who
are native born already are, by virtue of
the constitution, citizens OF the United
States, the passage Of the pending bill can
not be necessary to make them such. If,
on the other hand, such persons are not
citizens, as may be assumed from the pro
posed legislation to make them such, the
grave question presents Itself whether
where eleven Of the thirty-six states are
unrtpresented in Congress at the time, it
is sound policy to make our entire colored
population, and all other excepted clas-
ses, citizens Of the United States Four
millions Of them have just emerged from
slavery into freedom-can it be reas-
onably supposed that they possess the re-
quisite qualification to entitle them 10 all
the privileges and immunities of citizens
of the United States? Have the people Of
the several States expressed such con-
yictior2 1t may also be asked whether it
is necessary that they should be declared
citizens in order that they may be secured
in The enjoyment Of tie civil rights pro
posed to be confessed by the bin.
These rights are BY fedora! as well as
by state laws, secured to all domiciled
aliens and foreigners, even before the com
pletion Of naturalization. ana it may safely
be assumed that the same enactments are
sufficient to give like protection and bene>
fits to those for whom this pill! prosid
special Legislation; besides the policy of
the government from its origin to the
present time, seems to have been tina. per
scEs who are strangers 10 and unfamiliar
with our Institutions aud our laws, should
pass through prohibition, at the end Of
which, before, allowing the coveted prize,
they must give evidence OF their fitness 70
receive and to exercise the rights of cti-
zenship as contemplated in the Constitu
ton Of the U. S. The bill in effect pro-
poses discrimination against large mum
bers of intelligent, worthy aud patriotic
foreigners and in favor of tie negro, to
whom after long years of bondage, tie
avenues Of freedom and intelligence have
Just now been suddenly opened. He
must Of necessity from his previous unfor-
Of 10
formed as to the nature and character of
our institutions than he who comes from
abroad. lie has to some extent familiar
izad himself with the principles Of a
governmen. TO which he voluntarily en-
lrusl, life, liberty, and the Pursui; of hap
piueas Iei, it is no" proposed by sim
gle Legislative enactment 20 confer the
right Of citizens upon all persons of Afri
can descent, born within the extended
limits of the United States, while persons
Of foreign birth who made our land their
home must undergo a probation Of five
years, aud can only then become citizens
upon proof tha; they arc of good, moral
character, attached to the principles of the
Constitution Of the United States, and
we'll disposed to the good order and hap
piness Of the same.
The first section Of the bill alp contains
40 enumeration Of the rights to be enjoyed
ty those classes. SO made citizens, in every
state aud territory 10 the United States
These rights are to make and enforce con-
tracts, TO sue the parties and give evidence
to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold and
convey real and personal property, and
to bave full and equal benefit of all laws
and proceedings tor the security of per
sons and property as is enjoyed bv white
citizens. So, too, they are made aubiect
10 the same punishment, pains and pen.
alties common with white citizens and to
none others Thus perfect equality Of
the white and colored races is attempted
tc be fixed hy federal law in every state
Of the Union over the vast field Of state
jurisdiction covered by lhese enumerated
rights. In no one Of them can any state
exercise by power Of discrimination be-
tween the two races. 10 the exercise of
state policy over matters exclusively at
fecting the people of each state. it has
frequently been thought expedisut to dis
cr'mlnate between the two races.
BY the statutes Of some of the states
north as well as south, is enacted, for in.
stance, that 10 white person intermarrv
with a negro or mullatto. Chancellor