, 1866-04-06
ANoTHER VETO MESSAGE,

| Aue lOllO"lng IS the message from the Presi.
dent vetoing the Civil Rights Bill:
70 The Senate Of tie J'afed S,cte,:-Tregrs the
Dill entitled IN act TO protect all persons in tbs
United States in their civil rights. and furnish
means fer their viudication, contains provisions
"hich cannot approve cousciendouslv with
! ny sense of duty to the people and nv oblign.
ton TO the Constitution. nv the first section
al persons born in the United States, and NOT
euWs0t % lany foreign power. excluding indians
/ not taxed are declared lrl,is- ,.vori.
! ion comprehends tho Chinese Of the PaciGo
States, lndiahs subject to taxation, and the race
] designated as people Of color, negroes. mulat.
: toes and persons of African blood. The bill
does not propose to give these classes any status
/ OF citizenship in the States, except that which
/ may result from their status as citizens Of the
/ United States. The power to confer the rights
OF State citizenship is Just rs exclusively with
the several States as the power TO confer Federal
citizenship IS with the Congress. The right of
I citizenship thus to be conferred on several ey
cepted races is now for the first time proposed
to be given by law. II, as is claimed bv many.
all persons born in the United States are already
citizens the passage of this bill cannotbc neces-
saTy TO make them such. If on the other hand
such persons ere foreigners, as may be assumed
from the proposed legislation to make them
such the grave question presents itself Wheth-
er, when eleven of the thirty-six States are u1
represented in Congressi. is sound policy to make
the entire cOlored population and all other ey
, eept classes mentioned, citizens? -Four millions
Of them haveiu temerged from slavery into free
uom. Can 1t be reasonably supposed they pos
sess the requisite qualifications to cutitlc them
70 the privileges and immuultics of citiZcnshin2
Have the people of the United States expressed
such convictions? It may also be asked wheth
er it is necessary they should be declared ci,i
zcns in order that they may be secured in the
o. d. III 4If Of kp gf.- ri.r
conferred by this bill. These rights are bv
Federal and State laws secured to all domiciled
aliens AMI foreigners, even before naturaliza-
ton, and itmay safely be assumed that the same
enactment5 are sufficient to give like protection
to those for whom this bill provides. Beside.
the policy OF the Government always has been
that persons who are strangers to and unflmil-
lar with our institutions, should pass through a
certain probation.
This bill, in effect discriminates against large
number OF intelligent and worthy foreigners,
anu IN favor Of negroes, to whom after long
years Of bondage the avenues Oflight and intel
Iigencc have just been suddenly opened, by pro-
posing to make them citizens at once, The first
section also contains IN enumeration of rights
20 be enjoyed: to make and enforce contracts,
sue and be sued give evidence in courts, pur-
chase, lease sell, hold and convey real estate and
personal property, and to have full and equa!
benefits Of all laws the same as white citizens.
aud to be subject 10 the same puuishments pains |
and penalties in connection with white citizens !
and no voters. This perfect equality of white !
and cDlored races is attempted to be fixed by |
federal laws in every State, SO that over the vast
fed Of State jurisdiction covered by these emu |
meratcd rights, in none of them can any State |
exercise any power Of discrimination between
the different races. In the exercise Of govern
ment over matters exclusively affecting the peo-
pie of each State, it has frequently been thought
eXPedient to discriminate between the races by
the statutes Of some States which have laws en-.
acted, for instance that white person shall
marrya negro or mulatto. Chancellor Kent SAYS,
speaking of the blacks, Marriage between the
blacks and the whitesis forbidden in some States
where slavery does not exist and prOhibtediu all
the slayebodiug States by law, and where not
Absolutely contrary to law, they arc revolving,
and relarded as oifense against public deCcncy.'
don't y this bill repeals State laws on this
subject. for as the whites are forbidden to inter
marry with the blacks, the blacks can only
make Such contracts as the whites themselves
are aFowcd to make; therefore they cannot I'M
der this bilh enter into a marriage contract with
whites. | cite this discrimination, however, as
an instance Of State policy, and to inquire,
whether, if Congress can abrogate all State
laws of discrimination touching contracts gen.
orally Congress may not repeal State laws as to
the marriage contract between the races. Here
'o'o'c tue suUJeCt embraced IN tue euuufEatlOu
OF rlghts conferred by the bill, has been consid-
cred as exclusively belonging TO the States, and
IL Congress can repeal State laws discrimina-
ting in these subjects, why may not It repeal all
State laws discriminating on suffrage?
The object of the second section is to afford |
discrimination to colored persons, by imposing |
penalties upon members of Legislatures who |
may pass such lGws, and upon Judges or OIL |
GERS who may attempt to execute them. This |
invades the dominion of the States, for which |
there is no warrant and for which there is no ne
cessty. do not apprehend such conflicting
legislation As the bill seems to contemplate as |
sure to occur, as to render it necessary to adopt
a measure Of such doubtful constitutionality. |