Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-04-11

J
dren are citizen but they do not exer'
else the elective franchise by virtue Of
their citizenship. Foreigners, as is sta
ted by the President in this message, be-
fore they are naturalized are protected
in the rights enumerated in this bill. but
because they possess those rights in most
) if not all the States, that carries with il
no right to vote
But, sir, what rights do citizens of the
United States have? To be citizen o.
the United States carries with it some
rights, and what are they? They are
those inherent Fundamental rightstwhicf
belong to free citizens or freedmen in al
countries--such as the rights enumerated
in this bill-and they belong to them in
all the States Of the Union. The right
Of American citizenship means something
1t does not mean in the case of foreigner
that when he is na&uralized he is to be
left entirely to the mercy of State legisla.
ton. He has right, when duly natura.
lied, to Into any State of the Union and
to reside there. and the United States
Government will protect him in that right
It will protect a citizen of the United
States, not only in any one of the States
of the Union. but it will protect him in
foreign lends. Mr.. Marcy. when Secrc-
tary of State, held that citizen i'll for
eign country was entitled to the same pro-
lection that was extended by that govern
ment to its own citizens. These rights
belong to the citizen and known as natu-
raj rights, are defined by leading legal
authorities. What are they? The right
of personal security, the right of personal
liberty, the right to acquire and enjoy
property These are declared to he ina
lisnable rights. belonging to every citizen
of the United states as such, no matter
where he may be. How is it that every
person born in these United States owes
allegiance to the government Every
thing that he is or has-his property and
his life-may be taken by the Govern
ment of the United States in its defense
or to maintain the honor of the nation !;
and can it be that our ancestors struggled
through long war, and set up this gov
eminent and that the people of our day
have struggled through an other war,
with all it's sacrifices and all its desoia-
ton, to maintain it at last, that we have
got a government which is all powerful to
command the obedience of the citizen, but
as no power to afford him protection ?
Is that all that this boasted American
amounts to? Go tell it, sr
20 the father whose son was starved at
Andersonville. or the widow whose hus-
band was slain at Mission Ridge, or the
title boy who leads his sightless father
through the streets of your city, made
blind by the winds and the sand of the
Southern coast, or the thousand other
napgled heroes to be seen on every side.
hat this government in defense of which
he son and the husband fell-the father
ost his eyes and the others were crippled
had the right to call these persons to
it's defense, but has no right to protect
The survivors or their friends in any right
whatever in any Of the States. Sir, it
,anuot be, Such is not the meaning of
our Constitution. Such is not the mean.
ing of American citizenship. This Gov
eminent which would go to war to pro-
.ect its meanest--I will not say citizen
nhabitant, if you please--in any foreign
and. whose rights were uDjustly enoroach.
ID upon, has certainly some power to pro-
;ect its own citizens in their own coun-
Try. Allegiance and protection are ir-
.evocable rights.
Mr.. Trumbull went on to review the
remainder of the bill, to combat the OBJ.
ections Of the President, and to show the
necessity for Legislation. He then said
n conclusion
Mn. PRESIDENT have now gone thro' this
Eeto message. replying with what patience |
,ould command to its various objections to the
dill. Would that | could stop here--that there
vas no occasion to go farther but justice to
nyself-justice to the State whose Representa-
i've | am-justice to the people of the whole
country, in legislating in whose behalf | am cal.
ed to participate-justice to the Constitution
I'm sworn to support-justice to the rights of
american citizenship II secnres. and to human
liberty. now impenled-requre me to go farther.
iladly would refrain from speaking Of the spr.
L Of this message-of the dangerous doctrines IL
promul gates-of the inconsistencies and contra.
lictions of its author--Of his endorsements upon
The Constitutional rights of Congress-of his as
SUMPTION of unwarranted powers which. If per.
severed in and not checked by the people, must
eventually lead to a subversion of the Govern
nent and the destruction of liberty. Congress,
IN the passage of the bill under consideration,
sought no controversy with the President so
lar from 1t. the bill was proposed with view to
carry out what was submitted to him before its
into the Senate. / am not about to
relate private declarations of the President but
y is right that the American people should know
that the controversy which exists between him
and Congress in reference to this measure is of
his own seeking. Soon after Congress met IL
became apparent that there was difference of
opinion between the President and some mem.
bers Of Congress in regard to the condition of
the rebelious States and the rights to be secured
TO freedmen. The President in his annual mes.
sage had denied the Constitutional power of the
general Government to extend the elective fran
,hice to negroes. but he was equally decided In
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