Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-04-04

| certain prohibition, at the end of which,
before attaining the coveted prize, They must
give evidence OF their fitness to receive and
to exercise The rights OF citizens as contem-
| plated by the Constitution of the United
States. The bill in effect proposes dis
elimination against large numbers of INTEL
iigeni, wor,hy, and patriotic foreigners, and
in avor of The negro 10 whom after long
| years oil bondage, The avenues of freedom
and intelligence have just now been opened.
He mnst OF necessity, from his previous
unfortunate condition of servlude, be less
/ informed 10 The nature and character o:
institutions than be who coming from
| abroad, has TO some extent, al least, famil-
| iarized himself with the principles of gov
| ernment, to which he voluntarily intrusis
/ life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
| Yet i is now proposed BY single IegisIa-
| tive enac:m ent 10 confer the rights OF cil-
| zens upon all persons o. African descent
born within the extended limits OF the Uni
/, ted States, while persons OF foreign birh
| who make Our land their home must under
! 60 probation of five years, and only then
become citizens upon proof that they are of
| good moral character, attached 10 the Con-
stIuiion OF the United States, and well dis.
! posed TO The good order and happiness of
the same. The first section OF the bill also
| contains an enumeration of the rights to be
! enjoyed by those ella sses so made citizens
in ervey Stale and Territory in the United
1
| States. These rights arctic make and en-
| lorce contracts, 10 sue, be parties. and give
| evidence, 10 inherit, purchase, lease, sell,
| hold and convey real and personal proper
| ty, aud 10 have fu and equal bene6 of all
laws and proceedings for The security of
! persons and properly as is enjoyed by
white cIeZens so, too, they are made sub
Ject 10 the same punishment, pains and
penalties, common wiki white citizens, aud
TO none others. Thus perfect equality
CT the white and colored races is auemp;e ed
10 be fixed by federal law, in every Stale of
the Union, over ;he vast field of Stale iurs-
dclion covered by these enumerated riah1s.
In no one of them can ans Stale exercise
any power OF discrimination between dif-.
iereni races. Ia the exercise of State policy
over matters exclusively affecting the peo-
pie of each State, il has frequently been
lhougbt expedieD, TO discriminate between
the Two races. BY the statues of some of
the States, North as well as South. il is en-
acted, FOR instances, iha, no white person
shall intefmarry with negro or mulia;lo
Cho6cellor Kent says. speaking OF The blacks
that marriage between them and the whites
are forbidden in some OF The Staies W here
slavery does not exist, and they are prohib-
tied in all the slave-hoIding States By law,
ard when not ebsouIsiy contrary TO law,
they revolving. and regarded as an Of
that this bill repeas Stale laws on The sub.
lecI Of marriage between The two races, for
as The whites are forbidden 10 inlermarry
with the blacks, the blacks can only make
such contracts as the whites themselves are
allowed 10 make, and, therefore cannot un-
der this bill, enter into ihe marriage con-
trac, with the whites. ! cle this discrim-
naiion, however, as an instance Of the State
policy, asflo discrimination, and TO inquire
wherher, if Congress can abfoga,e all stale
laws OF discrimination between the Two ra-
ces, in mailer of real estate, of suits, and of
contracts generally, Congress may not also
repeal the State laws as to the contract OF
marriage between the TWO races Hitherto
every subject embraced 10 the enumeration
OF rights, contained 10 The bill has been con.
sidersd as exclusively belonging to The
States they all relate TO the internal policy
and economy of the respective States they
domestic condition Of its people. varying in
each according TO it's own peculiar crcum-
stances and the safety and wel-keing OF lis
own citizens do not mean to say that
upon all ;hese subjects there are no! federal
restraints as, for nsishce, in The State
power OF legislation over contracts there is
a federal limitation that no state shall pass
law impairiog the obligations of contracts
and, as 10 crimes. that no state shall pass
az er post fdcto law and, as 10 money, that
no State shall make any thing but gold and
silver legal tender. But where can We
fnd federal prohibition against the power
of any stale 10 discriminate, as co most of
them between aliens and citizens? between
artificial persons called corporations and
naluralized persons in the right 10 hold real
estate. II it be granted that Congress can
repeal all STATE laws discriminating between
whites and blacks in the subjects covered
by this bill, why, ii may be asked, may not
laws discriminating between the two races
on The rutject of suffrage and office If
Congress can declare by law who shall hold
lands, who shall testify, who shall have ca
pacily TO make a contract in state, then
Congress can also by law declare who, with.