The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-03-28
THE vETonEssAaE.

THE VETO AH1sAGE.
To the Senate Of the United States:
regret that the bill which has passed
both Houses Of Congress, entitled An act tc
protect oil persons in the United States in
their civil rights, and furnish the means Of
their vindication, contains provisions which
cannot approve consistently with my sense
Of duty to the whole people and my. obliga-
tion to the Constitution of the United States.
aIn therefore constrained to return it to the
Senate, the house in which it originated, with
my objections to its becoming law.
By the first section Of the bill all persons
born in the Urited States and not subject to
any foreign power excluding Indians not tax
ed, are declared to be citizens of the United
States This provision comprehends the Chi
nese of the Pacific States, Indians subject to
taxation, people called gipsies, as well as the
entire race designated blacks, people OF color,
negroes, mulatoes and persons OF African
blood. Every individual of these races born
| in the United States is by the bill made q
citizen Of the United States.
| 1t does not purport to declare or confer any
other right of ofcitizensihp, than federal citizen
ship. It does not give these classes Of per-
sons any status OF citizenship Of States. ex-
cept that which may result from their status
| as citizens of the United States. The power
| to confer the right Of State citizenship is just
as exclusively with the several States, as the
power to confer the right Of federal citizen
| ship is with Congress.
The right Of federal citizenship thus to be
conferred in the several excepted ratios before
mentioned, is now for the first time proposed
10 he given by law. II, as is claimed by many.
all persons who are native bern already are
by virtue of the constitution citizens Of the
United States, the passage of the pending bill
cannot be necessary TO make them such. Ii,
on the other hand, such persons are not citi
zens as may be supposed from the proposed
legislation to make them such, the grave
question presents itself, whether, where elev-
en- Of the thirty six States are unrepresented
in Congress, al this time il il sound policy to
make one entire colored population, aud all
other excepted classes, citizens of the United
States
Four millions Of them have Just emerged
from slavery into freedom; can il be reasona-
bly, supposed that they possess the requisite
qualification to ertitIe them to all the privi-
leges and immunities Of citizenship OF the
United States. Have the people of the seve.
raj States expressed such conviction ii
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 the
civilrighis proposed 10 be conferred BIZ the bill.
The rights are by federal as well as by State
laws secured TO all domiciled aliens and for
eigners even before the completion Of the
process Of naturalization. and it may safely
be assumed that the same enactments are sui
hcient TO give like protection and benefit to
those for whom this bin provides special leg.
laiion; fesides. the policy ofthe government
from It's origin TO the present time. seems 10
have been that persons who are strangers to,
and unfamiliar with our institutions and our
laws should pass through certain probation,
at the end Of which. before allowing the cov-
etedIprize. they must eslace their fitness TO
receive and to exercise Arghts of citizens
as contemplated by the ns,i,u,ion Of the
United States.
| The bill IN effect proposes discrimination
against large numbers Of intelligent worthy.
and patriotic foreigners, and in favor Of the
negro, to whom after long years Of bondage.
the avenues TO freedom and intelligence have
jus, now been suddenly opened He mus, Of
necessity, from his previous unfortunate Goa
dition Of serv,tude, be less informed as to the
nature and character OF our institutions. than
he Who coming from abroad, has TO some ex-
tent at least tamiiarized himself with the prin-
ciples of government, TO which he younta.
rily entrusts life. liberty, and the pursuits of
happiness. Yet it is now pursued by single
legislative enactment. to confer the rights of
citizens upon all persons of African descent,
born within the extensine limits of the Cnl-
| ted Estates while persons of foreign birth who
| make our land their home must undergo q
probation of FIVE years. and can only then
become citizens upon proof tha! they are Of
good moral character, attached to the p,in
ciples of the Constitution oithe United States
and well disposedto the good order and hap.
piness of the same. The frs. section of the
bill also contains an enumeration of the rights
| to pc enjoyed by those classes SO made citi
zens, in every State and Territory in the Uni
ted States. These rights are 10 make and
enforce contracts, to sue the parties and to
| give evidence, to inherit, purchase, lease,
SELL hold and convey real and personal prop
erte, and to have full md equal benefit OF
all Jaws and proceedings for The security OF
person and property, as is enjoyed by white
| citizens.
SO too, they are made subject to the same
punishment, pains and penalties common
with white citizens, and to none others
Thus perfect equality Of the white and col
orad races is attempted to be fixed by federal
law in every State Of the Onion over the vas,
/ fed of State jurisdiction covered by those
! enumerated rights. In no one of them can
| any State exercise any power of discrimina-
cise Of State policy over matters exclusively
/ efecting the people Of said State, it has fire
qyently been thought expedient to discrimiu-
ate between the two races by the statutes o
scme OF the States North as we'll as South.
1t is enacted for instance that no white
person shall intermarry with a negro or inu
l.ftto. Chancellor Kent says speaking of thu
blacks, that marriages between them and tn,
whites are forbidden in some OF the State.
where slavery does not exist, and they ar,
prohibited in all the slave holding States b,
law, and when not absolutely contrary 10 Law
they are reviied and regarded as an oifenc,
e,eainst public decorum. l do. not say tha
this bin repeats State laws onrhe subject o
marriage between the two races. for as th
whites are forbidden to intermarry with th
blacks. III. bl cis car only Ii such con
tracts AS the whites themselves are allowed t
make, and therefore cannot under this bill
enter into the marriage contract with tn
| whites. Ic,te this discrimination, however
: as an instance of the State policy, or to dis
elimination, and inquire whether if Congress
, can abrogate ali State laws of Discriminate
!. between the two races and the matter of rea
estate, of suits and of contracts generally
And If Congress may not also repeal the Stat
laws rs to the contract of marriages hetwee
fhe two races?
Hitherto every subject embraced in tn
enumeration of rights contained in the bi
has been considered rs exclusively belongin
r 10 the States. They all relate to the inierns
policy and economy Of the United States
they are matters which in each State concer
I she domestic condition Of its people, varyin
in each according to its own peculiar circun
stances and the safety and well being Of il
Dwn citizens. do not mean to say that upo
| all theae anhiecta fhere ara MT Eodsrol -