The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-03-28
THE DAILY EMPIRE.
fnso" H. a. ROBINSON,
PUBL1sHER AND PROPRIETOR.
70 The Presidents Message,
VetOing the CiviI Rights Bill.


| Ia-LlIt NH7III|Ir7 M
To the Senate Of he United States. h
i n regret that the bin which has passed
both Houses of Congress, entitled An Act
70 Protect all persons in the United States
~ their Civil Rights, and furnish the means
Of their vindication, contains provisions
which can not approve, consistently with
my sense of duty to the whole people, and
I-ay obligations to the Constitution of the
United States. I am, therefore constrained
to return IL to the Senate, the house In
which it originated, with my objections to
It's becoming law. BY the first section OF
the bill, all persons born, IN the United States,
and not subject 70 any foreign power, ex-
Guiding Indians not taxed, are declared to
be citizens of the United States. This pro-
rtsfon coplprehends Me Chinese Of the Pacific
States, Indians subject to taxation. the peo-
PIE called Gypsies, as well as the entire race
designated as blacks--people of color, ne
groes!, mulatoes, and all persons of African
! blood. Every individual OF these races
born In the United States, Is by the bill.
made citizen of the United States. it
does not purport to declare or confer any
other right of citizenship than Federal citf-
! Zenship. 1t does not propose to give these
classes of persons any status as citizens of
States, except that which may result from
their status as citizens of the United States.
The power to confer the right Of State citi-
\
| Zenship, is just as exclusively with
the several States, as the power to con-
ier the rlght or Federal citizenship,
Is WIN congress. The right of Fed
eraI cltlzenship thus to be conferred
IN the several exceptions, as before mem
TO be given by law. If, as is claimed by
many, all persons who are native born, al
ready are, by nature of the Constitution,
citizens of the United States. the passage
OF the pending bill can not be necessary to
! make them such. III on the other hand,
sucn persons are not citizens, as may be as
suined from the proposed legislation, to
iiiake tnem sucil the grave question pre-
. sents ieselL whether, where eleven of
D ltnFty-slN states are unrepresentcd IN Con-
grsss ftt this tlme, It Is sound policy to
Iiahe our enClre coiored population, aud
M an oener excepGed classes, citizens of the
oIiIett states. four millions OF them have
IIust II elnergeu rom slavery into freedom.
u oan u DE reasonable to suppose they pos
sess' the requisite qualifications TO enttle
! eseIi 10 hl Lhe privileges and irnmunities
q u GltlHehshp oi the United States Have
ltle people ol bhei several states expressed
SUCH conylcIlOn! III may also, be asked
Whether t Is necessary that they should
De declared cltizens, IN order that they
niSHH niaH pe secured IN the enjoyment Of the
clVil rights proposed to kbe conferred by
the billS Those rights are by Federal, as
wen rs py State laws, secured to all do
hlestlcated allens ana Foreigners, even
peioIe tue colnpietlon OF the process of
ilaturiiizhOlon, ana IL may safely be as
suInea that the same enactments are
suihclenI atn 10 glyellke protection and bene-
% nus 70 t3ose Ior whom the bill provides
sPe0nL ~ ~ "gisiatlon. Besldes, the policy
oi the government from Its orr
I'm, 10 the present time, seems to have been,
snaI persons, VINO are strangers to, and un-
Ialnlilar WIN our institutions and our laws
Should pass through certain prohibition
at the END OF which, before allowing them
Ilse coveted prize they must give evidence
oi thelr iitness to receive and to exercise
tne right Of citizens as contemplated by the
Conssit ns ution OF the nlted States, The bill
~ enecI proposes discrimination against
aiarge NUMBER OF lntel1gent, worthy, and
Patrlotic foreigners, and In favor ofthe me-
gro 10 whom, after long years of bondage
she avenues 10 freedom and intelligence,
nave Just now been suddenly opened, He
must Oh necessity, from his previous unfor-
tunate condition OF servitude, be less in
formed as to the nature and character OIL
our institutions. than he, who, coming from
abroad, has, TO some extent at least, famil-
l4rlzed himself with the principles of a
uoVernment To which he voluntarily en-
trusts lie, liberty and the pursuit of hap
plness: n ..il.rl...g d. .rts 1T II
iet IL Is now proposed, by single legls-
latiye enactment TO confer the rights of
eltlzens upon all persons of African descent
born within the extended limits Of the Uni-l
ted States, while persons of foreign birth,
VINO make our land their home, must un-
uergo aprobation offive years, and can only
then become citizens upon proof that they
are OF good moral character and attached
70 the principles of the Constitution of the
United States, and well disposed to the good
orIer and happiness OF the same. ''i ~"