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

keDei COnteueracy--is nus coileaXue kvu'
Of the Senators in the Retel Cougrcss)-
to come here to lsgislste for the loya
people of this country? Sir, the men wht
organized government that carried on
four years war against US, the result oil
which this nation had to expend more
than three thousand million dollars, and
asa consequence Of which more than
quarter of million of patriot heroes have
laid down lives upon the battlefield and
in army hopitals-are those men to come
here to lcgislate for the loyal people Of
this country?
But the President tells us that the bill
in effect proposes Discrimination against
large numbers IF intelligent worthy and
patriotic foreigners, and in favor of the
negro. Is that9 What is the bill? 1t
declares that there shall be no distinction
In civil rights between any other race
or color and the white race. Is that a
discrimination in favor Of the negro and
against the forcigners-.a bill the only ef-
kct of which is to preserve equality Of
sights9 But perhaps it may be replied
to this that the bill proposes to make citi-
zens Of person born inche U.S.and therefore
it discriminates in that respect against
the foreigner. Not so. Foreigners are
all upon the same footing whether black
or white. The white child who is born
in the United States citizen is not to be
presumed at its birth to be the equal in.
tellectually with the worthy, intelligent
and patriotic foreigner who emigrates to
this country
The President also has an objection to the
making citizens Of Chinese and Gypsies.
| am told that but few Chinese are born
in this country, and where the Gypsies
are born never knew. O.aughter)
But. sir. perhaps the best answer
to this objection that the bill proposes to
make citizens Of Chinese and Gypsies, and
this reference to foreigners, is to be found
in a speech that was delivered
in this body by Senator occupying, |
think. the seat now occupied across
the Oh amber by my friend from Oregon
,(Mr. Williams), less than six years ago,
in reply to message sent to this body
by Mr.. Buchanan. the then President of
the United States, returning with his OBJ
lection what was known as the Homestead
Bill. On that occasion the Senator to
whom | alludc said: =" But this idea about
poor foreigners somehow or other, bewild
ers and haunts the Imagination Of great
many. am constrained to say that ]
look upon this objection 10 the bill as q
poor bubble on the part Of the President,
and as being hard pressed for some excuse
in Withholding his approval of the meas,
ure; and allusion to foreigners in this con
nection looks to me more like the ad cap.
taadum Of the mere politician or dema-
gogue than grave aud sound reason to'be
offered by the President Of the United
States, in veto message upon so impor-
tant measure as the Homestead BILL"
Mr.. SUMNER and Mr. JoussoS-Who
was the Senator
Mr.. TRUMBuLL-That was the language
If Senator Andrew Johnson, now President
Of the United States. Q.aughtcr) That is
p,obaly the best answer to this objection
though should hardly have ventured to
use such harsh language in reference to
The President as to accuse him of quib-
bling, Of demagoguery and of playing
the mere politician in sending veto mes.
sage to the Congress Of the U. S.
The President further says IF it be
granted that Congress can repeal all States
laws discriminating between whites and
blacks on the subjects covered by this bill
Why, it may be asked may not Congress
repeal in the same way all State laws dis
between the two races on the
subject Of suffrage and Office ? If Con
yress can declare by law who shall hold
auds--whoj shall testify-who shall have
capacity to'make contract in a State
then Congress can by law also declare who. !
without regard to color or race, shall have
the right to sit as juror or as Judge
to hold any Office, and finally to vote in
every State and territory of the United
States. Perhaps the best answer Icould give
70 this would be the answer of Andrew
Johnson himself He undertook to reor-
yanize State governments in the disloyal
States. When he did SO to whom did he
extend the right of suffrage? The black ?
No. sir but he extended the right of
suffrage to those who were authorized to
vote under the laws Of those States before
the rebellion ; and when urged 10 allow
loyal blacks to vote what was his answer ?
That he had no pOwer.f 1t was unconstitu.
tional.
But be'has claimed and exercised the
power to protect colored persons in their
civil rights. and il it carries not with it
the right Of suffrage what becomes of the
position which he assumed when he ex.
tended civil rights to the negroes--that
he had no constitutional power to extend
IN them thu riohk IN vnta-tbot e mae .