The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-04-05

liberty and the pursuit Of happi /
uc,s Yet it is now proposed 10y u
single legislative enactment, to
confer the rights of citizens upou .
all persons Of African descent, born /
within the limits OF the United {
States. White persons OF foreign
birth, who mako our land heir
homo must undergo n probation OF
i've years, aud can only then be. !
come citizens upon prnofthat they .
are ct good moral character, asat
tached to the pririple Of tht Con-
tuition Of the United States, AID
well dis osed to tho good order
and happiness of the same. The
first section OF tho bin ais con
tains an enumeration OF the rights
to be enjoyed 10y these classes so
made citizens. in ever State and
Territory in the I. S. These
rights are to make and enforce
contracts, to sue tho parties and
give evidence, to inh hsrit, purchase,
| ase, sell, hold, aud convey real
and personal property. and tn have
| full | ws and proceeding for the
security ofpcrsons and property,
as is enjoyed by white citizens. -
They are made subject to the same
punishment, tiucs and penalties
common with white citizens, and
t. mono others. THUS u perfect
equality OF the white and coloied
races is attempted to be fixed 10y
Il d,ral law in every State on the
! Union, or in the ya>tdield of State
Iiuris liction, covered by these cnu
Imera'cd rights in no ono OF them
can any state exercise any power
Of discrimination between dlti,r
cnt races. In the exercises oJ
State policy, or OF matters eNclu'
jsively aif, citing to tho people o.
each State, it has frequently beer
thought eXpedicnt to discriminate
between the two races Ivy the stat
Intas OF some of the States North
ns welt as South. 1t is e1art'd.
for Instance, that no Write person
shall intermarry with a negro OF
mnlatto. Chancellor Kent says
Speaking of the blacks. that mar
ria C /, tween them an the whites
is forbidden in sonic uI the States
Nhcre slavery docs not exist, ano
they are prohibited in al save
holding States 10y law, and whcr
not absolutely contrary to law tn,
are revolving an regarded as AZ
ufftnce against public dccorum. -
do not say that this b,ll rcsPect'
state laws on the subject bctwrct
the two races, for rs the whites Hr
forbidden To intermarry with th'
blacks, the blacks can only max
such contracts as the whites them
sclve, are allowed to make, an
Iihpr, fore cannot under this biI
. .cnter into marriage contract wit
the whites. cite this discrimint
ton however as an instance of tn
' State policy to Giscrimina ion an
;, to inquire whether, it Congre'
!, can abrogate all State laws OF di
:, crimination between the two race
: in tho matter OF real estate, OF fsui
: and OF contracts generally, Coz
- gress may also repeal Il
- State laws as to the contract
- - marriage between the two races
!; Hitherto every subject embrat
e ed in the enumeration OF right
t contained in tho bill has been col
!, sidercd as exclusively belonging
Is the States, they all relate to Il
A internal policy and economy of Il
to respective States. They are ma
s. tiers which in each State cohcei
re- the domestic condition Of its pc
re pie, varying in each according
is its own peculiar circumstance, ar
&c the safety and well being Of !
I'd own citizens. | do not mean
as say that upon all these subjec
i. there are not federal restraints, {
ID for instance in the power ot legIsl
IN ton that 10 State shall pass a la
at impairing the obligation OF co
a tracts, and as to crimes that
,e State shall pass an 'rpost tue
i law. as to money that no sta
- shall make anything but gold al
al silver a legal tender. But whe
M can we find a federal prohibiti'
is against tho power OF anv Sta
q. discriminating, as do most OF ther
~ between aliens and citizens, b
n, tween artificial persons, called &c
be porations naturalized persons,
ts The riuht TO hold real estate. II
tc be grated that Con lress can l
ns neal all State laws Discriminate
he between whites AMI backs in Il
u snhiects covered by this bill, VII
"a il nay be asked, maynot Congre
,ts repcal in the same way all sta
20. laws discriminating between t
m TWO races onthe subjects cover
- hy this one subject # suffrage a
ne Office. IfCongress can declare
nni law who shah h ii lands. who sht
TO test iy, WHO shall have capacity
nc make a contract In State, tn
a Congr s. can also declare VII
nd with,mt re .ard TO race or COLI
~ shall have the right 20 cot as JIM
zee or es a indge to hold any otfi'
10 and finally to vote in every st'
as and tory OF the United Stat
tu. AS respects the territories til
he come within the power OF Congrt
"a. i,r as to them the law making
in. the federal power, but as to I
iSi States NJ similar provision exi'
m but III Congress the power to ma