The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-03-31
PRESIDENT JUHNS0N'S ELTO
OF THE
CIVIL RIGHTS BILL

regret that the bill which has passed
both Houses of Congress, entitled An act
to protect all persons in the United states
in their civil rights, and furnish means OF
their yindicatIOn," contains PROVISIONS
which | cannot approve consistently WIN
my sense OF duty 10 tbs people ana my %,
ligat:cn 10 the Constitution OF the Ohl'eo
States | am therefore constrained 10 IeIuT
it to the Senate, and the House ID "hieh u
originated, with my objections 10 i's pecoii- ON
ing law By the first section ol lne plii,
all persons bo-r IN the United states auo
not subject to any foreign power eAGluutI-
indians not taxed. are declared 10 DC Cil'
Zens of the United States. Inc Pi4S i9toi
compreheads the Chinese OF the "ti'e
States, Indians subject - taxation lhe l'eo-
pie called Gireies, as we'll as the entire I"'e
designated as blacks, people OF coIoi, nc
rroes mulattoes. persons of African ploou'
Every individual of the races born IN the
United States is by this bill made cIlileh
of the United States 1t does not purp"rI
TO declare or confer any other rlght oi GU
zenship than Federal citizenship. II uoeS
not propose TO give these classes OF persons
any status az citizens of the States, eAeepI
that which may result from tEelr status d
citizens OF the United States
The power to the completion of the pro
/ cess Of naturalization, and 1t may safely
Z
I cicnt te give like projections and Dement'S to
| those for whom this bill provides, especially
/ legislation Besides, the policy OF the
/ Government, from its origin TO TINS
/ present time. seems TO have been tlitt
/ persons who are strangers to, ana uuIa-
| miIiar with our institutions and our laws
/ should pass through a certain PROBATION
at the end of which, before allowing the
coveted prize they must give evidence OF
I their fitness to receive and exercise nights
of citizens as contemplated by the Consttu-
/ tion OF the United States The bill IN effect
/ proposes a discrimination against large
| numbers Of intelligent, worthy ana PatIl-
otic foreigners, and III favor of the negro TO
whom. alter long years OF bonGage-
avenues to freedom and intelligence, nave
inst now broken suddenly open. lie
must of necessity from his previous I'M
fortunate condition of servitude. be less IN
formud as to the nature and character OF our
institutions than he who coming from
abroad has to some extent at least, familiar
lied himself with the principles Ola Govern
ment to which he voluntarily entrusts life
liberty and pursuit of happiness. Yet 1t Is
now proposed, by single Legislative enact
meut, to confer rights OF citizenship
upon all persons OF African descent
born Within the extended limits OF tht
United States, while persons ot foreign hliJi
. who make the land their home, must under
: -
| then become American citizens. 10 comic
. the RIGHTS OF citizenship is first as exclusive
| with the several States as the power 10 con
+ f.Ithc power of Federal citizenship Is VIII
+, | Congress. The right OF Federal Citizenship
! thus to be conferred on the several eAcepte'
t races before mentioned, Is now, tor the mrs
| time, proposed To be given by law. Ii, as !
' claimed bv many. all persons who are na
e rivr-born are already hv virtue OF the Cri
E stitutiou. citizens of the United States, IN
- passaue of the pending bill cannot be neces
= sarv to make them such. II, on the othe
hand. such persons are not citlZenS, as ma
be assumed IrOm the proposed legislation I
: make them such, the grave question pItSeI'
itself whether, when eleven OF fhe thTt.
. six States are unTepTcseuted III Congress
h this time it's sound policy to make our ei
tire colored population and all other exec
> ted classes citizens Of the United stat"
t Four millions OF them have just emerge
! from slavery into freedom. Can ib De lca
" ouahIy supposed that they possess the I
5. Qui,ite qualifications toentIJlc them to a
the privileges and immtnltles OF cItlZeush
e Of the United States Have the people
IN the several States expressed such conVI
1ioD 1t NAV be also askeds whether 1t
- necessary that they should be declared c
IN izeus III order that they may be secured
the enjoyment of the civil rights propos
10 to be conferred by this bill These rgh
H. are. by Federal as we'll as by State laws
cured to all aliens and foreigners up
In proof that they are of good moral chaTact'
III attached to the Constitution OF the Unit
States. and we'll disposed to the good ord
and happiness of the Government. !
second section Of the bill also contains
enumeration of the rights to be enjoyed
those classes, the sO-made citizens, IN eve
lr, State or Territory in the United states
ny uives parties right to inherit, give III c
!, 2 lpuSp sell. mold ana c.
BE- vev real and personal property, and to la
cd fuII and equal benefit of all laws and p
ty ceedings for security OF person ana proper
in, the same as enjoyed by white citizens
yes too. they are made subject to the same pI
be- ishments, pains and penalties IN comm
mt with the white citizens aud to no others
)m Thus is an equality of the white and coloi
,u- races attempted to be fixed by Federal J
he in every State of the Union. In the
NY field of State jurisdiction governed 10y III
he enumerated rights, i'll none OF them q
AT State exercises any power OF discrmlhat
a between the different races III the exercise
all State policy over matters exclusively an,
the inc the people of each State. 1t has
ais quentIy been thought eXpedient to discr
mate between the two races by the statH
lie of some OF the States North, as well as Sou
We Ii is enacted for instance, that no Wi
ny, person shall intermarry with negro or ]
af- lotto Chancellor Kent says, speaking
to the blacks. the marriages between them
nd whites are forbidden in some of the STA
liI- where slavery does not exist, and they
lev prohibited in all slaveholdimg States 10y j
nd and when not absolutely contrary to
ar. they are revolving and regarded as an otte
the against public dccoTum. | do not say t
ire, this bill repeals State laws on tins SUP
pO- of marriage bctweeen the two races, loI'
his the whites are forbidden TO intermarrY W
to the blacks the blacks can only make 5
WIN contracts with themselves as the whites
ON allowed to make, and, therefore, cam
r uuder the bill enter into a marriage cont
lde with the white. | cite tins CIHcTlmIhat
uts however. as an instance OF the state po
idc As TO discrimination, and to inquire Whet
res | if Congress can abrogate all state j
of discrimination between the two II
eat ON the matters of real estate, OF re
Ide. and of contracts generally, Congress
rrh, not also repeal the State laws as TO the
has tr,ct of marriage between the races. II
,ely erto every subject embraced in the emu
oY- alton of rights contained IN the pliI
ngs been considered as exclusively beionEih
var. Tho STATES. They all relate to the lnte
: of ,oIicv and economy of the respective ST
ION / They are matters which in each state
the corn the domestic condition OF the pee
Y to VARYING in each. according to Its own 7
adv li,r circumstances and the safety and
the well being Of its own citizens. DO
for mean to say that upon all these sul.
MI there not ] tutldl ltitAlOilNs do ''i
ry.) stance, in the State power OF leglsla
viii over contracts. there Is a Federal llmita
smo- that no State shall pass a law inpaIrIng
ven obligation ofcontracts, and as to crimes
no state shall pass an eN post tacto
ear and as tomoI1ey that no State shall L
hose ANYTHING but gold and silver legal tel
rom But when can we lind Fec
eek prohibition against the power
mic; any State to discriminate, a.
Eu- most of them. between aliens and cltL
pro between artificial persons, called corr
teal tion. naturalized persons, in the righ
hich hold real estate If it be granted that
New gress can repeal all State laws discrin
for ting between whites and blacks on the
T all iect covered by this bill, why, it ma
asked. may not Congress repeal in the
tuTe way all State laws discriminating bet
81 be the tworaces on the subject of suffrage
not Office Ii Congress can declare by law
t. i shall hold lands who shall testify, who
hern have the capacity to make contracts
con- State then Congress can also, by law,
sons. clare who. without regard TO race or {
'tion shall have the right to sit as Juror {