The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-04-06
BEDFORD, PA, FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL g. 1866.

of ourinstitutions. than hewho, coming
from abroad, has to some extent, at
least, familiarized himself with the
principles of Il government to which he
voluntarily entrusts life, liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness. Yet it is now
proposed, by a single legislative enact
ment, to confer the rights of citizens
upon all persons of African descent born
/ within heeXtended limits of theUnited
States, while persons of foreign birth,
who make our land their home, must
undergo a probation Of five years, and
can only then become citizens upon
proof that they are of good moral char
acter, attached to the principles of the
Constitution of the United States, and
well disposed to the good order and
happiness of the same. The first section
of the bill also contains an enumeration
Of the rights to be enjoyed by these
classes so made citizens in every State
and Territory of the United States
These rights are to make and enforce
contracts, to sue, be parties, and give
evidence, to inherit, purchase, lease,
sell, hold and convey real and personal
property, and to have full and equal
benefit OF all laws and proceedings for
the security Of person and property as
IS now enjoyed by white citizens. So,
too, they are made subject to the same
punishment, pains and penalties in
common with white citizens and to
none others. Thus a perfect equality
Of the white and cOlored races is at
tempted to be fixed by Federal law in
every State of the Union over the vast
field Of State jurisdiction covered by
these enumerated rights. In no one of
these can any State ever exercise any
power Of discrimination between the
different races. In the exercise of State
policy over matters exclusively affect
ing the people Of each State, it has fre-
quentiy been thought eXpedient to dis
criminate between the two races.
BY the statutes of some Of the States,
Northern as well as Southern, it is en-
acted, for instance, that no white person
shall intermarry with a negro or mt
latto. Chancellor Kent says, speaking
of the blacks, "that marriages between
them and the whites are forbidden in
some of the States where slavery does
not exist, and they are prohibited in all
the slaveholding States; and when not
absolutely contrary TO law, they are
revolving and regarded as an ofense
against public decorum." I do not say
that tlis bill repeals State laws on the
subject OF marriage between the two
races. for as the whites are forbidden to
intermarry with the blacks, the blacks
can only make such contracts as the
whites themseivesare allowed to make,
and therefore cannot, under this hin,
enter into the marriage contract with
the whites. / cite this discrimination,
however. as an instance Of the State
policy as to discrimination, and to in
quire whether. if Congress can abrogate
an s,ta+aIoy-,of DISCRIMINATION between
49,, +,,.o ,,ooa IN +I,a ,,a++a,, of raal es-
4a+o of fs,,i+g ond of contracts generally
Cono,ra-s ,oa,,.not also reneal the State
Io,,,[ .. - +ha CONTRACT of marriage he
tween the two races. Hitherto every
s.,b;oo+ o,,b,.acaI in tha enumeration of
-, o,r+oi,od IN This hig has hann
lonsidarad a. exclusively belonoinc TO
tho S+atos. they all relate 10 the inter
,,oI ,,ol;o,- and ncononv of tbp rasDpc-
ti,,a s+,+os rba,, ara matters which
- oooh ctota concern +ba domestic con-
,Ii+ior Of i+s.naonIo VARYING in each ac-
,.,nI;,,, +o -, o,,., racpIiar circunostan-
,..,,r5 +5o sof.+v apd uoII-beino Of its
,;4;.a,,-
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