The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-04-04
President Johnson's Veto of the
Civil Rights Bill.
70 Ne Senate Of The United Ssaies:

ClVll Rights Bill.
70 Hs Senate Of The United SAFES.
| regret that the bill which has passed
both Houses Of Congress. entitled "An act
to protect all persons in the United States
10 their civil rights, and furnish the means
lor their yindication," contains provisions
which ! cannot approve, consistently with
my sense OF duty to the whole people, and
my obligations to the Constitution of the
United States. am therefore constrain-
ed To return il to the Senate, the House in
which il originated, with nv objections to
its becoming law.
BY the first section Of the bill, all per.
suns born in the United States, and no,
subject TO any foreign power, excluding
Indians not taxed, are declared TO be citi.
zens Of the United States. This provision
romprehends the Chine.e Of the Pacific
States, Indians subject 10 taxation, The peo-
pie called Gypsies, as we'll as the entire
race designated as blacks, people Z { color,
negroes, mulattoes, and pers0ns of African
blood. Every individual of these races.
born in the United States, is ny the bill
made citizen OF The United States. Ii
does not purport 10 declare or to confer
any other right Of citizenship than Federal
citizenship. Il does not purport to give
these classes Of persons any Status as citi-
zers oi States, except that which nav re.
suit from their stdius as citizens ol the Uni
ted Sta,es. The power to confer the right
Of State citizenship is just as exclusively
with The several States, as :he power TO
confer the right OF Federal citizenship is
with Congress.
The right Of Federal citizenship thus 10
be conferred on The several excepted races
beiure mentioned is now, for ihe first time.
proposed TO be gwen by law. II, as is
CLAIMED by many, all persons who are ma
tive boon already are, by virtue Of the Com
sttution, cillxens uf The United States. the
passage oi the pending bill cannot be ne
cessary 20 make them such. III, on The 9TH
er hand, such persons are not citizens, as
NAV be assumed iron the proposed Iegisla.
ton To make them such, .he grave ques,
ton presents itself. whether, when eleven
oil the lhlriy-six States are unrepresented
IA Congress, al this time il il sound poll
cs TO make our entire coored population
aud all other excepted classes citizens Of
the United S.atess Four millions ~ them
nave just emerged from slavery Into Tree
dom. Tan il be reasonably supposed that
they pnssess the requisite qualifications Ia
entitle them 10 al tue privileges and I'M
mnnifias nj cit,y.,s .,T ,ha l.,,l,.I g..
dave the people of the several States ex-
pressed such a cOnyIclisn: Ii may also
be asked whether il Is necessary thar tlley
should be declared citizens, IN order that
thes mas br secured IN The eni0yment OF
civil rights! Those risGs proposed to be
conferred by the bill are, by Federal a.
well as Sire laws. secured TO a | domlciIed
alens and foreigners even before the con-
pletlon ol the process Of naturalization !:
and II may safely be assumed that the same
enac!menls are sufficient TO give like pro.
lection and benefits 10 those. tor whom Iii,
oil provides special le. isalinn. Besides,
the policy ol the Government, from is or
IGN 10 the present time. seems 10 have
Uern that prisons whu are strangers To, an,
unfamiliar with, our institution, and laws.
should pass through cerlala probation, al
the end ol winch, before allalning the GOV.
eted pr,he, they must give evidence oi
Their illness to receive and To exercise the
rights oI citizens, as contemplated by the
Constitution oi the Uni,ed States.
The bill, 10 effect, proposes discrini-
nation against large numbers Ol Intelligent.
worthy, aud patrio,ic Foreigners. and in
iisor OF the negro, 70 whom, after long
years Of bondage, The avenues 10 freedom
aud Intelligence have now been suddenl,
opened. lie must, of necessity, from his
pe'lous unfortunate condition Of servl.
tude, be less informed as 10 The nature and
character of our institutions than he who,
coming from abroad, has 10 some extent 4
lest tamliarized himself with tie princi-
pies oi Government to which he yulunla-