The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-04-13


is made citizen Of the United States he is'
not citizen Of every State.
The President next alleges that the right
OF Federal citizenship thus to be conferred
on the several accepted races before men,
toned, is now for the first time proposed to-
bo given by law Now, sir, this mistake,
not OF the law, but a misapprehension Of
fact aud IL will appear by fact, to which :
shall call tho attention Of the Senate in o
moment that tho Presidents facts ore a.
bad as his law. There have been in the
United Statee several casos Of collective
naturalization 10y the annexation Of terrific
ries. BY the third article Of the 6rst con.
vention OF April 80, 1900. with France. in
the cesSion Of Louisiana, il is provided that
the inhabitants of the ceded territories to
be Incorporated into the United States
should be admitted as soon as possible, ac-
cording 90 the pr iuciples of the Federal
Constitution to the enjoyment Of the rights,
privileges and immunities Of tho citizens of
the United States. A provision to tho sarlS
effect is to be found in the sixth article Of
the treaty with Spain for the purchase Of
Florida, aud by the eighth article Of the
treaty of lSls with Mexico also, by the
annexation of Texas, under resolution Of
Congress OF March, lS45, in its admission
into the Union ON an equal footing with tho
other States. Collective naturalization, snys
the authority from which quote. may also
take the place in the case of u class of per-
sons, natives OF the country or otherwise,
. who without any act on tho part of the in
dividuals, may he made citizens of the Uni
ted States. 1t is incorrect to suppose that
aliens, as opposed to citizens, imply for
eignors as respects the country. Indians
are tho subjects of the United States, but
they ore not therefore citizens, nor can they
.,tt
ization laws, but they may be made citizens
by some competent act of the General Gov
ommont, 10y treaty or otherwise. By these
I various t, eatos aud resolutions and acts of
Congress, it will be observed that French
men, Spaniards, Mexcans and Indians have
{ all been made citizens of the United States
--sone of the very class OF people spoken
Of in the bill yot the President tells us
that this right Of federal ctisenship--as if
there was such a thing as federal citizen
} ship, as contra-distnguished from State
citzership-he tells us that il is now, for
the iirsI time, proposed TO be given by law.
"lf" says the President, as is claimed
10y many, persons who are native born aI.
ready arc by virtue of tho Constitution
citizens of the United States, tho passage
of the pending bill cannot be necessary to
make them SUCH"
Woll, now that is here but is tho Preti-
dent to learn now for the first time princi-
pie to be found in the very horu-books Of
, law, that au act declaring what q law ie, 10
one of tho most common acts passed by
legislative bodies When there is no
mention as to what the law is, for the
greater certainty it is the most common thing
in the world to pass statute declaring it's
G object. My opinion is-and such was the
: opinion of the Attorney General and
4 of the present Secretary Of State, such
: was the opinion of Mr.. Lincoln's Admnis-
tratioG in all its departments, and such
!, believe 10 be tho prevailing opinion in the
o United States-that all native-born persons,
:. not subject to foreign powers, are, by virtue
of their birth, citizens of the United States;
but some disputed this hence for greater
certainty, it is proposed to pass this law.
1t made an objection to the passage Of
g the law, and a reason given by the Presi-
It dent why he cannot approve it, because it
e is a declaratory act.
4 "But, if such is not the law says the
Q Pre- esident, a grave question presents itself,
II whether, when III of the 80 States are un-
!. represented in Congress at the present
II time, it is sound policy to mike our entire
t, colored population and all other excepted
}. classes, citizens of the United States.
Q This s standing objection, not urged it
y nNtulS ~ All blllH, lOI tue
J. tells us in this message that he signed
= some forty bills that have been presented
e to him. Why is il made an objection to
It this bill? The President states no objec-
!. ton as applicable to this particular bill.
t 1t is general objection that he makes, ap-
i. plicable alike to all bills. But If there is
| anything in il, no bill can pass tho Congress
t. of the United States until these States are
represented. Well sir, whose fault is it
a that el ven States arc not represented 2
4 Whose fault is it that twenty-five loyal
y States, which have stood by the Union and
I. the Constitution, are tC be deprived of their
;. fright to legslate Sir it is not the fault of
a the twenty-five. If tho fuct of some States
a having rebelled against the Government is
a TO take from the Government the right to
!. legislale, why, sir the criminal is to take
s advantage Of his crime, aud the innocent are
v to be punished for the guilty. Within a
few days the President has issued procla.
q matlon--tot of peace, as the Senator from
}. Nevada, Stewart, seems to supposedly no
4 J means-and not that the rebellion is over,
1 but that in certain States it is over. Tho
:. President does not tell us that Texas, one
!. of the States that were in rebellion, is in q
d condition 10 be represented here. Sir, IL
a we had to wait for the eleven States, mus
!, we wait for Texas She has not yet re-
o organized, These States have not yet been
!. reorganized, as having a republican form
+. of government enttling them to representa-
II tion. They have chosen, in most Of those
I, States that hayo undertaken to recognize,
4 persons fresh from the rebel Congress aud
l., from the rebel armies; men who could not
a be admitted here; could not take the oath
TO entitle them to their seats; aud arc we TO
y wait and to abstain from all legislation
I. of a general character? Are the loyal pco-
/ pie oi this country to be compelled TO wait
G for necessary legislation till these States
= shall he admitted to representation here,
/ when they refuse TO send men here except
|. those whose hands are dripping with the
q blood of loyal menY Are the Vice Presi-
D dent of the rebel Confederacy and his COLI
l league one of the Senators in the rebel
/ Congress, to come here to legislate for tho
& loyal people of this counhyH Arc the men
, who organized the government that carried
on four years war--as the result OF which
i this nation has bad to spend more than
four thousand millions Of dollars, and as
!. consequence of which more than quarter
/. OF million of men, patriotic heroes, have
laid down their lives upon the batte-helds
= and in the army hospitals--aIe these Inen
to come here to legslate for the loyal people
e ot this countryg
' THE PREREQCIsTEs or REFREsEsfArTox.
/. Sir, thesa States can ouly be represented