The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-04-08
VOL. I3.

IS proposed u pass tiitS low.
It is uow made an objection to the passage
of the law, and reason given by the Presi-
dent, which we cannot approve, because it is
q declaratory act. But If such is the law,
says the President, grave question presents
itself, whether, when eleven of the thirty
six States are uprepresented in Congress at
the present time, it is sound pslicy to make
our entire colored population, and all other
excected classes, citizens Of the United
States This is standing objection, not
urged, it seems, against all bills; for the
President tells us in this message that he has
signed some forty bills that have been pres
entcd to him. Why is it made an objection
to this bill? The President states no objec-
tions as applicable to this particular bill it is
a general objection that he makes applicable
alike to all bills but if there is anything in it,
no bill can pass the Congress Of the United
States until those States are represented.
Well, sir. whose fault is it that eleven States
are not represented. Whose fault is it that
twenty FIVE loyal States. which have stood by
the Union and the Constitution, are to be de-
prived of their right to legislate? Sir, it is
not the fault of the twenty-five. II the fact
of some States having rebelled against the
Government is to take from the Govern.
ment the rightto legislate, why, sir then the
criminal is to take advantage of his crime and
the innocent are to be punished for the guilty.
Within a few days the President has issued
a proclamation, ont of place, as the Senator
from Nevada, fStewart) seems to suppose,
not that the rebellion is over, but that in GER
tain States it is over.
. The President does not tell us that Texas,
one of the States that were in rebellion, is in
IA condition to be represented here. Sir, If
we had to wait for the eleven States must we
wait for Texas and she has not been yet re-
organized, has not yet been recognized as
having a republican form of government en-
titing her to representation. They have sent
from most OF those States they have under
taken to reorganze. persons fresh from the
rebel Congress and from the rebel armies;
men who could not be admitted here, and
who could not take the required oath to be
entitled TO their seats: and are we 10 wait
and abstain from ali legislation of general
character. as the loyal people of this country
would have to wait, for all necessary legisla-
tion. till these States shall be admitted to re-
presentation here. when they refuse to send
men here except those whose hands are drip
ping with the blood OF loyal men. Is the
Vice President of the rebel Confederacy and
his colleague one Of the Senator's IN the rebel
Congress, to come here to legislate for the
loyal people Of this country Are the men
who organized the government who carried
on a four years war, as the resu,t Of which
tins nation has had to spend more than four
thousand millions of dollars aud asa eonse-
quence more than a quarter million Of men
patriotic heroes-have laid down their lives
npon the battle field and in the army hospi-
tals-are these men to come here 10 legis
late for the loyal people Of this country?
! SR, these States ean only be represented
: II ,evlx ali 4 bars
Of that body can only be elected by State
legislatures. Members of the other House
can only be elected in pursuance Of State
laws. Hence, US preliminary TO any re-
presentation in either House OF Congress, it
must be determ ned whether there is State
Government; whether there is State Legis-
lature having authority to elect Senators, and
having authority to provide laws under which
representatives may be elected. There was
n time, certainly. when there were no such
Legislatures in any OF those States. There
WAS a time when the kind of government III
any Of them was hostile TO the United States !.
when every member in it had abjuged his al
| egance TO the United States. aud sworn al
! legiance to a government hostile to this. Nll
anybody pretend that when State Govern
ment was in the hands OF the enemy, it was
entitled to representation in our house Of
Congress II not, should we not inquire
whether it has got out of those hands into
the hands Of loyal men Sir, this proposition
+, that no bill is TO be passed because certain
States arc unrepresented-it is their own
/ fault that they are unrepresented-wou be
utterly destructive of The Government
4 But the President tells US that the bill, in
/ effect, proposes TO discriminate against large
4 numbers OF intelligent, worthy and patriotic
foreigners. and in favor Of the negro Now.
( sir, is that trnee What is the bill? Why i,
declares that there shall be no distinction in
/ civil rights between any race or color. II
1 declares that there shall be no different pun
ishment inflicted on colored man. IN con.
sequence of his color, than that which is in
! ficted on a white man for the same ofiense.
1 Is that a Discrimination in favor OF the negro
and against the foreigners. III bill the only
object OF which is to preserve equality in
| rights? But perhaps, it would be said in re-
ply to this. that the bill proposes 10 make a
citizen Of every person born in the United
States, and therefore it discriminates in tha,
/ respect against the foreigners. But Mr..
President. is not white child, who is born
1 in the United States, citizen? Is it not to
be presumed that there is discrimination
here in favor of the white infant. who is q
! citizen the moment of its birth, and agains,
the worthy, intelligent and patriotic foreign.
ers who emigrate to this country? And this
is suggested by Senator behind me. Even
the child OF foreigner infant child of g
foreigner-bon in this land, IS citizen long
before his father.
The President also has an objection Il
making citizens of Chinese and Gypsies.
am told tha, few Chinese are born in thi.
country. and where the Gypsies are born
can t tell. Like Topsey, it. is questionable
| hot har hoy harp ota nj hnf ct
/ Laughter.
But. Mr.. President, perhaps the best answe
to the objection that the bill proposes to make
citizens of Chinese and Gypsies, and thi
reference to the foreigners, is to be found il
o speech delivered III this city hy y Senato
occupying, | think, the seat now occupied
across the ,hamber by my friend from Ore
gon (Wiliams) less than six years ago, in re
ply to q veto message sent to this body b,
Mr. Buchanan. then President of the United
/ States, returning with his objections, wha
was known as the Homestead bill. On thai
occasion the Senator to whom have alluded
"This idea about poor foreigners. some how
or other. appears TO haunt the imagination 0
a great many. am constrained to say, sait
the Senator alluded to, .'that look upon thi
objection to the bill as mere qnibble on thu
part Of the President, and as If he was hare
pressed for some excuse for withholding BIZ
approval of the measure. His aflusion TO tn,
foreigners in this connection, looks to m,
more like ad coptandum Of the mere politician
or delnagogue. than a grave and sound reas
on to be offered by the President of tn
United States in veto message upon so i'm
portant measure as tue Homestead bill.'
Mr.. Sumner-Who was the Senator?
Mr.. Trumbull-T is the language Q
Senator Andrew johnson. IGreat laughter.
1t is perhaps the best answer; though sho1lt