Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-07-12
THE PAST TEACHING HI PRESENT
AND THE FUTURE.
CITIZENSHIP


The INK Wiz which the Confederate
Constitution was written was hardly dry,
when a debate sprung Up in the Senate,
between a Senator from Texas and one
from Georgia, upon the question Of eiti-
zenship Of the Confederate States One
inclined 10 the use of mild Snd moderate
language might say that the debate did
uotdisplay any greater talent and dignity
ttgu that batween WEBSTER and CAL
HORN on the nsture Of the Constitution.
D-t could not but be singularly struck
Icing this grave question thus agi'
so Immediately after the making
Con .itution especially intended tC
in accordance with Southern opin'
Z. the questions unfortunately left
omen for parties to chrystalize around.
bv the old Constitution. And If one VS.;
astonisned to find q question 50 funda.
mental left open and unsettled, be Wa'
not less surprised at the vsgueuess OF The
the ideas in regard 10 it expressed or
both sides, at the loosene5s and ineohe'
renee and ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF the argu-
meuts. the misty haze which seemed L
obscure the question, and the total IN.
CONSCIOUSNESS on both sids of any gen,
ersl or leading principle iron which th'
argument should set cut.
Considering that, under the old Con
~sfitution, citizens Of the United State.
had been manufactures in large nambcr'
in the Territories and in the District ofCo-
lumbie. without becoming citizens OF any
atste. by which, if they really became
citizens Of the United Ststes, there tcsrz
otbsr uarties than the States to the Con-
stitutionsl compact that, the old Con
stitution guaranteed 10 the citizens o
one Nate ali the rights and privileges OF
citizenship in every other, while no such
~nrovision was msde in favour OF citizens
Of the United States that some Of the
States had conferred on free negroes AID
mulattoes the privileges Of citizenship
while Others had given the right 70 vote
svsn for President and members Of Con-
~rsss. 10 u~nnaturslized foreigners and
that che Supreme Court had decided thai
womep. children and corporations could
h. citizens Of States, having the right to
sns in the Federal Courts by virtue Of
sush citizenship considering these
things and that the term citizen Of the
limited States" had no definite meaning,
and Wa evidently used in the Coustitu-
ton without reflection on the part Of the
trainers Of that instrument, or any clear
ide. in their own minds IS 70 what it wa
intan.Jed to mean, one would have sup.
nosed that, while mendiDg and patching
The old Constitution, thus putting new
vine into old bottles, and attempting To,
-impossible task Of making q goysrnmen.
whieh should be at once popular auc
psrmauent, this matter Of citizenship
xould have been one Of the fret to b
setted. But such shortcomings are tn,
fru,ts Of haste, ever to be repented Of a
leisure.
Did the phrase Citizen Of the United
ststasi mean q Citizen Of al and each
Of the states united by the Constitution
or aid ii mean 3 Citizen Of something
some political entity or Nation, which
was mo- the several States 50 united; bu'
di.tinct and different from them all
Ona or the other Of these il must have
meant. 1t did not mean the former, be
cause no MAJ is or can be a Citizen o
sverv State 1t once, or Of more than one
&c. At a time. Meaning the latter
then. what a0as this separate aEd distiBc.
noli.;csl entity, which had q CITIZENSHIP
ID Ciuze1 Of It's own, and waose Citi-
-ons nraetice and custom seemed to
settled. might not be Citizens o.
g one Of the states2 Being a Polit-
tity. or, to use the legal term, s
o-sfiou. that IS. a number or per
nslitude Of individuals united
ne = political unit composed Of the
m.nifaid.s who were the Individuals 90
aggregated? Were they the human units
tbe people, Of all the States, the Terrific
vias and the District Of Columbia or
were they those political units, the
Satess For q state is an individual, in
law. and IS such may take stock in 3
privste corporation Or may enter into 3
Union or Confederate ION via qihef
States. after the % apaHaer-
ship OF simple league, or may win them
become q aage corporation Rnd politi-