The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-25
JEFFERSON IA vIs,s SUCCESSOR.


Of his Cpuntry-Ths arle,ocra,ic senate
Actually to he De6ied by tho Presence o;
mortals who were not Born with silver
spoons In their Mouths.
WAsuisoroN, Feb. 24.-The Senate having
taken up the question OF referring to the Jud cary
Committee the credentials OF Mr.. Revels O. Senator
from Mississippi, Mr.. SALISBURY Dem, DELI sup
ported the motion, on the pruciplc Nhich was enter
ined by his political associates In the Senate, that
under the Consttu,ion he tRev 's) was not eligible
to seat in the Senate, on the sround CT WRIT Of
citizenship. lie denied that any claim 70 e'isIbiity
could be established by the Civil Right, bl 40
Fourteenth Constitutional Amendment, he sause tho
Constitution required
NINE YEARS PREVIOUS cirizEsspr
OF applicants for seats In the Senate aud H." rtcu
so nine years since the enactment OF the irsi acu
referred to had not expired. But was claimed ,hAt
Mr.. Rcvcs was n citizen prior to that legislation
Tho to that was that the Drcd Scott decision
was, At the time OF Its delivery, the only authentic
exposition OF the Constitution on the point that a ne
gro or mulntto not such citizen OF the United
States was contemplated at the time Of the ad, p
ton ofthe Constitution. Tie princp. involved in this
decision. D. said had been cndoraei by Ill the Radi.
cal egs alton, because the Civil Rights bill and the
Ncuon OF Congress that at the tnc Of the
DREp SCOTT DECISION
free negroes and free mulattoes were not otireus OF
tho United States. Mr.. salisbury then went Cn TO
argue that wa not competent for any State to
u Mr Rovels bad ever voted in OHIO, OF whisn there
Son wis no S sydeTsS I'D Sss % 70 violation 9S The Gons
marked TINT he had bat httle hope for
THE Furuss or his COUNTRY.
He would avert, II possible, this threatened ca.
lamiy He would preserve TO our white posterity
this heritage beouea,hcd By our honorcd and pobls
tn 81 tfa a nd He sod
bowoyer that bis own efforts would not svsil, and,
therefore, In resu'nins his seat, he wou! utter his
solemn protest axanss this proceeding In behalf Of
Mr. .DrAKs (sep, MOI during the remarks OF Mr..
salisbury, said that Rcvcs was neither . negro nor
smulatto, but an
and that he made the fact known out OF compassion
for the mental suTerings OF his friend (Mr Sauls-
| bury, upon the probability OF being compelled to
associate IN the !, nate with jet blsck negro.
| . Mr. HowARD Ikep, h.sh) believed the proof oi
Mr Reyes,s election TO be eoncir.iye and tina. the
only issue now was upc1 the eptance ctiou
OF lin as member on account OF the color OF his
| akin. 1t was urged that he tReyeL) was NJ African
descent and therefore had not been ctzen OF The
United States for nine years. II was not denied thai
| he wasa
sArIvs Bons isuADIrAYr
ofthe United States, nor wss Il pre,ended he wa.
| slave. lie (Mr. howard) maintained that overy
| person born in the United statee and not ever !
slave was citizso; thu nativity impaired citizen
ship In all countries He would carry this doctrine
| 40 far as to assert that even a black nan born .
slave was to be held to be citizen rroin his b. r.h
Such one bad always owed allegiance to the United
| States, and allegiance and citizenship " 70 cor.
| relative terms The Dred Scott decision, In hns
opinion, Nas partisan declslon the purpose Of while
was TO establish, by judicial decision, for oil time
TO come, the legality the rghtfuless and even the
Pitt OF SLAVERY,
and II had sunk, II not into oblivion then into eter.
nal derision ana contempt He saw in this election
ola coored man to the seat formerly liled by JED
Davis, that which he believed would gladden. the
heart OF every lover OF freedom.
justice Taney expressly limited the Dred Scott dc.
cision TO those with pure African blood in their
veins and who~e ancestors had been sold rs slaves
but Was there Iny evidence that the ancestors Of III
Revels were Included In this catcgoryf On the con.
trary II had appeared in tho discussion that Reyes
and IL followed necessarily that OF his az
tors were not slaves. On tne whole 10 view Of all
the authorities, legal and Otherwise, Reve had al
ways been citizen OF the ,Uuited states
MT CAV .Kos tRes~s pcsn-l narrated thu parlIeu.
lars OF an interview between tiaseif and
JEFFERSON DAVIS JUST PRIOR TO rHs WAR,
and before the latter had left the senate. during
that slavery would have ceased nom the moment
the hrst gun was fred upon the fsg OF the counry
and that bis (Dayist) seat would some day In die
Jus,ee OF God, be occup cd by negro, Mr. Cameron
sad he had hycd 10 see his assertion ycrinet and
he now wished 70 remind the senate how niueh ,Gs
colored race had served US in the war and he was
compelled TO Say TINS in view OF the atempt OF t,
senator from Oregon (hr. MilLams) 10 argue n 4.
tins man (l.eveis) had more white than black boou
IN hls veins confederation Of that kind was IN.
worthy OF any Senator In view oil the great service
ofthe colored sO Her and he C Aeron) believed the
tide OF war would have gohe against Us had II not
been for the two huhdred thousand nckroes vro
came 10 The rescue. without action the Senate sd.