Speech #450006182

In the first place there can be no doubt that this bill is a new departure from the policy of the United States Government in the naturalization of Indians. Prior to the adoption of the fourteenth amendment. I have no doubt of the constitutional power in Congress to naturalize Indians. They were considered aliens and foreigners to our Government. We made treaties with them. as we do witl foreign governments. They therefore came under that clause of the Constitution which allowed Congress to pass laws making a uniform system of naturalization to apply to all persons of foreign birth. I am not about to make a speech upon this subject. but I do not NovEmABR 20. desire to vote upon the till with my views. without hearing something from the gentleman having it in charge. Naturalization. as I understand it. is a proceeding by which the disabilities of foreign birth are removed. If the Indians for whose benefit this bill is introduced are living now within the borders of any State. are subject now to the jurisdiction of the United States. having been born upon the soil of the United States. do they not become citizens of the United States under the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution? Has not that amendment to the Constitution made them citizens of the United States? Does it not apply to them just as it applied to the Africanand I use the term "African" as adesignation of persons of color? If thatis the case. where is the need of any naturalization law? If on the other hand they are persons owing allegiance to a foreign power and need naturalization. then the bill is an anomaly and it ought not to be passed bythe Senate of the United States. Naturalization contemplates expatriation. it contemplates the renunciation of all allegiance to every foreign power. it contemplates the annihilation of all the bonds which bind the citizon or the subject to the foreign government. Can a man be naturalized and become an American citizen. and still. as is contemplated by this bill. hold interests in a foreign tribe with whom we make treaties. recognized as treaties in the past legislation. whatever may be the rule now since the act of 1871. I think it was. which determined that -we should not in the future make treaties with Indian tribes.