Speaker. to weaken the influtence of the pending resolution by discussing or invoking any in. .definite or abstract sympathy for the cause of Ireland or for men who are not American citizens in the legal sense of that term. Why. sir. we have nlaw. which I have read. It is almost the very language of our Constitution: All persons bern or naturalized in the United States. or subject to the jurisdic. Cln thereof. are citizens of the United States. That is your Republican amendment. gentlemen. It is in amendment XIV. The Supreme Court of the United States. in the Slaughterhouse Cases. has given an authoritative interpretation to this phrase. "subjoet to thejurisdction." Mr. Justice Miller. in delivering the opinion of the court on that occasion. says: The phrase "subject to its jurisdiction" was intended to exclude from its operafion children of ministers. consuls. and citizens or subjects of foreign states born in this country. lie thus placed in this respect naturalized citizens on a perfect plane of equality with natives. This will be shown from this decisdon. which I could quote more at length if it were necessary. Judge Field. in his dissenting opinion in the same cases. affirms .the same doctrine. So. toda. Mr. Speaker. are we not to regard these foreignborn naturalized citizens as in every respect our own people? Are they iot. as though they were born here? When. sira nation is forgetful of its duty to any of its citizens. it is dn process of decadence.
Keywords matched
naturalized