We understand that perfectly. Under the old naturalization law none but a white man could be naturalized. But who was a white man ? Under that very law it was decided in the courts of Ohio and in many of the other States that if a man was nearer white than black he was a white an. The line must be drawn somewhere. The law was not that a man should have pure Caucasian blood it was not necessary to prove that he was the son of an associate of a pilgrim father. or that he was one of the cavaliers. or that he was of a particular kind of blue blood. That was not necessary. but he was simply to show that he was a white man. that is. that he was nearer white than black .and several of the courts in many of the States decided that under the old naturalization law a mulatto man who was more white than black could be naturalized. The question sometimes arose at the polls whether a man from his appearance was a white man or a black man. and the judges would decide according to their affinity. If they were Republicans the judges would be very apt to decide that he was a white man. if they were Democrats the judges would decide that he was a negro man and exclude him.
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naturalized naturalization