Speech #500117406

Under the laws and Constitution of the United States all citizens of Massachusetts. for instance. have a right to sue citizens of other States in proper cases in the Federal courts. Can Congress say that one particular class of Massachusetts citizens shall have that right and other classes of Massachusetts citizens shall not have that right? If Congress can make that difference between two classes of Massachusetts citizens. then it can make a similar distinction between any other two classes of Massachusetts citizens. and I do not see what is to prevent Congress from providing that a nativeborn citizen of Massachusetts may have the right to sue in the Federal courts. while naturalized citizens of that State shall not have that privilege. I can see no distinction in logic if you once admit the power of Congress to give Federal jurisdiction under that clause of the Constitution to citizens of different States generally. and then take a particular class of citizens and exempt them from the benefits of that law. That is all I desire to say on that particular point.