But such an amendment is not necessary. This Government possesses the power of all civilized governments. the power to determine the status of every foreigner. of every alien. who comes to reside amongst us. The Chinese exclusion act. indeed this very bill. proceeds on the ground that we have that power. We are responsible to foreign nations for the treatment of their citizens among.us. If we do them harm. the Federal Government may be called to account and looked to for reparation. All our foreign relations are controlled by the Federal Government. The naturalization power. the reatymaking power. the commerce power. all those powers which go to the relations of one nation to another and under which the status of an alien in any country is determined. all those powers are fully and exclusively placed in the hands of the Federal Government. Now. if this Government has these great powers. are they not all the power any sovereignty can have over the subject. and is there any doubt. can there be any doubt. that Congress. as the legislative branch of the Government. may enact a law of the kind which I propose? Does any man who has studied the Constitution. does any man who has looked into the matter at all. doubt it for a single moment?
Keywords matched
naturalization Chinese exclusion