Speech #880047694

Remembering that this court. in the SlaughterHouse cases. declared that the one pervading purpose found in all the recent amendments. lying at the foundation of each. and without which none of them would have been suggestedwas "the freedom of the slave race. the security and firm establishment of that freedom. and the protection of the newlymade freeman and citizen from the oppression of those who had formerly exercised unlimited dominion over him"-that each amendment was addressed primarily to the grievances of that racelet us proceed to consider the language of the Fourteenth Amendment. Its first and fifth sections are in these words: "SEc. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immrunities of citizens of the United States. nor shall any State deprive any person of life. liberty. or property. without due process of law. nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. "SEc. 5. That Congress shall have power to enforce. by appropriate legislation. the provisions of this article." It was adjudged in Strauder v.