Section 14 of that bill declared any person "hereafter holding or exercising any office in the rebel service not a citizen of the United States." The bill did not become law because of a pocket veto. but a subsequent statement by President Lincoln indicated he was not concerned about the constitutionality of section 14. Again. the Congress approved the Enrollment Act of 1865 including a section stating that deserters from the military service "shall be deemed and taken to have voluntarily relinquished and forfeited their rights of citizenship and their rights to become citizens." The 14th amendment. the Court contends. makes citizenship permanent. revocable only by a voluntary renunciation of it. The basis for the Courts decision is the clause in the 14th amendment: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. are citizens of the United States. This clause was not in the amendment as it was originally approved by the House of Representatives. It was sponsored by Senator HOWARD and added during Senate consideration.
Keywords matched
naturalized