, to be necessary or useful for
the good and the domination of such parties, is seized upon in
defiance of a fair construction of language, in outrage of the plain
meaning of the Constitution. That is not the rule by which our
Constitution is to be interpreted. It is not the rule by which it is
to be administered. On the contrary, if the able, honorable, and
clear-headed Senator from Illinois would do himself and his country
the justice to place himself in the position of the framers of the
Constitution; if he would look all around on the circumstances and
connections of that day, on the purposes of those men not only in
relation to forming a more perfect Union, but also in relation to
securing the blessings of life, liberty, and property to themselves
and their posterity forever; if the honorable Senator would construe
the Constitution according to the light, the sacred and bright light
which such surrounding circumstances would throw upon his intellect,
it seems to me that he would at once abandon this abominable bill, and
would also ask to withdraw its twin sister from the other House that
both might be smothered here together upon the altar of the
Constitution and of patriotism."

At the close of Mr. Davis' speech, much debate and conversation ensued
among various Senators upon a proposed amendment by Mr. Lane, of
Kansas, by which Indians "under tribal authority" should be excluded
from the benefits conferred by this bill. After this question was
disposed of, Mr. Davis was drawn out in another speech by what seemed
to him to be the necessity of defending some positions which he had
assumed. He said:

"I still reiterate the position that the negro is not a citizen here
according to the essential fundamental principles of our system; but
whether he be a citizen or not, he is not a foreigner, and no man,
white or black, or red or mixed, can be made a citizen by
naturalization unless he is a foreigner."

Mr. Clark, of New Hampshire, interposed: "I wish the Senator from
Kentucky would tell us what constitutes a citizen under the
Constitution."

"A foreigner is not a citizen in the fullest sense of the word at
all," said Mr. Davis.

"The Senator is now telling us," said Mr. Clark, "who is not a
citizen, but my question is, What constitutes a citizen?"

"I leave that to the exercise of your own ingenuity," replied Mr.
Davis.

"That is it," said Mr. Clark. "Washington is dead; Marshall is dead;
Story is dead; I h