white race; in
fact, the distinction between white and colored is by the provisions
of this bill made to operate in favor of the colored and against the
white race." "The provisions of the bill," he maintained, "are an
absorption and assumption of power by the General Government, which,
being acquiesced in, must eventually destroy our federative system of
limited power and break down the barriers which preserve the rights of
States. It is another step, or rather stride, towards centralization
and the concentration of all legislative power in the General
Government. The tendency of the bill must be to resuscitate rebellion
and to arrest the progress of those influences which are more closely
thrown around the States--the bond of union and peace."

The debate upon the President's veto was not very prolonged but was
marked by excitement approaching to anger. Mr. Trumbull, who had
charge of the bill, analyzed the President's argument with consummate
ability and readily answered him on every point of Constitutional law
which he had adduced. He did more than this. He pointed out with
unflinching severity what he considered the demagogical features of
the message. "The best answer," said Mr. Trumbull, "to the President's
objection that the bill proposes to make citizens of Chinese and
gypsies and his reference to the discrimination against foreigners, is
to be found in a speech delivered in this body by the President
himself, on the occasion of a message being sent to the Senate by
Mr. Buchanan, then President of the United States, returning with his
objections what was known as the Homestead Bill. On that occasion
Senator Johnson of Tennessee said, 'This idea about poor foreigners
somehow or other bewilders and haunts the imagination of a great many.
I am constrained to say that I look upon this objection to the bill as
a mere quibble on the part of the President, as being hard pressed for
some excuse in withholding his approval of the measure. His allusion
to foreigners in this connection looks to me more like the _ad
captandum_ of the mere politician or demagogue, than a grave and sound
reason to be offered by the President of the United States in a veto
message on so important a measure as the Homestead Bill.'"

In exposing the inconsistency between Andrew Johnson, President of the
United States, and Andrew Johnson, Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Trumbull
said that he would not use as harsh language as Mr. Johnson h