t of the negro race. I deny that a single
citizen was ever made by one of the States out of the Mongolian race.
I controvert that a single citizen was ever made by one of the States
out of the Chinese race, out of the Hindoos, or out of any other race
of people but the Caucasian race of Europe.

"I come, then, to this position: that whenever the States, after the
Declaration of Independence and before the present Constitution was
adopted, legislated in relation to citizenship, or acted in their
governments in relation to citizenship, the subject of that
legislation or that action was the Caucasian race of Europe; that none
of the inferior races of any kind were intended to be embraced or were
embraced by this work of Government in manufacturing citizens."

Mr. Trumbull inquired, "Will the Senator from Kentucky allow me to ask
him if he means to assert that negroes were not citizens of any of
these colonies before the adoption of the Constitution?"

"I say they were not," said Mr. Davis.

"Does the Senator wish any authority to show that they were?" asked
Mr. Trumbull.

"When I get through," said Mr. Davis, "you can answer me."

Mr. Trumbull replied: "I understood the Senator to challenge me to
produce any proof on that point, and I thought he would like to have
it in his speech. I can assert to him that by a solemn decision of the
Supreme Court of North Carolina, they were citizens before the
adoption of the Constitution."

"If the honorable Senator will allow me," said Mr. Davis, "I will get
along with my remarks."

"I think you will get along better," replied Mr. Trumbull, "by not
being exposed in your statements."

"The honorable Senator is full of conceit, but I have seen less
conceit with a great deal more brains," said Mr. Davis, who then
proceeded "to throw up" what he termed "the main buttress for the
defense of the positions" that he took.

"My main position," said he, "is, that no native-born person of the
United States, of any race or color, can be admitted a citizen of the
United States by Congress under the power conferred in relation to
naturalization by the Constitution upon Congress."

After reading some authorities, the Senator proceeded to say: "A grave
hallucination in this day is to claim all power; and a minor error is
that every thing which passion, or interest, or party power, or any
selfish claims may represent to the judgment or imagination of
gentlemen who belong to strong parties