eged in the proceedings to be
a citizen of the United Stated States, naturalized in
Louisiana, and residing there. This is equivalent to an
averment that he is a citizen of that State. _A citizen of
the United States residing in any State of the Union is a
citizen of that State._'"

The message declared "that the right of Federal citizenship is now for
the first time proposed to be given by law." "This," said Mr.
Trumbull, "is not a misapprehension of the law, but a mistake in fact,
as will appear by references to which I shall call the attention of
the Senate." Mr. Trumbull then referred to the "collective
naturalization" of citizens of Louisiana, Texas, and Cherokees,
Choctaw, and Stockbridge Indians.

To the remark in the message that "if, as many claim, native-born
persons are already citizens of the United States, this bill can not
be necessary to make them such," Mr. Trumbull replied: "An act
declaring what the law is, is one of the most common of acts known by
legislative bodies. When there is any question as to what the law is,
and for greater certainty, it is the most common thing in the world to
pass a statute declaring it."

To the objection that eleven States were unrepresented, the Senator
replied: "This is a standing objection in all the veto messages, yet
the President has signed some forty bills. If there is any thing in
this objection, no bill can pass Congress till the States are
represented here. Sir, whose fault is it that eleven States are not
represented? By what fault of theirs is it that twenty-five loyal
States which have stood by this Union and by the Constitution are to
be deprived of their right to legislate? If the reason assigned is a
good one now, it has been a good one all the time for the last five
years. If the fact that some States have rebelled against the
Government is to take from the Government the right to legislate, then
the criminal is to take advantage of his crime; the innocent are to be
punished for the guilty.

"But the President tells us that 'the bill, in effect, proposes a
discrimination against large numbers of intelligent, worthy, and
patriotic foreigners, and in favor of the negro.' Is that true? What
is the bill? It declares that there shall be no distinction in civil
rights between any other race or color and the white race. It declares
that there shall be no different punishment inflicted on a colored man
in consequence of his color th