s impossible, it would seem, to believe that the great men of the
slaveholding States, who took so large a share in framing the
Constitution of the United States, and exercised so much influence in
procuring its adoption, could have been so forgetful or regardless of
their own safety and the safety of those who trusted and confided in
them.

Besides, this want of foresight and care would have been utterly
inconsistent with the caution displayed in providing for the admission
of new members into this political family. For, when they gave to the
citizens of each State the privileges and immunities of citizens in the
several States, they at the same time took from the several States the
power of naturalization, and confined that power exclusively to the
Federal Government. No State was willing to permit another State to
determine who should or should not be admitted as one of its citizens,
and entitled to demand equal rights and privileges with their own
people, within their own territories. The right of naturalization was
therefore, with one accord, surrendered by the States, and confided to
the Federal Government. And this power granted to Congress to establish
an uniform rule of _naturalization_ is, by the well understood meaning
of the word, confined to persons born in a foreign country, under a
foreign Government. It is not a power to raise to the rank of a citizen
any one born in the United States, who, from birth or parentage, by the
laws of the country, belongs to an inferior and subordinate class. And
when we find the States guarding themselves from the indiscreet or
improper admission by other States of emigrants from other countries, by
giving the power exclusively to Congress, we can not fail to see that
they could never have left with the States a much more important
power--that is, the power of transforming into citizens a numerous class
of persons, who in that character would be much more dangerous to the
peace and safety of a large portion of the Union, than the few
foreigners one of the States might improperly naturalize

The Constitution upon its adoption obviously took from the States all
power by any subsequent legislation to introduce as a citizen into the
political family of the United States any one, no matter where he was
born, or what might be his character or condition; and it gave to
Congress the power to confer this character upon those only who were
born outside of the dominions of the United