rant White, in his able work on "Words and Their
Uses," defines, on page 100, the privileges and immunities of
citizens, and among them gives the right to vote and the right to
hold office. Webster gives the same definition of the word
"citizen" and so does Worcester, and Bouvier's Law Dictionary
speaks expressly of these rights of citizens of the United States
to vote and hold office; and there is little adverse authority to
these definitions.

The Constitution, if it needs construction at all--and it would
hardly seem to need it in a case so plain as this--must be
construed by the ordinary and authoritative use of the words
contained in it; and here is both the ordinary and the
authoritative use of those words. This matter has not been
without judicial construction. In the Circuit Court Reports (4
Washington, 371), it was held that these privileges and
immunities included the right to hold office and to exercise the
elective franchise; and this view was adopted by Chancellor Kent
in his Commentaries, volume II., page 71. So that both by United
States courts and the best and highest commentary upon the laws
of the United States the construction which I contend for of the
XIV. Amendment is insisted upon and ably illustrated. The
considerations which I have urged address themselves not merely
to Republicans, they address themselves with great force to my
Democratic friends who are such sticklers for the Constitution.
Although that is true, nevertheless the Republican party has
pledged itself especially to a respectful consideration of these
demands in its last national platform, and it has control of both
Houses of Congress and of the executive department.

Passing from that consideration, we have all persons born or
naturalized in the United States declared by the Constitution to
be citizens; and we have the meaning of the word "citizen" given
by our courts, by our lexicographers, by our law commentators; we
have further their "privileges and immunities" settled by all
these authorities to include the right to vote and the right to
hold office. In consonance with this organic law, the policy of
which is not open to discussion because it has been adopted
according to all the legal forms by the people of the United
States, I offer this am