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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1858
the head of the Government is the center of power; the sover- eignty resides in the person of an individual, and he is supreme. In this country, •supreme power resides in the people; it is dis- tributed through them; and every citizen 6f the United States participates in that sovereignty. I insist that you have no right to invest an alien with any portion of the sovereignty that belongs only to native and to naturalized citizens; and the moment you do it, you go in direct violation of the principles of our institu- tions, and in the face of the Constitution of the country. I might present many other views upon this point, but I do not wish to consume the precious time of the Senate. I shall vote for the admission of Minnesota into the Union, but with a solemn protest in behalf of the State I represent, at least, against the principle of authorizing aliens to vote and share the sovereignty of this people. I consider it a usurpation of our rights for any State to attempt to incorporate an alien into the privileged sovereignty of this people. [Mr. Johnson and Mr. Brown speak.] Mr. Houston. The gentleman has not been suspected of strik- ing at Indians himself. Though he lived in their neighborhood, I always understood him to be very kind to them. I will assure him that I do most cordially approve of the provision. 2 I think it very important. I will barely remark that those Indian tribes who had opportunities of organizing themselves into communities, are quite as civilized and as well regulated as we are ourselves, and I think it well to encourage them whenever they evince a
disposition to become civilized and Christianized. [Mr. Brown, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Stuart speak.]
Mr. Houston. I simply say to my friend from Mississippi tliat it is fortunate that he and I arrive at the same conclusion, though I may not arrive at it by the same process that he does. Some men jump to conclusions, others have to travel laboriously. I may travel rather slowly to my conclusions, but I think I have arrived at a correct result. The Senator objects to my reasons, but as he approves the conclusion, I shall not quarrel with him at all. Now, sir, as to the question which he has raised in regard to the Indians. I have no disposition to make it a subject of remark at this time, or to connect it with this bill. 3 The constitutional power of a State to allow Indians to become citizens has, I think, never been denied, and therefore it is not necessary to discuss that point. I think they can be admitted to all the rights of citizenship without difficulty, but I have no idea that aliens can
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