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74
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1858
be. I think the people of Minnesota are competent judges to decide whether the Indians living with them are fit associates for them or not in the exercise of political power. If they are recon- ciled to it, I certainly am. If the constitution requires them to assume the habits of civilization before they can vote, the people of Minnesota can determine whether or not they are the proper subjects of the benefit which this constitution confers upon them. Having opportunities of daily intercourse with them, doubtless they can determine whether they are such persons as ought to vote, or it will be in the power of the Legislature at any time to specify particularly the qualifications requisite to enable an Indian to vote. I can see no impediment that that feature presents to the admission of the State. But my friend from Tennessee remarks that there was a fuss made about foreigners, and he spoke of a political party which had risen and passed off very suddenly. If he lives as long as I have done in the world, and witnesses as many political events as I have, he will see that there is no party entirely permanent. Parties are always passing in and passing out. Whether the pres- ent condition of matters is to stand, I will not venture the specula- tion; but, I think, when he has lived as long as I have done, he will find many changes taking place. I have no doubt that changes are in progress now, if we could only comprehend them; we may suspect them, though we cannot see them; but time will develop them. Notwithstanding what he has said, I do not believe I have before heard the word foreigner repeated in the Senate for some time; and, though the Senator's remark seemed to apply to me, I certainly made no allusion to foreigners, that I recollect, in anything that I said this morning. I only said that it was unjust to foreignei·s who have been naturalized to require of them tlie probation necessary for them to become citizens of the United States, if you allowed the States to admit others to the privileges of citizenship without any probation at all. I said nothing deroga- tory to them; I spoke of aliens ~s aliens, and I spoke of naturalized citizens as citizens, and as sharing a portion of the sovereignty of the people of the United States and of this Government; bi.It I do not think, and I cannot believe, for one moment, that it is necessary or proper to admit foreigners, right off hand, to all the privileges of citizens. I cannot see any advantage in it. The Senator from Tennessee thinks that even a shorter period than now required, a very short period, would be long enough for them to be changed from subjects of a foreign Government to citizens of this country. Now, sir, I should like to know to what
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