excluding slavery was adopted in 1859, | cise of its local and reserved sovereignty, and Kansas was admitted into the Union January 29, 1861.

persons on whom such rights are conferred citizens of the United States or entitle them to the privileges and immunities of citizens in another State. See 5 Wheaton, (U. S. Supreme Court Reports), page 49.

may place foreigners or other persons on a footing with its own citizens, as to politiUnder the fugitive slave law, which was cal rights and privileges to be enjoyed passed by Congress at the session of 1850, within its own dominion. But State reguas one of the Compromise measures, intro-lations of this character do not make the duced by Mr. Clay, a long and exciting litigation occurred to test the validity and constitutionality of the act, and the several laws on which it depended. The suit was instituted by Dred Scott, a negro slave, in the Circuit Court of the United States for The Court said in The Dred Scott case, the District of Missouri, in April Term, above referred to, that:-"The right of 1854, against John F. A. Sanford, his property in a slave is distinctly and exalleged owner, for trespass vi et armis, in pressly affirmed in the Constitution. The holding the plaintiff and his wife and right to traffic in it like the ordinary article daughters in slavery in said District of of merchandise and property was guarMissouri, where by law slavery was pro-antied to the citizens of the United States, hibited; they having been previously law- in every State that might desire it for fully held in slavery by a former owner- twenty years, and the government in exDr. Emerson-in the State of Illinois, press terms is pledged to protect it in all from whence they were taken by him to future time if the slave escapes from his Missouri, and sold to the defendent, San-owner. This is done in plain words-too ford. The case went up on appeal to the plain to be misunderstood, and no word Supreme Court of the United States, and can be found in the Constitution which was clearly and elaborately argued. The gives Congress a greater power over slave majority opinion, delivered by Chief Jus- property, or which entitles property of tice Taney, as also the dissenting opinions, that kind to less protection than the propare reported in full in Howard's U. S. erty of any other description. The only Supreme Court Reports, Volume 19, page power conferred is the power coupled with 393. In respect to the territories the Con- the duty of guarding and protecting the stitution grants to Congress the power "to owner in his rights. Upon these consideramake all needful rules and regulations tions, it is the opinion of the Court that concerning the territory and other property the Act of Congress which prohibited a belonging to the United States." The citizen from holding and owning property Court was of opinion that the clause of of this kind in the territory of the United the Constitution applies only to the terri-States north of the line therein mentioned, tory within the original States at the time is not warranted by the Constitution_and the Constitution was adopted, and that it did not apply to future territory acquired by treaty or conquest from foreign nations. They were also of opinion that the power of Congress over such future territorial acquisitions was not unlimited, that the citizens of the States migrating to a territory were not to be regarded as colonists, subject to absolute power in Congress, but as citizens of the United States, with all the rights of citizenship guarantied by the Constitution, and that no legislation was constitutional which attempted to deprive a citizen of his property on his becoming a resident of a territory. This question in the case arose under the act of Congress prohibiting slavery in the territory of upper Louisiana, (acquired from France, afterwards the State), and of which the territory of Missouri was formed. Any obscurity as to what constitutes citizenship, will be removed by attending to the distinction between local rights of citizenship of the United States according to the Constitution. Citizenship at large in the sense of the Constitution can be conferred on a foreigner only by the naturalization laws of Congress. But each State, in the exer.

is therefore void; and that neither Dred Scott himself, nor any of his family were made free by being carried into this territory; even if they had been carried there by the owner with the intention of becoming a permanent resident." The abolition of slavery by the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States ratified and adopted December 18, 1865, has put an end to these discussions formerly so numerous,

As early as 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska controversy on the territorial government bill, resulted in a division of the Whig party in the North. Those not sufficiently opposed to slavery to enter the new Republican party, then in its incipiency, allied themselves with the Know-Nothing order, which now accepting the name of American party established a separate and independent political existence. The party had no hold in the West; it was entirely Middle State at this time, and polled a large vote in Massachusetts, Delaware and New York. In the State elections of 1855 the American party made a stride Southward. In 1855, the absence of naturalized citizens was universal in the South, and even so late as 1881 the proportion of

foreign-born population in the Southern any territory thereof, to frame their conStates, with the exception of Florida, stitution and laws, and to regulate their Louisiana, and Texas was under two per domestic and social affairs in their own cent. At the early date-1855-the na- mode, subject only to the provisions of the tivist feeling among the Whigs of that Federal Constitution, with the privilege of section, made it easy to transfer them to admission into the Union, whenever they the American party, which thus secured in have the requisite population for one repboth the Eastern and Southern States, the resentative in Congress.-Provided always, election of Governor and Legislature in that none but those who are citizens of the the States of New Hampshire, Massachu- United States, under the Constitution and setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New laws thereof, and who have a fixed resiYork, California and Kentucky; and also dence in any such territory, ought to par elected part of its State ticket in Mary- ticipate in the formation of the Constituland, and Texas; and only lost the States tion, or in the enactment of laws for said, of Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi- Territory or State. ana, and Texas, by small majorities against it.

The order began preparations for a campaign as a National party, in 1856. It aimed to introduce opposition to aliens and Roman Catholicism as a national question. On the 21st of February, 1856, the National Council held a session at Philadelphia, and proceeded to formulate a declaration of principles, and make a platform, which were as follows:

"An humble acknowledgement to the Supreme Being, for his protecting care vouchsafed to our fathers in their successful Revolutionary struggle, and hitherto manifested to us, their descendants, in the preservation of the liberties, the independence, and the union of these States.

2d. The perpetuation of the Federal Union, as the palladium of our civil and religious liberties, and the only sure Bulwark of American independence.

3d. Americans must rule America, and to this end, native-born citizens should be selected for all state, federal, and municipal offices or government employment, in preference to all others; nevertheless,

4th. Persons born of American parents residing temporarily abroad, should be entitled to all the rights of native-born citizens; but,

5th. No person shall be selected for political station (whether of native or foreign birth), who recognizes any allegiance or obligation, of any description, to any foreign prince, potentate, or power, or who refuses to recognize the Federal and State constitutions (each within its sphere) as paramount to all other laws, as rules of political action.

6th. The unqualified recognition and maintenance of the reserved rights of the several States, and the cultivation of harmony and fraternal good will, between the citizens of the several States, and to this end, non-interference by congress with questions appertaining solely to the individual States, and non-intervention by each State with the affairs of any other State.

7th. The recognition of the right of the native-born and naturalized citizens of the United States, permanently residing in

8th. An enforcement of the principle that no State or Territory ought to admit others than citizens of the United States to the right of suffrage, or of holding political office.

9th. A change in the laws of naturalization, making a continued residence of twenty-one years, of all not hereinbefore provided for, an indispensable requisite for citizenship hereafter, and excluding all paupers, and persons convicted of crime, from landing upon our shores; but no interference with the vested rights of foreigners.

10th. Opposition to any union between Church and State; no interference with religious faith, or worship, and no test oaths for office.

11th. Free and thorough investigation into any and all alleged abuses of public functionaries, and a strict economy in public expenditures.

12th. The maintenance and enforcement of all laws constitutionally enacted, until said laws shall be repealed, or shall be declared null and void by competent judicial authority.

The American Ritual, or Constitution, rules, regulations, and ordinances of the Order were as follows:

ART. 1st. This organization shall be known by the name and title of THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA, and its jurisdiction and power shall extend to all the states, districts, and territories of the United States of North America.

ART. 2d. The object of this organization shall be to protect every American citizen in the legal and proper exercise of all his civil and religious rights and privileges; to resist the insidious policy of the Church of Rome, and all other foreign influence against our republican institutions in all lawful ways; to place in all offices of honor trust, or profit, in the gift of the people, or by appointment, none but native-born Protestant citizens, and to protect, preserve,

president may appoint sentinels from time | Council of the United States-the proporto time. tioned number of delegates to depend on the number of members in the organizations; provided, that no State shall be allowed to have more than one State council, without the consent of the National Council of the United States. (June, 1854.)

Sec. 2.-A majority of all the votes cast shall be requisite to an election for an office. Sec. 3.-All officers and delegates of this council, and of all state, district, territorial, and subordinate councils, must be invested with all the degrees of this order.

Sec. 4.-All vacancies in the elective offices shall be filled by a vote of the national council, and only for the unexpired term of the said vacancy.

Art. 7. Sec. 1.-The national council shall entertain and decide all cases of appeal, and it shall establish a form of appeal.

Sec. 2.-The national council shall levy a tax upon the state, district, or territorial councils, for the support of the national council, to be paid in such manner and at such times as the national council shall determine.

Art. 8.-This national council may alter and amend this constitution at its regular annual meeting in June next, by a vote of the majority of the whole number of the members present. (Cincinnati, Nov. 24, 1854.)

RULES AND REGULATIONS.

Rule 5.-In any State, District, or Territory, where there may be more than one organization working on the same basis, (to wit, the lodges and "councils,") the same shall be required to combine; the officers of each organization shall resign and new officers be elected; and thereafter these bodies shall be known as State councils, and subordinate councils, and new charters shall be granted to them by the national council. (June, 1854.)

Rule 6.-It shall be considered a penal offence for any brother not an officer of a subordinate council, to make use of the sign or summons adopted for public notification, except by direction of the President; or for officers of a council to post the same at any other time than from midnight to one hour before daybreak, and this rule shall be incorporated into the bylaws of the State, District, and Territorial councils. (June, 1854.)

Rule 7.-The determination of the necessity and mode of issuing the posters for public notification shall be intrusted to the State, District, or Territorial councils. (June, 1854.)

Rule 1.-Each State, District, or Territory, in which there may exist five or more subordinate councils working under dispensations from the National Council of the United States of North America, or under regular dispensations from some State, District, or Territory, are duly empowered to establish themselves into a Rule 8. The respective State, District, State, District, or Territorial council, and or Territorial councils shall be required to when so established, to form for them-make statements of the number of memselves constitutions and by-laws for their bers within their respective limits, at the government, in pursuance of, and in con- next meeting of this national council, and sonance with the Constitution of the annually thereafter, at the regular annual National Council of the United States; meeting. (June, 1854.) provided, however, that all State, District, Rule 9.-The delegates to the National or Territorial constitutions shall be subject Council of the United States of North to the approval of the National Council of America shall be entitled to three dollars the United States. (June, 1854.) per day for their attendance upon the Rule 2.-All State, District, or Terri-national council, and for each day that torial councils, when established, shall have full power and authority to establish all subordinate councils within their respective limits; and the constitutions and by-laws of all such subordinate councils must be approved by their respective State, District, or Territorial councils. (June, 1854.)

Rule 3.-All State, District, or Territorial councils, when established and until the formation of constitutions, shall work under the constitution of the National Council of the United States. (June, 1854.)

Rule 4.-In all cases where, for the convenience of the organization, two State or Territorial councils may be established, the two councils together shall be entitled to but thirteen delegates* in the National

*NOTE.-See Constitution, Art. 3, Sec. 4, p. 5.

may be necessary in going and returning from the same; and five cents per mile for every mile they may necessarily travel in going to, and returning from the place of meeting of the national council; to be computed by the nearest mail route: which shall be paid out of the treasury of the national council. (November, 1854.)

Rule 10.-Each State, District, or Territorial council shall be taxed four cents per annum for every member in good standing belonging to each subordinate council under its jurisdiction on the first day of April, which shall be reported to the national council, and paid into the national treasury, on or before the first day of the annual session, to be held in June; and on the same day in each succeeding year. And the first fiscal year shall be considered as commencing on the first day of Decem