Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/277

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION 27! Monday MADISON .4ugt x3 description of people will not the makers of it, will not the States, be the violators. To justify the doctrine it must be said that the States can get rid of their obligation by revising the Constitution, though they could not do it by repealing the law under which foreigners held their privileges. He con- sidered this a matter of real importance. It woud expose us to the reproaches of all those who should be affected by it, re- proaches which wd. soon be echoed from the other side of the Atlantic; and would unnecessarily enlist among the Adversaries of the reform aver 7 considerable body of Citizens: We should moreover reduce every State to the dilemma of rejecting it or of violating the faith pledged to a part of its citizens. Mr. Govr. Morris �sidered the case of persons under 2 5 years, as very different from that of foreigners. No faith could be pleaded by the former in bar of the regulation. No assurance had ever been given that persons under that age should be in all cases on a level with those above it. But with regard to foreigners among us, the faith had been pledged that they should enjoy the privileges of Citizens. If the re- striction as to age had been confined to natives, & had left foreigners under 2 5 7ears, eligible in this case, the discrimina- tion wd. have been an equal injustice on the other side. Mr. Pinkne� remarked that the laws of the States had varied much the terms of naturalization in different parts .of America; and contended that the U.S. could not be bound to respect them on such an occasion as the present. It ws a sort of recurrence to first principles. Col- Mason was struck not like (Mr. (Madlson}), with tlxe - peculiarity, u but the propriety  of the doctrine of Mr. Shaman. The States have formed different qualifications themselves, for enjoying different rights of citizenship. Greater caution wd. be necessary in the outset of the Govt. than afterwards.' All the great objects wd. be then provided for. Every thing would be then set in Motion. If persons among us attached. to Ca- B. should work themselves into our Councils, a turn might be given to our affairs & particularly to our Cornmet- so Crossed out: "Mr. Randolph remarked ". n Underscored by' Madison when he revised his notes.

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