Good evening, and welcome to NBC Nightly News. Tonight, we feature an
exclusive interview with one of the founders of the Constitution and U.S.
president, James Madison.
Mr. Madison, I want to ask you about
the first U.S. immigration law, called the Naturalization Act of 1790.
When the
bill was first before the Congress, it required one year’s residence by aliens
for citizenship.
An amendment was made to strike out the one-year residence
requirement.
What are your thoughts about that, as of
Feb. 3, 1790?
Madison: It is no doubt very
desirable, that we should hold out as many inducements as possible, for the
worthy part of mankind to come and settle amongst us, and throw their fortunes
into a common lot with ours. But, why is this desirable? Not merely to swell
the catalogue of people. No, sir, ’tis to increase the wealth and strength of
the community, and those who acquire the rights of citizenship, without adding
to the strength or wealth of the community, are not the people we are in want
of.
Holt: You make it sound easy, sir. Is
that what you mean?
Madison: And what is proposed by the
amendment is, that they shall take nothing more than an oath of fidelity, and
an intention that they mean to reside in the United States.
Holt: Mr. Madison, some U.S.
lawmakers who came after you would disagree with your pro-immigration policies.
Take a listen to Kentucky’s Senator Garrett speaking against immigration in
1866:
Garrett: Naturalization is the
admission by Government of a foreigner to the privileges, or a portion of the
privileges, of a citizen. That the power was delegated and reserved to the
extent that States had exercised. That they had exercised it only to naturalize
foreigners, and foreigners of the European nationalities; and the United States
receiving from them this power as they always had exercised it were also
limited to foreigners of the European branches of the Caucasian race.
Holt: What do you make of the idea
that immigration was intended to be only for whites?
Madison: I should be exceeding sorry,
sir, that our rule of naturalization excluded a single person of good fame,
that really meant to incorporate himself into our society; on the other hand, I
do not wish that any man should acquire the privilege, but who, in fact, is a
real addition to the wealth or strength of the United States.
It may be a question of some nicety,
how far we can make our law to admit an alien to the right of citizenship, step
by step; but there was no doubt, but we may, and ought to require residence as
an essential.
Cong. Register description begins
Thomas Lloyd, comp., The Congressional Register; or, History of the Proceedings
and Debates of the First House of Representatives … (4 vols.; New York,
1789–90; Evans 22203–4, 22973–4). Description ends , III, 212.
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