Thus, while the Federal rights of the citizens
of Massachusetts and Virginia are the same, their State rights are
dissimilar and different, slavery being forbidden in one, and permitted
in the other State. This difference arises out of the Constitutions
and laws of the two States, in the same manner as the difference in the
rights of the citizens of these States to vote for representatives
in Congress arises out of the State laws and Constitution. In
Massachusetts, every person of lawful age, and possessing property
of any sort, of the value of two hundred dollars, may vote for
representatives to Congress. In Virginia, no person can vote for
representatives to Congress, unless he be a freeholder. As the admission
of a new State into the Union confers upon its citizens only the rights
denominated Federal, and as these are common to the citizens of all the
States, as well of those in which slavery is prohibited, as of those
in which it is allowed, it follows that the prohibition of slavery in
Missouri will not impair the Federal rights of its citizens, and that
such prohibition is not sustained by the clause of the treaty which has
been cited.
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