“The entire race designated as blacks.” Johnson placed the entire Black population within the classes covered by “all persons born in the United States.”
“People of color.” He expressly used this additional identification immediately after referring to the Black race.
“Negroes.” Johnson specifically named Negroes as persons whom the bill would make federal citizens.
“Mulattoes.” He separately identified persons of mixed African ancestry as part of the citizenship class.
“Persons of African blood.” This was Johnson’s broad ancestral description of the population covered by the bill.
“Our entire colored population.” When questioning whether Congress should confer citizenship, he described the central population as the nation’s entire colored population.
“Four millions of them.” The figure of approximately four million unmistakably referred to the emancipated slave population.
Those who had “just emerged from slavery into freedom.” This is one of the clearest identifications. Johnson directly connected the proposed citizenship declaration to the people newly emancipated from slavery.
“The Negro” favored by the bill. Johnson complained that the bill discriminated in favor of “the Negro,” thereby identifying whom he believed Congress principally intended to benefit.
A people coming from “long years of bondage.” He described the citizenship beneficiaries according to their former condition of hereditary bondage.
Those whose avenues to “freedom and intelligence” had only just opened. Johnson again placed the population at the immediate moment of emancipation and Reconstruction.
Persons coming from a “previous unfortunate condition of servitude.” He explained their perceived lack of preparation for citizenship by referring directly to their previous enslavement.
“All persons of African descent born” in the United States. Johnson expressly connected birth within the United States to persons of African descent when describing the effect of the first section.
“These classes so made citizens,” contrasted with white citizens. He explained that the newly made citizens would receive the same contractual, testimonial, property, and personal-security rights enjoyed by white citizens.
“Colored persons” protected by Section 2. Johnson stated that the second section was designed to provide special federal protection to colored persons in the enjoyment of the rights declared in Section 1.
Persons formerly held in slavery or involuntary servitude. In quoting and discussing Section 2, Johnson emphasized that federal penalties would apply when persons were deprived of rights because they had previously been enslaved, or because of their color or race.
“The civil rights of the freedmen.” At the conclusion of the veto, Johnson expressly said that he would cooperate in measures necessary to protect the civil rights of the freedmen. This final identification ties the entire message back to the population emerging from enslavement.