The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-03 00:00:00

NATURALISATION.

Public feeling in the United States has been
running too strongly for Congress to resist action
on the subject of Protection to Naturalized Ameri-
can citizens abroad. In consequence, both Houses
have passed a bill which is practically that intro-
duced by General Banks, with the reprisal clause
and some objectionable parts struck out. As Con-
gress adjourned on Monday till the 21st Septem-
ber, it was necessary to hurry through this bill.
Such action settles nothing, for naturalizaiJu is
an international question which must be debated
in a Conference of the Powers, and established by
treaty on a universal basis. The Germans, the
greatest of emigrating nations, have given in their
adhesion to the doctrine which recognizes the right
of all to change their allegiance, and England has
not only announced her acquiescence, but appointed
a Commission, which is now sitting, to revise the
whole. snbject, preparatory to a treaty with the
United States. Legislation, therefore, by Congress
was more intended to pacify the foreign-born citi-
zens, and especially to conciliate the Irish, than for
any other purpose. It would not do to allow the
Democratic stump speakers to inveigh against
the Republican Congress which had resisted every
patriotic pressure to uphold American rights
abroad, and who in this truly represented the
cowardly sniffling, corrupt Radical party who were
brave in oppressing the conquered Southerners,
but cringing before the arrogant JOHN BULL. The
stand-point from which the. American sees the
trial of the Irish-Americans for treason-felony is
wholly different from the view which presents itself
to the Englishman. The former is told that some
native and some naturalized Americans, fired with
patriotic ardour to release the country of their
forefathers from a thraldom worse than that of
Poland, had sailed to Ireland, where they were ar-
rested before they had committed any crime. Their
plea of American citizenship was disregarded, the
allegiance of the naturalized citizen was claimed
for the British Crown, and he was tried as a British
subject while his acts and words in the United
States were the only evidence against him.
These noble-hearted patriots, thus condemned for
acts committed in the United States, which there
are not crimes, are languishing in British Bastilles ;
and it is the business of his country to obtain their
release, redress for the injury, and future security.
The latter sees in these adventurers the scum that
has seethed from Irish bogs, trained to rapine and
cruelty in the Civil War ; seeking a congenial
sphere of action in insurrection and bloodshed, and
hating the British Government as personifying law
and order. He regards them as secret assassins,
the fit promoters of a Clerkenwell explosion, with-
out a man of mark to take up their cause, or an
object for which other than outlaws would strive.
He considers that they received every advantage,
and were treated with extreme leniency ; and he
knows that he himself got a scare from which he
took some months to recover. The position of
affairs in the United States has given to the ques-
tion an undue prominence, for an attempt on the
part of naturalized citizens to stir up a rebellion in
a foreign country could not be justified in any
legislative assembly. Nor do native Americans
sympathize•with the Fenians—whatever, for elec-
tioneering purposes, they may pretend—whose
simple object is to stir up a war between the na-
tions, when Irishmen would have a glorious oppor-
tunity of cutting each other's throats, as well us
Englishmen and Scotchmen, for if the ship's com-
pany or the regiment on the one side pitted against
the other were to compare notes, it would be found
that, substractiug the German element from the
American array, the whole, in pretty even quanti-
ties, ha I been born, or were descen le I from, Bri-
tish subjects. If Americans have t) fight such a
fraternal battle, it will be for an American cause
worth fighting for, an I not at the dic:ation of a
Fenian President, thirsting for excitement and
plunder. But now it is necessary to prepare for
another campaign ; and two of the subjects upon
which the Republican Congress will be arraigned
Will be this naturalization question, and favouring
the bondholder,and it was therefore necessary to hurry
through these two bill's, that they might meet Demo-
cratic charges by pointing to them. If nobody will
exchange the old bonds for the new one:, and if Con-
gress has no power to legislate regarding the alle-
giance of foreign subjects, what other object will
be effected we are at a loss to know. But, weighing
all the circumstances, taking into consideration the
incessant " nagging" and driving, the Fortieth
Congress has, on the whole, in this way behaved
well.—Angle-:dnierican times.