The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1814-11-02


ing thereof, five hundred dollars, 10 be tecov-
cred in an action Of debt; one half 10 the in-
former, and one half to the United States. IL
is also made penal, punishable as felony by
imprisonment and labor from three to five
years, or by fine, from five hundred TO one
Thousand dollars for any person 10 forge or
countc riei,, or to pass, or use any forged or
countcrfeited certificate of citizenship or 10
sen or dispose OF one. NN.n s1a 8. pl'r
1t may fairly DC presumed that II this law
should oe carried into fleet, it would exclude
all British scamcn from our service.
BY requiring fiscyears continued residence
in the United States, as the condition Of ciii-
zenship, few If any British seamcn would ever
take advantage of il. Such as had lets Great
Britain, and adresided fvc yeafsin shiseoun-
try, would be likely TO abandon the sea for
ever And by making 1.-THE duty ofthe COM
manders of our public, and OF the collectors,
in the case OF private ships, to require an au-
thenticatcd copy from the clerk OF the court,
before which British subject, who offered
his service, had been tusalzed, as indispen-
sable to his admission, aud mighty penal IN e-
lher TO take person not duly qualified, and
by allowing also British agents to object TO any
one Offering his service, and topfosecute by
suit the commander or collector, as the case
might be, for receiving an lmpropes person,
i, seems TO be Impossible that such should be
received. t@
If the second alternative is adopted that
is, il all native British subjects arc 10 be here
after excluded from our service, II Is import
ant that the stipulation providing tor II should
operate SO as not 10 affect those who have been
already naturalizcd. by our law all the rights
of natives are given 10 naturailzcd cl,izens.
II is contended by some that thesc complete
rights do not extend beyond the limits OF the
United States that in naluraiizing foreign
cr, no state can absolvc him from the obliga-
lion which he owes 10 his former governments,
aad that he becomes citizen 10 . qualified
sense only. This doctrine, If true in each
case, is less applicable to the United States
THAI. " .ny other power. Expatriati6n seems
to be natural rg ht and by the original chat
act.r Of our institutions, ioundcdby compact,
on principle, and particularly BY the unqualiti-
ed investmenl OF the adopted citizen with,h
full rights o. the native, all that the United
States could do, 10 place him on the same
footing, has been done. liz point OF interest,
the object is Of little Importance 20 either
party. The number TO bc affected by the
stipulation is inconsiderabIe nor can that be
cause Of surprize when the character OF
that class of men is considered. /, rarely
happens that seaman who settles on farm,
or engages in a trade, aud pursues II tor any
length OF time, returns 10 sea. His youthidi
days are exhausted in his Fl st Occupation. lie
leaves il with regre,,and adopts ano'hcr,either
In consequence Of marriage, OF disease, or
as an asylum for age.
To stipulation which shall Operate pros
pective!y only, the same objection does not
apply. In na,uralizing foreigners, the Unit
ed States may prescribe the limit to winch
their privileges shall extend Ii II IS msde
condition that no native British subject, who
may hereafter become citizen, shall be EN-.
ployed in our public and private ships, their
exclusion will violate no right. Those WHO
might become citizens afterwards would &C
quire the right (; subject 70 that conditionsnd
would be bound by il. To such stipulation
the President is willing TO assent, although
he would much prefer the alternative OF re-
strants on naturalization aud 10 prevent
frauds and TO carry the same fully into effect
you arc authorized to apply all the restraints
and checks, with the necessary modihcations,
to suit the case, shat are provided in the act
above recited, relative TO seameh, Tor the pur-
poses of that Sct.
In reqd,ring ,Sat the stipulation to exclude
British sesmen from our service, with the re-
guIa;ions for carrying it into effect, be made
reciprocal the Presiden, desires that you
make provision, authorizing the U. States,
if they should be SO disposed, TO dispense
with the obligations imposed by it on Ameri-
can ci,izens. The liberal spi'lt OF our gov
ernment aud laws is unfriendIy 10 restraints
on our citizcns, such at least as arc imposed
on British subjects from becoming members
Of other societies. This has teen shewn 10
the law Of the last session relative 10 scsmen
to which your particular attention has been
already drawn. This provision may likewise
be resiprocated if desired.
The President is not particularly solieitous
thai either Of thesc alternatives (making the
proposed reservation in case the latter bc)