Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-03-06
EXpATRIATION.

ward TINS question at an interesting mo-
ment: but every vote taken upon i, IN the
House OF Representatives, seems To sliew
that il will dies cend 10 the "tomb OF all
the Capuleis. The following maxims,
however, appear 10 be true:
l. That every citizen has right, in the
pursuit of his own Happiness, (aia'l times
IN a stale OF peace, ITO leave his own cOun-
try for another.
.. That he has risnt TO cut The ties
whieIi biud him to his country, aud throw
oil all the obligations which II may have
upo3 him rs ctizen--and therefore he
has right TO call upon the government
Ia lay down some method by which this
a5iurai,an may be received-Lest he be
iiitreatei as a citizen for violating any
laws, which, In peace or in war, should
bind ITS citizens.
3. That il is far bctierto lay down such
test of aburaiion, than TO act upon IA
neither, which is usually admitted: viz. to
consider man NO longer citizen of this
country u he can prove that he has be-
come Il citizen of another-beeause BY
the latter mode man may practise po-
sitive fraud upon his country (; for he
may return to his native country and
still go OH 10 act as citizen, though he
has i'll fact certificate of his citizenship
IN another country in his pocket, and will
not choose 10 use ito avoid which
| consequence, man might be held bound
as citizen, TO answer 10 all lis laws, il
within reasonable lime he did not take
the necessary steps to file in its courts
the certificate of his citizenship from his
adopted country. This is duty which
| "A u,an owes 10 his country, correlatiye
with that which his country owes to him
If the government is bound to furnish
him with some means of swapping his
ties, lie is equally bound TO inform the
government that they are actually snap
| ped.
4. That these maxims apply 10 The u.
| States government, as well as every other
$50 iai as ite power of the United States
eNiends-yiz. 20 i'efnl,t an abjuraiion Of
! aie Obligations due 10 1T: but, that it
| therefore docs no, follow That il can ex-
| teas ihis ahllra.iOn TO the StateS-be-
! cause every hmcTICan citizen owe duties
! 10 t"o governments, va. that Of the I'M
tedStctes and ihai 81 the Quoad the
U. States, they may discharge; bui they
! cannot discharged man irOm MS duties to
| the government OF the States.
| 3. hat what an American citizen
wouli mos.l, wish, however, would be 10
expatriaie himself from the government
of Tie u. S.-bccause il is thar govern.
ment, which principally regulates his TO-
reign relations, viz. 10 hold him as 4 trai
tor in case OF war, and 10 prevent his
| drawing his sword IN The colonies ofthose
| foreign states with whom we are a. peace.
| That II Is the last circumstance, which
makes the eXpatriation law of Mr. Ro-
| ber,son OF so much consequence at ibis
moment, viz. to enable such of our ci.i-
zens DIS choose 10 crusade liz favor Of S.
American liberty, to indulge this desire
6. That this is the moment, therefore,
when such law is most called for and
most 10 be desired.
Lei 10 man sa,, such provision is a
romantic novelty, when he has before
him the following provision in the Virgil
MA code OF laws, tpasscd Dec. -, 1922
Whatsoever any citizen of this common
| wealth, shall, by deed in writing, under his
hand anG seal. executed ia the presence of, and
subscribed by three witnesses, and by them, or
two Of them proved in the general court, any
district court, or the court Of the county OF
corporation where lie resides, or by open YER
bal declaration made IN either of tie said
courts, to be by thGm entered OF record, de.
clare that he reliuqushes the character of n
citizen, and shall depart ont of this common
wealth, such person shall, from the time of his
departure, be considered as having exercised
ms right of eXpdiriation, and shall thenceforth
be deemed no citizen" CIVlS.