Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-06-26


graph in this paper on he day previous, says /
..t. ars greatly surprised to ana the adminisrs-
ton and the UNION AND AMERICAN in the categO-
nv Of denying the essential rights Of citizenship TO
naiurslizsd ciiizens-eDgaged in the Quixotic at
tempt 10 prove that American citizens are not Amer
icsn citizens That is the point Of criticism. If
the UNION AND AMERICAN will meet that question
and exair It's subtIees and intricAoies to our nat
uralized citizens, it will come much better speed ~
relieving their minds, than in sentimental appeal
to tears and brass knucks. They want TO know
how and Why q citizen of thiscountry isn't citizen
in the length and breadth Of that terra
Our purpose, in what We have said on the subject
Of Geo. CAsss late letter, the position Of nat
uIalzsd citizens returning voluntarily to the cOun-
try Of their nativity has been simply to explain the
action of our government heretofore, and TO snow
that the statement of the Secretary Of State was
10 accordance with facts heretofore existing and
submitted TO- Our object was to show the hillary
Of the past and not to discuss what should be the
policy of the future. Reference was made, in our
previous notice Of this subject, to csse IN which
military service vas required Of native Of Prussia
who had been naiuraIzed here; and an extract from
letter on the subject by Mr.. WHEATON, then our
Minister to Prussia was given. This however, isnOt
We give enc nov, which win probably satisfy the
| Patriot During the administration Of Mr.. FILL
MORE, Mr. EDwARD EVERETT, then Secretary Of State,
| addressed instructions 10 the H N DANIEL D BAR
rARD Minister to Berlin, refusing to interfere for
the release Of an American citizen, native Prus-
sian from forced service in the Prussan army, bag
ing the refusal to interfere partly on the ground
Of territorial municipal juris lictiOn-also, it at
tempted sn analogy between the case Of person
leaving Prussia, without performing military du-
~, and that of one leaving the Kingdom without
laying his taxes. Copies of this document were
Immediately scattered over Germany by the Prus-
sian Government and in subsequent cases, was not
unrequently referred to and quoted by subordinate
and provincial officials. So says the Junior editor
of the Richmond Enquirer, then Secretary of Lega-
tiOn at Berlin.
The reader will see that this is exactly case in
point. Can the reader also imagine why there no
fault found with this document, from the FIJI MORE
administration? 1t will be observed that, in the
case of the FILLMORE administration, the principle
was not only recognized, but there was positive
refusal TO Interfere for the relief of nsturalized
American citizen, held to military service in Prus-
Know Nothing clamoT, there was no such refusal
by this Administration, but simply statement of
the existence of principle which might be urged to
the injury of uatu-alizsd citizen Voluntarily re-
turning TO the country of his birth; the simple
statement of a fact in the municipal law of
France, made for the purpose of cautiOning our
adopted citizens against pursuing course which
might lead them into difficulty.
The Patriot is entirely mistaken in sspposing
that this paper "denies any of the essential rights
Of citizens" We defended those rights four years
ago, when such defence was necessary and valua-
bic, and when it apparently made at the hazard
Of every thing-when, for such defence, we we're
denounced as enemies OF Professionalism and the
rights Of nativeborn citizens. We shall continue to
defend those essential rights" For our own part,
we regret that when case came up during Mr..
| FILLMoRE's administration, the principle asserted
in our Constitution, of the unconditional right of
change Of allegiance, had not been maintained
and We would have been glad had Gen. CAss, While
stating the claim of Foreign Governments, added
the determination of this Administration TO contest
that claim.
We concur entisely with the Richmond Enquirer,
which says that the cases which now present them
selves involve q conflict of laws. The question to
be decided is, which law ought to govern, accord
ing to the dictates of right and justice?
If two nations cannot agree on this point, an ap-
peal to arms is the Gully escape from the submission
to wrong on the part Of the injured contestant.
We will not go far as to advise resort to hOsti-
tes-certainly not immediate resort to hostties.
The laws of these foreign nations the necessary
consequence Of the theories Of government under
| which they ere established. Their execution in
wolves no Intentional insult to national dignity.
1t is purely the result of the great moral conflict
the triangular strife which is in progress be-
tween the principles of the Divine right of popular
sovereignty the Divine right of Kings or Ohgarehs,
and the athestic denial of all principle, which bases
the fabric of Government in each instance on some
narrow view of mere expediency.
The ultimate question is Of the foreible main
tenance of right, or submission to wrong. And the
Constitution of the United States provides that Con-
gress alone shall decide such question.
So far as the Executive is concerned, its duty is
plain. 1t must maintain the Constitution and laws,
by remonstrsnce, by protest. by treaty, if possible,
and, if its efforts prove unavailug, the President
must then refer the question of war or submission
directly to Congress.
We trust We have made ourselves so plain that
the Patriot will be able to understand US We hope
further that the rights of American nsturallzed cit
zens to entire citizenship will be vindicsted when
ever case occurs TO require such vindicatiOn And
we trust that when such case arises the Patriot and
all others of its party who, forgetting the fear of fOr
eigners" manifested four years ego, have lately
hibited so much seal in their behalf, will be found
fighting by our side. In the meantime, refer the
Patriot to the decision of Mr.. FILLNoREs admins
traticn, on 8 practical case, as being much more
worthy of its denuneiaion than a simple statement
of Whist a foreign government would claim in sup
posed case Mr.. FILLMORE refused 10 interfere for
the relief of naturalized citizen of the United States
doing forced service in the Prussian army. Gen.
CAss in reply to a question, informed a natural
lied citizen of the United States who was q native
of France, that if he Voluntarily returned to that
country claim for military service might be made
The Progress of FaRaticism.
Ourtelegraphic dispatches of yesterday announced