Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-21
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The AMERICAN GoosE.-All the world know
"the American eagle"-the bird o freedom
that is duly painted half the signs IN the
land, and hangs suspended In Its every par
room, as though placed there to give elderly
To- all who fancy making beasts of themselves |
with liquor, to indulge in that Anglo-Saxon
custom flor of all the nations of the earth, the
good folks of these United States and of the
British isles are most ''given TO strong drnk.")
Though all do not yet know the American
goose" he is in fair way of becoming as re-
nowned in the estimation of spread eagle pa
triots-native and foreign born-if but through
the devotion he evidently bears the spread
eagle-if what has of late appeared in the
newspapers concerning public affairs, from his
pen, be fair data on which to form an opinion.
Our great American goose is no other than
the Hon. John Minor Bolts, who not long since
delivered a remarkable speech to the Opposi-
ton State Convention in Richmond, shortly
after having delivered a most remarkable
| speech to the Opposition in New York city.
These OratOrical efforts were, however, re-
markable in but a few particulsrs-for their
remarkable length, their remarkable vehe-
mence, and their remarkable extravaganza,
| ultraism, loOseness of assertion and abundance
| of clap trap-the windiest oratOrical efforts we
had ever read, they were, indeed, though four
ffths Of the popular harangues of the last de-
| eade have been little else than cor Ell preterea
| mint If these two remarkable speeches have
| not fairly entitled the hero of the memorable
night in bed with Capt. John Tyler, 1--WE forget
whether in his published accounts of that IA
nous nights experience, he said he had his
L H. \ a. 10 aro In tho
great American Goose. surely his last political
manifesto must raise him to that proud distinc-
ton in the estimation of all who know aught
| of the principles of international law; If not in
the hearts of those who, in the words of the
patriotic song, would "wrap themselves round
with the American flag, and lie covered all
| over with glory"
He is again in New York; and in answer to
letter signed by some forty gentlemen, most of
| them with unpronOunceable Names limiting
broadly their purpose of supporting his aspra-
tiOns for the Presidency, lin which said sspra-
tiOns the goose shows itself glaringly, by the by)
takes occasion to exhibit TO the world the fact he
that he has yet to learn the A B of states
manship, notwithstanding he has served some
terms in the House of Representatives of the
United States. The letter to which he replies
calls for his views upon the alleged 'mon-
strous' doctrines of Secretary Casss late lie
Clerc and Hofer letters explaining that Amer
lean naturalization does not protect one, if re-
turning within the jurisdiction wherein born,
from the demand of the government of that
jurisdiction for the fulfillment of the obligations
| of its laws left urfulfilled without its consent
| when the party emigrated from its dOmnions
| Mr.. Bolts believes in the American eagle most
implctly-in its unlimited rights, powers and
| duties wherever the sun shines, as well as where
it sOars around and screams truthfully % am
monarch of all | survey" He denounces the
views Of the Secretary of State in his most
| elaborate style. The argument upon which he
| essays that denunciatiOn is as follows:
| My views on this Question may be thus summed
up: When one plants himself under the protection
of the American Eagle, which lac is pledged and
| sworn TO support and defend; when he enrols his
name upon the ample folds of the stars and stripes
| of this great American Union, he is free to 20
wherever the winds and the waves may carry him:
the eye Of that Eagle watches over his every step
| that flag waves proudly over his head, whether he
| is upon land or upon water, in palace a dun
| geon and tue power that darcs to interfere with
BIS personal liberty whilst lac is engaged in lawful
enterprise. and not offending against the criminal
or penal code of that Power, dishonors that EAGLE
and disgraces that flag to which he appeals for his
deliveraRce, II 1t does not afford him prompt relief
and redress
Now, this silly letter is worthy Of note only
| because it illustrates the calibre so far as
'tatesnanship is concerned, of quite a numcr-
| Gus class OF aspirants for the Presidency Of the
United States, Of all parties in pOlitcs-and in
! atlording that Illustration it should naturally
give rise to serious reflection upon the tendency
| OF our efsirs political-upon the fact that the
| American popular mind should have become so
debased already rs that the author of such clap
trap should fancy il ready TO make a President
out of such material as himself We commend
| to the reader who desires to comprehend at
glance the utter folly of this last spIurge Of Mr..
John Minor Bolts the following brief exposure
of its nonsense, which we clip from SATURDAYS
! New York Times:
The gist of its doctrine THAT of the letter of Sec
retary Cass To MIR HOferl is simply this: that the.
| quality of American, acquired by naturalization
under our laws, does not exempt a foreiUn horn
| cltlzen from "duties or penalties existing at the.
! Time OF his emigration" from the land of his
| Dlrth Mess We are prepared to assume the i'm
| peral attitude of ancient Rome. or to maintain
that American citizenship, like a special grace is
retroactive IN its efficiency, and makes that man
an American from the cradle who receives N NJ
the aye OF thirty ii is not easy to see what other
position our Government can take. II Mr. Hofrr
Tor instance, granting his existence and reality
WIS p"fh d 1fusSldh subject and lived i'm Prussia
VII ne came To mans estate he certainly incurred
during that thine obligations To the Prussan Com
monweaith, and was under the Oneration of tho
PruSsan Law Ip 20 tue moment when he deIinar
ately left the dominOns Of the House of Hoh.n
z"llern: He continued To have a claim upon the
protection of Prussia until he assumed the char
actsr OF an American citizen; and had he suffered
any wrong 1T our hands before that event he
might and doubtless would have sought the aid
ana comfort OF the PrusSan representatives, in this
Country To aver, then. that all the reciprocal
rights and duties which existed between 'Hof.r
and Prussia during this period of bis life are re-
troactively destroyed by the fact Of his American
naturalization would be the height Of Injustice as
well as OF arrogance But from the moment of
naturalization forward the case is changed; and
this MISC II seems to us that Mr. Cass states with
a quiet precision which ought 10 reassure our
foreign fcllow-citiZens quite as much as MIR
Bolts stars and spangles of universal smash
so long as the medH val doctrine of perpetual
allegiance, born Of giebal ascripton, and OF the
Theory OF vlllainaSe, ma nta MS itself In any civil
lied country, SO long shall we he exposed to the
chance of trouble on this with other C;oyern
Inents IL is therefore highly important that we
should know precisely what the doctrine is that
we are prepared to maintain, and that we sbonld
nm al no l..i .t.l,