Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1859-07-14
The, Rights of NaturaliZed
'eoq edl o. ssInCifiZeus bHp h-.-.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, r.
June iI4.c185o.r .r9yes(f8

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WAsHTSGTox, -
June IA, 1850 81
u SIR,:--In answer to your letter. of the
9th inst, l have to inform you that the
brief letter from this Department, to which
refer, dated the 18th of May last, and ad
dressed to Mr.. Felix LeClere, was in re-
ply to an application for Information. and
was principally intended to recommend
caution to our naturalized fellow-citizens,
natives of France, in returning to that
couhtrs, as the operations Of the French
conscriptipn law. were not precisely known
here, and might bear injuricusly upon that
lclass of American citizens. Most Of the
continental European nations have a sys-
tenn Of military org anization- by which
their. citizenssre compelled to serve in the
army, by conscription, as in France. where
the duty is designated by lot, or by draft.
aslin Prussia. whereb etery person Is re-
qured to take his turn as a soldier, The
condition of American naturalized citizens
Returning to their native county, where
the system of com pulso,y service prevails,
and who had left before performing such
service, has frequently been the subject Of
discussion with some the European Pow
ers' Quite recently it has arisen between
the United 5ts,tes and Prussia and the
representative of this country at the court
Of Berlin has brought the matter 10 the at
tention of the Prussian government.
In the instructions which were sent to
him dated May 12. 1853, it was ex xplieitly
stated that this government is opposed to
the doctrine of9perpetuai 7alieg giauce.T and
maintains the right of exratriaiionr and
the right to form ,new political ties else
where. Upon this subject it is observed
tnat, "that in this age of the world, the
idea of controlling the citizen in the choice
of "a home, and binding him by "a mere po,
h.ical theory to iuhabit for his lifetime a
country which he constantly desires TO
leave; can hardly be entertained by any
government whatever The position of
The United States, as communicated to the
minister at Berlin, for the Information of
the Prussian Government, is, that native
born Prussians naturalized in the United
States and returning 10 the country of
their bath, are not liable to any duties or
penalties except such as were existing at
the time OF their emigration. If at that
time they were in the army, or actually
called into il. such emigration and Fnatu-
raiization dc not exempt Them from the
legal penalty which they incurred by their
desertiop; but this penalty may Ie eniorc-
ed against them whenever they place them
selves within the local jurisdiction of their
native country, and shall be proceeded
ag>inst according to law. But when no
present liabilities exist against them. at
the period of their emigration, the law Of
nations. in the opinion of this government,
gives no right tosany countryIIto interfere
with naturalized American citizens. and
the attempt to do so would be considered
an act unjust in itself and unfriendly to-
wards the United States. This question
Of course. arise In the case Of a
citizen. who remains in the
United States. L. is only when he volun-
tarily returns to his native country that
its local laws can be enforced against him.
am, sir, your obedlent servant.
LEWIS CASS. a,s
To A. V. HoFER, ESQ, Cincinnati, 0.