The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-07-28
Important Onieisi Doou.snt--Ihe Nat
uraiisation Que ssion.

! From the Washington Constitution,
so much misappreheDsion prevails IN rel
erencc 10 the views Of the Administrator
on this question, that We embrace the oppor'
tunity furnished by IA practical case, which
has recently arisen in the kingdom OF Han
over, TO refer 10 il again.
The case IL that OF u naturalized citizen
Of the United States, who il "a native Of Han
over and who, when he LETT his native c0un
! try, was neither 10 actual service in the
llanovgian army, nor had been drafted IA
serve IN 1t, but has yet, upon his return "a
Hanover, been deprived Of his liberty and
compelled TO do military duty
/ The intervention Of our government hay
/ ing become necessary, the whole subject Of
| the rights Of our natsralized citizens has re-
ceiyed the renewed and careful consideration
| Of the President, and his views, IN well o.
those Of his entire Cabinet upon this i'm
portant subject, will be found In the follow.
ing extract which We are permitted to make
from dispatch transmitted lew days ago
from the Department OF State to our Minis
ter at Berlin, in relation 10 the ca-c referred
| 10.
| II is impossible to add anything to the
! strength and clcarness Of This statement
| and we ARE persuaded that il will meet with
the full concurrence Of every rejecting man
| in the country:
"Ert,ad of Il Dispatch from The Department
u State 10 The Minister Of The InIei
States al He,i,n, Dated july 4, 1859.
The right Of expatriaton cannot o,
this day be doubted or denied in the United
States The idea has been repudated ever
since the origin Of our Government, that a
man is bound 10 remain forever in the coun
! try 81 his birth aud that b. has 40 right to
exercise his free will and consult hls own
happiness by selecting new home. The
most eminent writers on public law recog.
| nihc the right 81 expatratioD. This can only
be contested 10y those who IN the nineteenth
| century are still devoted to the ancient leu
dial law with all its oppression The doctrine
OF perpetual allegiance is relic o barbar.
/ ism which has been gradually disappearing
from Christendom during the last century.
The Constitution Of the United States
recognizes the natural right Of eypatriation
10y comforting upon Congress the power = to
establish u uniform rule Of naturalization.
Indeed, II was one Of the grievances alleged
agans, the British King IN the Decara-
ton OF Independence. tina, he had enlca,.
orcj TO prevent the population OF these
states Tor that pnrposc ohStructDg the
laws OF naturalization oi foreigners, refusing
Ia pass others To encourage their migration
hIthcr Nc. i would have been incunaist.
en-, IN itself, and unworthy the character OF
the authors OF that instrument, to hold out
inducements to foreigners to abandon their
natIv" land. 10 fenOuucc their allegiance 10
their native government, and ~ become cit
ilan. OF the United States II they had not
been Nnylnced Of the ah,out, and uucUudi.
tonal right OF cNpalriaIup Congress hus
uniformly acted upon tbs principle ever
since the commencement OF the Federal
iovcrnmrut They established uniform
rule o! naturalization nearly seventy years
ago. Their has since been uo period IA our
history when laws for tins purpose dad not
exist, though their provisions have under
gone successive changes The alien. in or.
der Ia become a 81 sra, mast declare on
oath or Affirmation that he will support the
Constitution ul the Uut,d States and. al
the same time, he Is required to absolutely
ami entirely rvuouncc and ahurr all allcgi.
autr and fidelity g. every lurrlgu pf,nc,'.
POI n,atc, state or sovereignty whatever.
anal particularly, by uamt, the ptncv, potou
,a, STATE or sovereignty whereof he was
before a citizen,
The exercise of the right at natural za-
ton, aud the consequent recognition oi he
principle Of cNpAtr,atlpn, are not confined to
the Government OF the United States
There IL not country in Europe, believe,
at the pu',cnt mumcut. where thu law d. IS
not authorize the naturalization ol foreign.
crs IN one form or other Indeed IA so:uc Of
these countries this law mon, liberal than
our own towards foreigner,
(" The question, then, arises, what rights
do our laws con'er upon foreigner by
granting HIN naturalization | answer All
thc rights, privileges and immuu,lc~ which
hcluug t0a ul,iyrhoru citizen IN their tul
extent, with the ,ingl, qualification that
under the Constitution. ma person except
"A uaturalhuru citizen is eligib., 60 the oihc,
OF fresjlut With this cNccptiun. the ia
turalilcd citik,u from and after the date OF
his naturalization both at homc aud abroad
Is plaod upon the very same footing with
ule native citizen. lie is neither IN brtivf
nor worsc condition. II u native citizen
choos's 10 take up hlS ~deace IN a lorc'gu
country ir thu purpose of advancing hi-
fortune or promoting his happiness. he i,
Will, thcrc bound to obey is municipal
laws equally With thosc who have lived IN 1t
all tbcr lives, he gees abroad With b..
eyes open aud II these laws b. arbitrary
and uWasi, he has chosen TO abid, hy the
consquenos. II they ate administered
in an equal spift iowspi. himself ard to.
wards native subjects thu, government ha.
no rleh, 10 interfere auihorita,yyly 10 h..