Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-20
Rights of Amerirnn Citi1ous ADrOad'
WAsH1NaToN, June l5.-The following in

WAsH1NaToN, June I5.-The following inn
portant letter was to day communicated to A.
V. Holer, of Cincinnati, by Secretary Cass
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
.Ea WAsmNGToN, June IA, 1853.
Sir. In answer to your letter of the 9th inst.
rave to inform you that the brief letter from
this department to which you refer, dated the
nth of Nav last, and addressed to Mr.. Felix
Leclerc, was in reply to an application for in
formation, and was principally intended to re-
commend caution to our naturaliZed tellow-clt-
izens, natives OF France in returning to that
country, as the operations of the French con-
scription law were not precisely known here
and might bear injuriousy upon that class Of
American citizens. Most of the continental
European nations have system oil military or
gauization by which their citizens are compel.
ed to serve in the army by eonscrption, in
France, where Che duty is designated by lot, or
! by draft, as in Prussia, where every person Is
| required to take his turn as a soldier.
The condition of American naturalized cit-
zens returning to their native country, where
the system of compulsory service prevails, and
who had left before performing such service,
has frequently been the subject of discussion
with some of the European Powers Quite re-
Gently it has arisen between the United States
and Prussia, and the representative of this
country at the Court of Berlin has brought the
matter to the attention of the Prussian govern
mcnt In the instructions which were sent to
him dated May IL, 1859, it was explicitly sta
ted that this government Is opposed to the doc
trine of perpetual allegiance, and maintains the
right of expatriatlon and the right to form new
4 political ties elsewhere Upon this subject II
is observed, that in this age of the world the
idea of controlling the citizen in the choice d
a home, and binding him, by mere polltlca
theory, to inhabt for his lifetime country
which he constantly desires to leave can hard
ly be entertained by any government what
ever.
The position of the United States, as com
muncated to the Minister at Berlin, for the IN
formation Of the Prussian government IS tha
native born Prussians, natuTallzed IN the Onite'
States and returning to the country OF then
birth are not liable to any duties or penalties
except such as were existing at the period o
their emigration. If, at that time they were il
the army, OF actually called into it, such emf
grafton and naturalization do not exempt then
from the legal penalty which they incurred by
their desertion, but this penalty may be enior
ced against them whenever they shall voluntar
rly place themselves within theocal jurisdic
ton of their native country, and shall be pro
ceeded against according TO law. But wheI
no present liabilities exist against them at tn
period of their emigration the law OF nations
IN the opinion Of this government gives n,
right to any country 10 interfere with naturali
zed American citizens, and the attempt TO d,
30 would be considered an act unjust in tsel
and uniriendly toward the United States. Thi
question cannot of course arise 10 the case Of
naturalizod citizen who remains in tue Unite
States It is only when he voluntarily return
to bis native country that it's local laws can b
enforced against him. / am, sir, your obedleu
servant. LEWIS OASS.
THE ATLANTIC BALLooN,-The Troy paper
e announce that M La Mountaines mammot
5 balloon for crossing the Atlantic is complete,
7 and will probably be sent of at the last of ih
! week, for ST. Louis He tried his air.prope
= lers on the river last Saturday, and they wer
worked by hand against the current and win,
: making good progress. The craft to whic
o they were attached was q metallic life boat
Ex PRESIDENT VAN BUREN.-The Journal NJ
Q tces that Ex.President Van Buren, was recent
e in Albany, looking as youthful as he did twel
70 ty years ago, and remarks" Mr.. Van Bure
q is rsaping, in his old age, the fruits Of a We
regulated early hiO.'