Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-07-08
Letter from Governor Wise.

Letter from Governor wise. 80
! Tue RIoHTs OF NATuRAL1zED CITIZENS.
We extract the following from the
'Lynchburg Republican
a naturalized friend Of this city, has ham
ded US for publication, the subjoined letter
from Gov. Wise, touching the subject Of
our naturalization laws as affecting our
adopted fellow citizens abroad. + will be
seen that theAGovernor differs with Gen
Cass' construction of our laws: ssF
RICHMOND, June 16, 1859.
Te Max L, Mayer, Esq ,4
sDEAR SIR:-Absence has delayed myre-'
ply to yours of the 10th instant. ms. y.
| have not time to elaborate an opinion
upon the letter of Gen. Cass, dated Wash Z
ington, May II, 1859, addressed to Mr.. fe-
slix LIE Clerc, of Memphis, Tenn, saying.
to him, ''your naturalization IN Mas coun-
try will not exempt you from that claim"
N(the claim Of the French Government to
military service from all natives of France
who may be found within its jurisdiction
eff you should voluntarily repair thither, !"
I TO France.)
My opinion is, that this concession by
our Government is an abando hment Of one
[of the most precious American doctrines ever
established by our patriots for q free people.
And regret that a Democratic Admins
tration has endorsed it as laid down by its
Wing predecessor in the Department Of
State: Mr.. Edward Everett, following the
authority Of Wheaton.
The United States first established the
right Of repatriation and the solemn cere-
mony Ct naturalization, investing foreign
ers with citizenship, binding them to ozlegi-
ance, and contracting to give them protec-
ton whenever by oath and residence they
should become as natisc-b born The old de-
spotisms held to the maxim, ''Once,a citi-
zen always citizen. The pew Republic set
up new refuge Of Liberty, and asserted that
Dir b and WITTY sho, ID Lot limit the gifts
of man. She established naturalization" of
those who chose to expatriate themselves =
It was for this. we declared the last war with
Great Britain. She claimed the right foseize
her native citizens on board our. Ships
This we fought to resist. We said that
when her natives were once naturalized here
they became as if they were nativesbo
That is in fact the meaning Of naturaliza-
ton. Well, as we would not permit Eng
land to seize our own native born. SO we
would not permit her to seize the naturali-
zcd citizens Of America, for the reason that
naturalization put them on the footing Of
native born.
Again: Mr.. Cass may say that he limits
the case to those who voluntarily go to
France and are. natives Of that country. -
But he admits thsre. within her jurisdiction
the claim to military service,
Now, military service is a pvzHical duty,
belonging wherever allegiance is due; and
inasmuch as WegsWear by an oath the native
of France, naturalized here, to renounce al
legiance to,that country and to every prince
and potentate Of earth, the citizen Of France
naturalized here, owes allegiance. by our
laws to the, United States, and has renoun-
ced allegiance to France She ought not
to claim. allegiance Of our citizens against
our laws. # = s2 a'' = ~ iAa'
Again The naturalized citizen not on
y renounces allegiance, by our law, to his
native country, but by the same law we
adopt him as one Of our citizens to all in
tents ana purposes, and we contract to give
him protection as we give it to our native
born. Naturalization is thus contract be-
tween a subject and sovereign; allegiance
is the consideration On the one hand and
protection is the consideration on the other
The subject swears allegiance to the United
States and the United States promises pro
lection to him. True, the laws Of every
country must prevail in its own jurisdiction.
But this is the Law as to Municipal and
criminal and comm ercial relations, not as to
political. 4 native, or n:.turaliaed citizen
Of the United States, made the same By
their laws, may BE in France and must OBJ
serve the laws there -must pay, for exam
pie, customs and duties or penalties for
BRINE there. But neither the one no more
than the Other is bound to do military duty
there, becadse it's political duty which
relates to allegiance aud not to residence or
soiourment or travel in traisita. In a
word, the naturaliSed may be compelled to
do and observe whatever the native citizen
may be compelled to do ard observe in
France, but 10 more, and So the United
States Fave cofitfacted with hinhi. And po-
litical must BE distinguished from other du-
ties as to either class Of citizens. @iieq-
The old world has never recognized these
American doctrines, but they. are the true
American doctrines, and the United States
is bound to afford protection ii the case sup
posed by Mr. Cass. lie is btt following
Mr.. Everett, and Mr.. Everett followed the
European code ! That code IS diarnetrieally
opposed to ours, and think both Mr.. 1--we
rett and Mr.. Cass wrong They have the
European code ard the United States laws
for authority. Il would protect our nataral-
lied citizens against military service of 9th
,er powers, to tie rttermost ends Of the
earth 2 esias~E @a HT e
Fl z Truly yours, q
'9Es43.98 HENRY a. WISE.
7 A! PRINTER WHO KNEW "JUN1us. The
Pendleton Is. CD Messenger in a sketch Of
the s''Old Stone Meeting House" in that
town, after speaking Of several celebrities
buried in the. graveyard, says:
"Beneatb a cluster Of cedars repose all