Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-08-09
Naturalizatiorl 81 Forsigaers.

partment, which we now lay before out
readers is an exposition embracing the
views Of the President aud his entire
Cabinet. and because there has been sd
ffInuch misintsrpretation and fmisrapresen-
tation on this question l:
Extract Of 9 DispatcA from ksB Depart
i mem Of State. to. ne Ninisttr }of TIE
4 United States al Berlin, dated Juiy g,
i s4l859. H
i The right Of expatriation cannot. At this
/ day, be doubted or denied 10 the United
q States. The idea has been repndiated
lever since The origin Of ourgovsrnment,
that a man is bound ta remain forever in
/ the country Of his birth. and that he has
4 np right to exercise his free will and CON
suit his own happiness by5selecting anew
j home. The Observation-Disclosures onipub-
| LIE law recognize the right pf1 expatria
ton. This can only bel contested by
those who in the nineteeath century. are
Il still devoted to the ancient teudal law.
! with all its oppression. The doctrine Of
perpetual allegiance is relic of3bafbarlsm
4 which has been gradually disappearing
4 from Christendom during the last CEN
tury. Ell II:
The Constitution Of the United States
Erecognizessthe natural right of expatria-
ttidn, BY conferring upon Congress the.
power Il to establish uniform rule O.
naturalizrtion.'h Indeed It was ONE Of
1.-The grievances alledged against ths Britf
ISL King in the Declaration Of Independ
ence that he had n endeayorea to prevent
1.-The population Of these States-4-for that
purpose obstructing the laws Of natural
! fzatioa Of foreigners, refsingt pas 9TH
ers, to encourage their migration hiihfr."
&C., &c. The Constitution thus clearly
recognizes the principle of repatriation,
in the strongest manner. It would have.
been inconsistentfin itself and unyorihy
of The character OF the authors Of that in
strament to4hold out Inducements To- for
Ieighers 10 abandon their native land, to
renpunce the allegianee to their native.
government. and to become citizanstof the.
/ United States, if they had not been CON
WINGED Of the absolute and unconditional
righ, Of expstriation. Congress- has uni
fornly acted upon this principle ever
since the commencement Of the federal
| government. They established ~ uni
! form rule of naturalization Z nearly sew
! enty years ago. There hsts since heen no
period in our history when laws foF this
purpose did not exist though their pro
visions have undergone successive chan:
ges.l The alien, in order TO become n Cit
izdn, must declare oh oath pr aflirrnatiye
Eth4tha will support the Cpnstitutipn Of
THE United States and at the sameFtime
hhefis required to absolutely and entirely
I.renounce and adjure all allegiance ana f.
deity to every foreign prince, Epotentate,
State or Sovereignty whatever and par:
Eticularly,, by name, the prince, potentate,
State Or Sovereignty whereof he4 was be-
fore h citizen. E|5
Tie exercise Of tile right of naturaliza,
ton. and the consequent Reorganization t5f
the principle of.expatriation,, Are moi coh-4
fined TO the government of the Uuiied
States. There is not a couhtry in Europe
at The present moment. where the law
does not authorized the NATURALIZATION Of
foreigners in one form or other. Indeed
sia some Of thesaicountries this law id more
liberal than our own towards foreigners.
i The question then arises, what right do
dur laws confer upon a foreigneraby grant
ing him naturalization 2 i answer, all
I the rights. privileges and inmunities
which belong to native born citizen, in
! their full extent. with the single qu;fIili
) cation that, under the Constitution, 7 nc
J person except natural born citizen is
eligible to the effice Of President" Will
this exception, the naturalized citizen
from and after the date of his naturaliza
: lion, both at home and abroad, is places
I upon the same footing with 4 native borr
ciEizen. He is neither in a better Or :
worse condition. fla native born either
: eliosss to take up bis residence III a5for
eigneountry for the purpose Of adyanc
! ing His fortune or promoting his happi
: nets, bells, whilst there. bound to ODE,
! I itsE municipal laws equally with thdseswh'
: have lived in it all their lives. He goe
! abrosd with his eyes open and il thes
i laws be arbitrary and unjust, he has eho
!, EseA to abide by the consequences. |
: they are administered with equal spiri
: towards himself and towards native sub
! jects, this government has no rightIto u
terfere authoritively ine-his hehalf n
!! do this would be to violate the right Of d
independent nation to legis,ate within it
: Territories. If this government WERE +
undertake such task. we might sooh. b
involved in trouble with nearly the Who'll
3 world. TO protect our citizens agains
I the application Of this principle III uni
= versal law, in its full extent, we hav
q treaties with several nations securing lex
3 emption to American citizens when re
A siding abroad for some Of the onerou
! duties required from their own subjects
: Whers no. such treaty exists and II
L American citizen has committed a Grim
i Or incurred q penalty for violating an
: any municipal law whatever OF tie coun
1 try efhis temporary residence, he1is ju:
as liable TO be tried and punished for hi
Il ofense as though be had resided ih
i. from the day of HIS birth. II this has nt
il been done before his departure, and b
3 should voluntarily return under the, sam
& jurisdiction. he may be tried and Punisl
Al ed forfthe otfense upon principles Of un
q yersal law. El# II
II Under such circumstances 10 Perso
Il would think Of contendi1g that an1inte
I mediate residence in his own icpuntr
Il