The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-06-25

The Gist OF the Document.
The Cincinnati Commercial, which has
been somewhat puzxled to ascertain the ex-
act ideas intended to be conveyed in the let
ter Of Gen. Cass to Mr.. Hofer, il indeed the
General had well-defned ideas which were
intended to be conveyed, says, truly
"But, however doubtful the sense Of his
letter may appear on first reading, one
thing becomes perfectly clear on searching
review, viz: Mr.. Cass holds that all our nat
uralixed citizens returning to their native
land, revert to the condition which attached
to them at the time Of their departure. he
sbandons them, without remonstrance and
without remorse, to the ruthless despotisms
which claim jurisdiction over them. The ut
most claim ia their behalf as American citi-
sens, which, BY the most liberal oonstruc-
ton can be got out of this letter, 10 that they
are not liable to any duties or penalties
which have accrued since their emigration
Who ever pretended that they wore? 1t is
not the laws Of European tyrants, made since
our foreign born citizens came here, of which
they stand in jeopardy; it is the laws which
existed at the time OF their departure, and
which their former sovereigns are striving to
owed military service to the government; the
government now seeks to revive those laws
against them. to reclaim their lost allegiance,
to ignore their rights Is American citizens,
and to press them into it's army az soldiers
To this audacious claim made upon men who
are &c much citizens OF the United States as
Mr.. Cass himself, and who have visited Eu-
rope on . mere temporary sojourn, with the
full purpose Of return, our Democratic SEQ.
rotary interposes no objection %
OF that fact there can be no question, and
there 10 really no dispute. 1t does leave for
eign-born citizens in position OF inequality
with native citizens, in other respects than
the single instance mentioned BY the Consti-
tuition. 1t leaves them liable to disabilities
which they never assented to; to obliga-
tions which they never assumed, but which
were imposed upon them, and which they
left their native soil partly to avoid; to ar.
bitray,obligations and disabilities which ma.
tive citizens are not and cannot be made liza.
bic to, and to which, If they are to be still
held liable, and are not to be defended in
their desire to avoid, they are not upon tina.
equality with the native-born citizens which
our Constitution and our laws plainly con-
template. Such an inequality the under
standing, the sense and the spirit Of eur peo-
pie will never tolerate. The understanding
OF our people and the plain intent of our
laws is, that the act of naturalization con.
fers upon the recipient all the privileges and
immunities Of native; that among all class
"a recognised as citizens, there is and there
shall be no distinction whatever, except in
that particular respect which the Constitution
has designated. The advocacy of contrary
doctrine 10 one of those acts which will helr
to weaken and disgrace this Administration
in popular esteem, and to destroy the inau.
ence Of its partixans and abettors. And n,
man and no party who assumes and defend,
that position ever can or ever ought to b.
entrusted with the Interpretation of the pub
lie law and the public sentiment, and tn,
chief direction Of the public authority. Their,
is scarcely one sentiment more prominent il
the public mind than the maintenance OF til,
equality, the integrity and the sacredness o
citizenship, and the statesman who hesitate
must 90 down before it.
The Crops.
Our townsman Mr.. S. B. Ayres has just re
turned from an extensive tour through tn
counties Of CLARK, Mo-, and Davis, Appanoos.
Decatur, Wayne, Clark, Lucas, Monroe, War