Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-07-01
NUMBER 32.
American Citizenship.

We arc pleased to observe that the views
we have already expressed in the Times
in regard to the duty of our government
to protect the paturalized citizen upon his
return to his native country, are fully and
exactly sustained by an able writer in
Harper's Weekly, of New York. There
can be no mistake in reference to the
sentiments of the American people upon
this point. The feeling is unanimous
against the strange decision of our Secre-
tary of State We learn, however, that a
document is preparing which will embody
fully and particularly the grounds upon
which we shall insist during the European
conflict:
In other words, the title of an Amcri-
can citizen, which is held out as an in
ducement to foreigners to settle in this
country, is mere empty distinction, IN
volving, it is true, allegiance and loyalty
on the one side, but no such thing as pro-
lection on the other Outside the limits
of the United States it cannot shield its
bearer from outrage and oppression by
foreign despots. At the very time at
w.sich we write an American citizen.
useful and highly respected merchant of
Iowa, who lately visited Prussia his
birth -place-to see some relatives, is scrv-
ing compulsory term of service in the
Prussian army without a word of remons-
trance from our Government
| 1t will be with curious feelings that the
future biographer of Lewis Cass will say
that, after life of CONSPICUOUS honor, aud
active devotion to the interests of his
country, he crowned his career by ingraft-
ing on the policy of the United States tho
principle that the naturalization law is
mockery, and that this nation can not
afford to protect its citizens abroad
lie will observe-this biographer-t that
Mr.. Cass want of spirit in this matter was
the more remarkable, as his duty was
clear and its execution easy The Con-
stitution and the laws know no distinction
between native and naturalized citizens.
They are all citizens-that word comprises
everything. The modern quibble, that
foreigner must have fulfilled his obliga-
tons to his native country before present
ing himself for naturalization here, is in
consistent both with law and with common
sense. No word of obligations to foreign
States is to be found in the naturalization
law.
1T the doctrine be accepted that no
foreign born citizen can be protected who
has not fulfilled the services which his
native State may choose to exact from its
people, then this country was in the wrong
and Great Britain in the right, in the con-
troversy of 1S13 for the service which
Great Britain exacts from her people is
perpetual allegiance. IF Mr. Csss be
right declinning to protect citizens Of
French or German birth against the con-
scrtption, neither can he Justify the gov
ernment of Madison in denying the right
of the British to shoot the Irishmcn taken
under General Scott. The principle is
the same in both cases Great Britain
exacts life of allegiance from her natives,
as Germany and France exact SO many
years military service from theirs; if we
are to respect the one we must also respect
the other. Under the policy of Mr Cass,
every British born citizen in the country
might be shot as a traitor if, in the event
of war with England, they served under
the American flag, Naturalization, in
fact, under this reading of the law, be-
comes a farce.
The true idea of the naturalization law
OF the United States is, that every man
has, on reaching his majority, a right to
select his country Irrespective of the ac-
cident of his birth, and that by doing so
the transfer which foreigner makes of
his allegiance to the land of his adoption
is thorough, complete and final This
idea is necessary and legitimate conse-
quence of the great Democratic principle
on which all our institutions and all our
liberties are based. The recognition by
our Government of the pains and penal
ties imposed by foreign potcntatcs on those
who have had the misfortune to be born
in their dominions gives tho lie to our
whole political system, and involves a de-
nial of the first pr positions in the Dec
laration Of Independence.