Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-06-20
Naturalized Citizens.


Naturalized Citizens.
The letter of Gen Cass to Mr.. Felix lie
Glare, French gentleman residing near
Memphis, Tenn, requesting information as
to the force and virtue Of our naturalization
laws, in case Of adopted citizens returning
to their mother country in time OF war, was
90 unsatisfactory and had SO many contra
dictory constructions put upon it, that the
Department of State has seen ft to make
the views of the Administration known in a
letter to A. V. Hofner, of Cincinnati. The
European States claim, during life, the SER
vices Of persons now within their dominions
and do not recognize any system by which
they may throw of their allegiance to their
native country and become citizens of snoth,
er, and hence would feel disposed to pay no
attention to the laws of the United States in
that respect
The letter to Mr. Holfner is very clear as
to the opinion of the Administration upon
the subject 1t declares that in the case Of a
naturalized citizen returning to the mother
country, no right to make him perform mil
itary duty exists, unless he was in the army
or called into it at the time he left lnsuch
case, our government would not feel CALI
ed upon to interfere. He is then looked up'
on by the country he abandoned as a de-
aerter, as one who owed service that he did
not pay, and it claims the right to make
him perform his undischarged duty when
ever found within the bounds Of their juris.
diction. But, il an emigrant who had never
been summoned to perform military duty
and owAd no service when he came away, is
upon his return, compelled to enter the ar'
my, tho United States would consider it Il
be an overreaching of authority. Our gov
ernmsnt is opposed to the doctrine of per.
petual allegiance and ma intains the right o
eKpstration, and the right to form new po,
liticaI ties elsewhere. This doctrine is no
concurred in by all the European nations
Any native Of France or Russia, now re
turning, would run the risk of being force
into the army, and even if our governmen
should interfere, it would be unable to pro
cure his release, until after long period {
time had elapsed, ifit could procure it a
all 1t would be the part of prudenc,
therefore, for naturalized citizens from eth
or of the above mentioned countries not |
return during the present war, unless des
rous Of rendering assistance to the arms {
their copntrymen. In time OF peace, whe
soldiers are needed only to keep up tn
standing army; they would incur no da nge
but during the present contest which wi
call forth hundreds of thousands of soldi e,
they might be compelled to enter the arm
by eOnseriptiOn.
AS there is no international law upo
the subject, those governments would un
doubtedly insist upon the right claimed b
them, and the persons would be withor
remedy. II is easy to say that our govern
nent woyld not permit this /; that she woul
not suffer the rights of her acknowledge
citizens to be trNmpled upon, but would 5
to war, as she did with Great Britain
1872. Even II she did it would be but litt
avail to the citizen himself, for before negt
tiations could be entered into he might /
forced into battle, killed, wounded or throw
into an euemys prison, from which it woul
be impossible for either his native or adop
cd country to rescue him, even if they wer
10 disposed. Such being the state of tb
case, the plain course for foreign born citi
Gems TO pursue, who do not wish to be in
volVsd in such difficulties, is to remain j
the United States until the clouds of wa,
which now hang over Europe; shall have bee
dispersed, upon which occurrence they ca
return in safety. 1t seems to us that III
view taken by the venerable Secretary {
Stats, that our government should not re
cognize any rights which foreign govern
ments claim over our naturalized citizens
the corFeet one, but, as we before stated
there are other nations to consult, and belor
they could be induced TO coincide in on
opinions, We might become involved in wa
and blOOdshed. Accordingly the best pla
our foreign born citizens can adopt is
remain in the United States for the presen
unless sthey are particularly desirous q
joining the armies Of their native cou ntry.-
Should such casually occur, as that of on
Of our adopted citizens being pressed int
service and our government compelled
engage in war on that account the RspubIi
can party would, without doubt, charge Ii
Democratic Administration with being III
sathors Of 1.-The conflict although It is no,
using every effort 10 ward OF any difRcully I
ttsl nniars