Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-08-27

cognized 1t. England, by recent statute q and
8 Vic.) has established permanent system oi
naturalization in the very teeth of her CON-
mon law rule. France has done the same, and
besides that, has declared in the code Of Ma
poleon (Art ~ that the quality of French
man will be lost by naturalization in foreign
country. There is no Government in Europe
or America which practically denies the right
Here in the United States. the thought of Civ.
ing it up cannot be entertained for moment
Upon that principle this country was popula.
ted. We owe to it our existence as a nation
Ever since our independence we have upheld
and maintained it by every form OfwOrds and
acts. We have consistently promised full and
complete protection to oil persons who should
come here and seek it by renouncing their
natural allegiance and transferring their Ccalty
the whole world Upon tho faith Of that
pledge millions of persons have staked their
most important interests. If We repudiate il
now, or spare one atom Of the power which
may be necessary to redeem it, VIC shall be
guilty of perfidy 50 gross that no American
can witness it without feeling Of lntolcrablC
shame.
Expatriation includes not only emigration
out of ones natural country, but naturaiza'
ton in the country adopted as future resi-
dence. When we prove the right of n man
to expatriatc himself we establish the lawful
authority of the country in which lie settles
to naturalizc him. if the Government plcascs
What, then, is naturalization? There is nc
dispute abont thr meaning oft. The dcriya.
tion Of the word alone makes it plain. All
photographers and, all juriSts define it one
way. In its popular chronological and lawful
sense it signifies HP act ~ 0ioptihga Ionign-
cr anal rlOthing linn ~6H all the pririltytS %
q RGtirc citizen on SWGject.
There can be no doubt that naturalization
does, pro .JaciO, place the native and adopted
citizen in precisely the same relations with
the Government under which they live, except
so far as the express and positive law Of the
country has made distinction in favor Of one
or the other In some countries immigration
has been so encouraged by giving to adopted
citizens certain immuntics aud privileges not
enjoyed by natives. In most, however, pOlit
ical favOrS have gone the other way. Here
none but native can be President. In some
OF our States foreign born citizens are incligi-
bic to the Office Of Governor, and in one O
them they cannot even vote for two years
after they are nAturaliztd. But il these re-
strictions had not been expressly made by
positive enactment, they certainly would moi
have existed.
In regard to the protection of our citizens
in their rights at home and abroad, we have
no law which divides them into classes, OF
makes any difference whatever between them
a native and q naturalized American may
therefore, 20 forth with equal security OveI
every sea and through every land under heav
en-, including the country in which the latter
was born. Either Of them may be taken W
under debt contracted, or a crime committee
by himself; but both are absolutely free from
all political obligations to every country bu
their own. They are both Ofthem American
citizens, and their exclusive allegiance is due
to the Government Of the United States. Ont
of them never did owe fealty elsewhere, ant
the other, at the time Of his naturalization
solemnly and rightfully, in pursuance Of pub
lie law and municipal regulation, threw off
rcnOunccd, and aljurcd forever all allegiance
to every foreign prince, pOtcntate, State MI,
sovereignty whatsoever; and especially TO thai
sovereign whose subject he had previously
been. II this did not work solution ofevery
political tic which bound him to his nativ,
country, then our naturalization laws arc +;
bitter mockcry, and the oath We administer
to foreigners is delusion and q snare.
There have been, and are now, persons Of &
very high reputation, who hold that natu
ralized citizen ought to be protected by thG
Government Of his adopted country every
where except in the country Ofhis birth; but
if he goes there, or is caught within the power
OF his native sovereign, his act Of naturaliza
tion may be treated as mere nullity, and h
will Immediately cease to have the rights o
an American citizens. 1his cannot he true
1t has no foundation to rest upOn land its ad
vOcates do not pretend that it has anyl except
the dogma which denies altogether the righ
of eXpatriatiOn without the consent of his ma
tive sovereign, and that Is untcnablc, as
think have already shown.
Neither is this view supported by tho prac
ticc Of the world. need not say that oul
naturalization laws Hrc opposed to it in their
whole spirit rs well as in their express words
The States Of Eurpc are also practically com
mittcd against it. No Government would al
low one of its subjects to divide his allegiance
between it and another sovereign; for they
all know that no man can serve two masters
In Europe, as well as here, the allegiance de-
m0ndcd Of naturalized resident, must have
been always understood as exclusive. There
uC NdSSo VII ICCOIu, Uub Wuut lew
VIC find, are uniform and clear.
One Albcrti, Frcnchman, naturaliZcd horc
went back and was arrested for 0n otIonsC
against the military law, which none except
French subject could commits but he wa.
discharged when his national character as al
American citizen was shown.
A Mr.. Amthcr, native Bavarian, after be
ing naturalizcd in America, and living here
for many years, determined upon returning t.
his native country, and resuming his Orgina
political status. The Bavarian Government
so far from ignoring his naturalization, cx
pressed doubt whether he could DC rc.adOpt
cd there. But the most decided fact which
history records Is the course of the British
and American Governments during the war o
1919. The Prince Regent proclaimed It as hi.
determination that every native born Subjcc
Of the British Crown taken prisoner while
serving in the American ranks, should bt
tried and executed al traitor to his lawful
sovereign, This was undoubtedly right, &C
cording to tho common law doctrine, The
King Of England hatl-nOt given his assent t.
the cXpatriation Of those people. If the Prince
Regent had right to arrest naturaliHed Eng.
liShmen, Scotchmen or Irishmen, In Canada
las the King of Hanover arrested Mr.. Ernst
in his dOminionsl, and compel them to tght
for him, he certainly had a right to hang then
for fighting against him. But Mr., Madison
denied this whole doctrine and oil its conse
qucnceS He Immediately issued a counter
proclamation, declaring that II any naturaliEet
citizen Of the United States should be put tC
death on the prctencc that he was still Brit
ish subject, two English prisoners should suE