The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-21

/
from some of the onerous duties required from
their own subjects.
whilst these principles cannot be contested,
great care should be taken in their application,
| especially to our naturalzed citizens. The
| moment foreigner becomes naturalized, his
allegiance to his native country is severed for.
| ever. He experiences new political birth. A
broad and impossible line separates him from
his native country. He is no more responsible
| for anything he may say or do, or omit to say
or do, after assuming his new character, than
| if he had been born in the United States
Should he return to his native country, he re-
turns as an American citizen, and in no other
| character"
Could language be stronger or more explicit?
Now, let us contrast this dispatch with the
| lie Clerc letter, which is as follows: n
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May II, 1859
To Mr.. Felir LIE Clerc, Memphis, Tenn:
SIR Your letter of the 18th inst has been
received. In reply have to state that it is I'M
derstood that the French Government claims
military service from all natives of France who
may be found within its jurisdiction. Your
naturalization an this country 1ciH not erempt
yOu from that claim, if you should voluntarily
repair Mither
am, sir, your obedient servant,
LEWIS CAss.
No sort of ingenuity can reconcile these two
documents They take Numerically opposite
positions. In the dispatch quoted above, Gen
eral Cass asserts the rights of naturalzed citi
zens as broadly as Mr.. Bolts himself in his ia
nous New York letter. In the LIE Clerc letter
he says that naturalization in this country will
not exempt Frenchman from the claim of
military duty which the Government of that
Empire makes upon every man born within its
limits. Now, unless Gen. Cass means to say
that the French Government also demands mil
itary duty of all men, whether born on her soil
or not, which would be nonsense, and therefore
not supposable, it is idle for him to say that a
Frenchman naturalized in this country will en-
Joy the same protection while visiting France
that a native American would be entitled to.
Or is General Cass to be understood as assert
ing that this Government will not protect its
native-born citizens against claim of military
service on the part of foreign Governments
We will not believe that the Administration of
Mr.. Buchanan is so humbled in presence of
the great Powers of Europe as to abandon
American citizens to military CONSUMPTION
and yet, if we reject this supposition, the con-
clusion is inevitable that General Cass has per
petrated blunder of which the merest tyro in
diplomacy should be ashamed.
1t is unlucky that the lie Clerc letter has at
tracted so much attention, as there is danger
that it may have been brought to the notice of
e Al
Minister to Berlin, on presenting the case with
which he is charged to the notice of the Prus |
sian Government be confronted with the LIE |
Clerc letter Of General Glass; it will be easier to
imagine than describe the embarrassment un-
der which he will labor.
But, after all, it seems that General Cass has |
no idea of going to war in defence of the rights |
of naturalzed citizens, although he now pro-
fesses to place them on footing of equality
with those of natives. He comes to the follow |
ing most lame and impotent conclusion"
at is to be deeply regretted that the Ger
man Governments evince so much tenacity on |
this subject IL acOuLd be better, far better, for |
them considering the comparatively small num-
Der of their native subjects who return to their |
dominions after being naturalized in this coun-
try not to attempt to exact military service from
them. They will prope 10 be most reluctant
soldiers, If they violate any law of their ma
tive country during their visit, they are, of |
course amenable, like other American citizens
1t would be sad misfortune it, for the sake of |
an advantage so trifing to such Governments,
they should involve themselves in serious diff
culties with country so DESTROYS as we are of
maintaining with them the most friendly rela-
tons. IL rs fortunate that serious difficulties
of this kind are mainly confined to the German
States and especially that the iaIes of Great
Britain do not authorize any compulsory mill
tary service whatever"
General Cass thinks that it would be far bet
ter for the German Governments not to attempt
to exact military duty of their expatriated sub
iects who have become citizens of this country,
not because the american Government wiW be
bound TO protect them against such claim.
Oh no ! that is not IT. 6ut because " THEY WILL
PROVE TO BE MOST RELUCTANT seLpIERsl"
The dear, good old gentleman would on no ac-
count have the German Governments imposed
on in that way
1t is evident that the sum and substance of
this dispatch is simply this it announces what
arguments the Government will urge upon the
attention of foreign Governments, in its nego-
tiations for the release of American citizens
but the coaxing tone of the lastquoted passage
shows clearly that Mr.. Buchanan's Administra-
ton will not insist upon the principles which it
lays down as an ultimatum. 1t will therefore
be far from satisfactory to intelligent foreign
ers; and we perceive that john Mitchers
Southern Citizen applies to it such epithets as
shabby equivocation," whining" &C., and
concludes BY ADVISING the Secretary to write
no more about the business.
But what is to become of the poor fellows
whom General Cass has irreyocably committed
to the doctrine that the condition of natural
lied citizens in this country is identical with
that Of our fugitive slaves in Canada or other !
~