The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-30
FUGITIVE SLAVES, FREE NEGROES
AND NATURALIZED CITIZENS

The Sham Democracy, too late, have discov-
cred that they cannot defend the rights of nat
uralized citizens without making palpable to
the world their gross inconsistency in regard
to Slavery. Accordingly, they now openly re-
cant the position they assumed in 1853, in
reference to the koszta case and turn their for
eign-born friends over to the tender mercies OF
European despots, just as they turn over the
fugitive slaves to the discipline of their South
ern masters. 1t will be seen that the States
places the rights of naturalized citizens upon
footing of equality with those of fugitive
slaves
From the Washington States of June 2i.
THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND SUBJECTS,
WHETHER NATIVE OR NATU RALLIED
Whatever reputation Mr.. Bolts may have
earned as statesman has, assuredly, been ru.
inously damaged by his recent New York pub
LEGATION relative to the rights of naturaEzed
citizens.
The amount of ignOrance-for we are willing
to suppose that it is ignorance rather than vii
ful design-that has manifested itself upon this
subject, as expressed through the newspaper
press, is positively marvellous.
In Prussia, every male child is born soldier.
The King has a claim upon him for certain
number of years of military duty, which is just
as valid as the claim of a Nirginian to a slave
child for life is valid by the Constitution of the
Union
If male quits his realm, at whatever age,
without having discharged such duty, he is
ever liable for its performance, either person
ally or by a substitute, upon re-entering the
realm.
No obligations which he can take upon him
self to another country, and protection
which such country can extend to him, can
impair this claim, because it is of anterior ex-
istence
For instance if a male slave of Virginia
one of Mr.. Bottss for instance-were to escape
from his owner, proceed to Prussia, there be-
come subject of the Crown, and subsequently,
return TO Virginia, is it likely that he would be
restored to Prussia upon the demand that he is
Prussian subject?
The notion is too absurd to be entertained by
rational being. odd Virginia would surren-
der her existence before she would surrender
him
Tie cases are identical. So long as the slave
remained under the Jurisdiction of Prussian
law, or out of the confines of the United States,
so long would his master be without remedy
for his wrong and so long as the Prussian, who
owes military service, remains in the United
States, or without the confines of Prussia and
the Germanic Confederation, so long is he se
cure from the exactions of the sovereign in
whose realm he was born.
The notorious Koszta letter, with all its
vague theories and extravagant absurdities, did
not claim that Austria was not competent to de-
eide what duties her former subject owed her,
and what penalties she was authorized to infiict
Tor the on-performance of such duties. 4
Every country has its own system of pruden.
and uUao lima IF Inf IN
attempting to procure a modification of such
system. The sovereign States of this Union,
respectively, will not permit such interference
with their different systems.
Prussia has as undoubted a right to ask us to
abolish Slavery, as we have to ask her to abolish
her requirement that males born within her
limits shall invariably be held responsible, how
ever long the lapse of time, for the performance
OF military duty, if they are to be found within
her Jurisdiction.
" hat reply should we make to Great Britain,
were she to ask US to have the Constitution of
Indiana so modified as to admit free negroes to
reside In that State?
But unfortunately custom has prevailed, of
recent years, of bidding high for the naturalized
influence, and demagoguism is always. in search
oi an agltaung question with which to secure it.
100 often the Government is made innocently
10 pander to its selfish views Look for in
stance, at the Kossuth demonstration. and its
consequent cost.
In the inaugural of Gen. Pierce, it was stated
rather in grandiloquent strain we thought
pretty much in the same sense that Mr.. Web
ster remarked in tho celebrated Hulsemann
letter, that as compared with the United States.
austria was but as patch on the earth's sur
laee-that an American citizen could not wan
eer SO tar from his home that he would not be
!ohoWed by the American flag for his protec-
Ion. This, with the letter of Mr. Marcy to Mr..
hulsemann in relation to the case of Koszta.
caused naturalized citizens, and foreigners who
naa declared their intentions to become such.
" 0eleve that they could go where they pleased