Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-07-08
aoOIittruI.
ARE OUR NATURALIZED CITIZENS
FUGITIVE SLAVES ;"

to the rights Of naturalzed citizens. IL saws
that whatever reputation Mr. Bolts may have
earned as statesman, has assuredly been
runously damaged by his New York letter
on that subject Hav ng thus summarily de-
molished Mr.. Botts's reputation, the States
pays Its respects to its contemporaries through
out the country by declaring, with character
istic modesty, that 1.-The amount Of ignorance
that has manifested itself on this subject, as
expressed through the newspaper press, is
positively marvellous"
10 is fortunate that there is at least one lu-
mnary in the country capable of dispelling
the clouds Of ignorance that obscure this sub
ject; and fortunate are the inhabitants of the
Federal city, in living within the radius of its
light
The States gives the following oracular ex-
position of the whole subject:
"In Prussia, every male child is born SOL
dier. The King has a claim upon him for a
certain number Of years Of military duty.
which is just as valid as the claim Of Vir-
gnlan to slave child for life is valid by the
Constitution Of the Union
'li male child quits his realm, at whatev-
er age, without having discharged such duty.
he is ever liable for its performance. either
personally or by substitute. upon re-enter-
ing the realm
mo obligations which he can take upon
himself to another country, and no 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.. Botts's, for instance-were to
escape from his owner, proceed to Prussia,
there becomea subject of the Crown. and sub
sequently return to Virginia. is it likely that
he would be restored to Prussia upon the de-
mand that he is Prussian subiecti
The notion is too absurd to be entertain
ed by rational being. Old Virginia would
surrender her existence before she would sur
render him.
The cases are identical. SO long as the
slave remained under the jurisdiction Of Prus-
sian law, or out of the confines of the United
States, so long would his master be without
a 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 secure from the exactions of the
sovereign in whose realm he was born"
This is the doctrine of Mr.. Cass, as illus
trated by the Douglas organ. Upon this
point, at least the Buchanan and Douglas
wings Of the party agree 1t must be truly
consoling to our adopted fellow-citizens to
know that this Democratic Administration re-
CARDS them as mere fugitive Slaves"
The doctrine is, that every subject of for
eign despotism is born sldve, and that this
cannot be changed by anything he
can do for himself, or that our Government
can do for him, although it accepts its allegi-
ance. "No obligations which he can take
upon himself to another country and no pro-
lection which such country can extend to
HIM, can make him a free man, or even ''im-
pair the claim which his master has to his
personal services, in virtue of his having been
horn 10 stapery. True, he may escape from
slavery if he can, and flee to this country,
and here, in pursuance OF our laws, 90 through
the idle ceremony of renouncng his allegi-
ance to his hereditary master, and being de-
clared citizen Of this glorious Republic
Bu' he is only fugitive slave" after ALL
Our Government can afford him no protection
against the claim Of his former master, be-
cause 1t recognises that claim as '.iust as val
i'd as the claim Of Virgnian to slave child
Tor life In fact his condition. according to
The States, is identical" with that of a
runaway Niger that is to say, he is free
ust so long as he can keep out of the clutches
1i his former master, and no longer. If that
master once gets his hand upon him, our Gov
irnment cannot interfere in his behalf not
it has accepted his allegiance,
md made him a citizen.
1t may be considered presumptuous in us
o express a doubt whether a journal which
10 confidently charges the newspaper press"
If the country with manifestng IAN amount
If ignorance on this subiec. that is 'posi-
lively marvellous" is not itself a little OBJ |
cure in its expositions of the same matter
We must, however, have our mind further en-
lghtened' before we can perceive the conclu-
i've force of the following illustrations
"As well might it be pleaded, that If
" Washington absconding debtor were to flee
o Prussia, and there becoming subject of
he King, return to Washington, and in vir-
ne of his naturalization claim exemption of
is creditor, as that native Prussian should /
lead exemption, on account Of his American
naturalization, from the military duty to which
&c was born, if he places himself within the
ale of the realm Of his nativity"
Here, it strikes us, is a strange confusion
I ideas, for an oracle to fall into) relative to
bligations arising out of natural allegiance,
nd those which have their origin in uolunta-
y contract. The American doctrine is, that
citizen of any country may expatriate him
elf, and divest himself Of all allegiance to the
ountry Of his birth, and, consequently, of all
bligations founded upon, or growing out of,
nat allegiance. But we never understood
nat it was any part of the American doctrine
nat citizen Of any country, by expatriating
imself, and renouncing his allegiance, could
hereby release himself from an obligation
hich he had assumed by voluntary contract
! his mother country.
The truth is, that Mr.. Cass has led the
tates into this absurdity, by referring to the
htary duty which subjects of foreign Gov
'nments owe to their sovereigns, as it rested
a a different basis from any other duty
bringing from natural allegiance only
here is not the slightest ground for any such
stnction. No man can owe any obligation
duty TO his mother country which is not
unded either upon natural allegiance of some
,luntary act of his own. If a man owe mil /,
ary duty to his sovereign in virtue of having
zen "born a soldier it is clear that it can
1t be an obligation voluntarily assumed by 1.
m, and consequently it can rest on no other
undation than natural allegiance. If, by /;
his allegiance, he can absolye :