The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-07-14

torn from your home, your family, your
business and your all, snd forced, slave
like, to serve in foreign army, at any
moment that business or pleasure calls
you to visit the land Of your nativity.-
Your cries that you are an "Ameficsn citi-
gen" will be of no avail, and your oath OF
allie lepiance to the Govefnme ut of the Uni
ted States was solemn farce. You are
burdened with all the duties of an Amer
loan citizen, without being entitled to any
of his aririleges. You owe allegiance to
the United States and you owe alle-
glance to the country Of your nativity
Hence if you are honored as an Areri-
can citizen, with the position Of Ambassa
dor to your native country, you may be
shocked to find yourself promptly im-
pressed to serve before the mast of Man
of.war, or as private in her army; and
if that government should declare war a.
gainst the United States. you might be
sent back to Jour adopted. country to
fight against your own children and be
executed as traitor by the American
government, or, if you refused to 60, to
be hung like dog, BY the government
of your native country. You have duties
to perform TO taCo masters who are per-
hsps in direct antagonism to each other;
and you have no rights anywhere.
But it is not alone the naturaheed cit
izens who are interested 10 this question
1t is one in which euery American citizen
is concerned, for it is question that lies
at the very foundation of our government.
The ruling of Mr.. Cass would derauge all
the machinery of our State, and leave US
with broken wheels and pistons on stor-
my sea. Every Office Of the government
below that of President is liable to be
filed with paturalized citizens; large
proportion of our army and navy-prob
ably half at least-is composed Of natu-
rallied citizens Now under the promul-
CATION of Mr.. Cass, every Government Of
ficer in the United States except the Chief
Magistrate, is liable to be impressed into
foreign service at any moment that he
leaves, for any purpose, these shores; and
perhaps that service may be directed a.
ganst his own home and offspring.
If We go to war with any foreign pow
er. and Dispatch an army into their do
minions, our soldiers have the cheering
prospect of being tried and hung as trail
tors, if by any Of the chances of war they
fall into the hands of the enemy.
10 times of peace, our merchant ships
are liable to be unnamed in mid ocean
by some "allegiance" claiming govern
ment. In such case, the war of 1917,
arising from this very question, was in
vain, and the valuable lives and property
then destroyed iu contendiDg for and es-
tablisbing great principle, were destlo oy-
ed for naugbt.
Thus intimately is this question Of al
legiance interwoven with the interests OF
this government And yet Mr. Cass ha.
voluntarily sDd gratuitously given away
the dearestrights and privileges of large
proportion of our citizens; he has surren.
derered to foreign powers, what they have
not even asked. England formerly
claimed perpetual allegiance from all IA
native born subjects wherever found; and
denied their right to absolve themselves
from that allegiance. This led to the
war of 1912, since which time, even she,
proud and exacting as she il, has not at
tempted to enforce this claim; and We
believe she does not pretend to exercise
any authority over citizens who have vol
untrily expatriated themselves, and sworn
allegiance to another government.
Bot Mr.. Cass would concede everything;
it remains to be seen whether the free
citizens of this republic will stand idly
by. with their fingers in their mouths and
suffer their rights and liberties thus to be
trampled upon.