Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-07-26

country; that III ne comes here and gets
naturalized before he is drafted why then
we will protect him to the end of the earth,
but if after he is drafted why then be is
not discharged froin bis sovereign's service
indeed-but screened from due fulfilmeDt of
it.. Neither Mr.. Cass nor Attorney General
Black, however, Informs us how the case
would stand if the liability to serve became
mature" in the interval of probation be-
tween the declaration of intention and full
naturalization. By the first theory there is a
conflict of laws. By the second, the conflict
is honestly avoided by the simple process of
caring ua-by declaring that American citizen
ship is not worth button against any claim
OF the original sovereign. But on this third
most ingenious plan, We have partly conflict
OF laws ard partly not; the value OF our ma
turalization is partly controlled by the NUM-
clpal laws OF our right owners, and partly
not II laws should be made in Prussia or
Hanover that every manchild is born a high
private in the army, why in that case every
be babe and sucking is deserter; and de-
sertion says Attorney General Black is a
crime"
And this is actually the case. Every male
child is registered;and if he lives and ,chereper
be lives lin America or elsewhere) his militia
~ seavice is from his birth, and by virtue OF
his birth due TO his sovereign by the NUM-
clpal laws OF Prussia and Hanover. And II
II were not 80 already it would be easy for
the King of Prussia or of Hanover TO make il
so by simple ordinance From that mo-
ment Mr.. Cass and Attorney General Black
are ready to admit that the emigrant is an
absconder and deserter, and ought to be
punished. In this they even go beyond the
injured sovereigns themselves, who do
not punish these returning deserters at all +:
on the contrary they receive them with open
arms, and admit them to their regiment again
as II nothing had happened. To be sure At
torney General Black says
A man may be either exiled or imprisoned
Tor an actual ofiense against the law oil his
country, bnt being born in il is not a crime
for which either punishment can be justly in
1icted
But says the King of Hanover in reply
Certainly not, SRA crime to be born in
Hanover lit is privilege; and so far from
furnishing" my beloved subject l take
him to my bosom again.
1t is by an eternal equivocating juggle be-
tween penalties of crime and political obli-
cations that our worthy Administration at
tempts to throw dust in our eyes.
But the PROJECTIONS of the hud,or Admins
tration doctrine are not exhausted yet. This
opinion of Mr.. Black on the case of Mr..
Ernst arrested in Hanover, beginswith some
of the tallest American sentiment: one begins
July Eagle grasping his thunderbolts and
tapping his broad wings for a swoop upon
the "decrepit" monarcbes of Europe. Here,
for instance, is some capital talk
| A native and naturalized American may
| therefore go forth with equal security over
! every sea and through every land under
| Heaven, including the country in which the
latter was born. Either of them may be
| taken up under a debt contracted or a crime
| ly free from all political obligations to every
| country but their own.
| Well, then, what more does any citizen
want? Surely this is all right. But hold,
| says the Attorney General
If he was a deserter from the army he may
| be punished when he goes back, because de-
sertion is a crime.
| And what constitutes desertion? Or what
is the army? Why the Attorney General can
not tell: he says
What acts are necessary to make him part
of the army-what constitutes the crime of
MILITARY Observation-Disclosures person draft
| ed, cOnscribed or notified, but not actually
serving; may be called desertr, if he fails
| to report himself-these are questions which
need not be discussed until they arise.
And they are questions which, it seems,
| must be determined by the laws of each
| country for itself; so that it may easily be
| supposed how our Attorney General will dis
cuss them when they do arise. In the mean
| time he gives it as his opinion that the Hano-
| verian Government has done wrong
In my opinion the Hanoverian govern
ment cannot Justify the arrest of Mr.. Ernst
| by showing that he emigrated contrary to
the laws of that country, unless il can also
| be proved that the original right of expatria-
| ton depends on the consent of the natural
| sovereign. This last proposition l am sure
| no man can establish.
Mr.. Black, indeed. declares in one placs
| that no local laws of Hanover against emf
| grafton eau avail to make naturalization in
America void as against the King of Han
over; yet admits the validity of the King o.
Hanovers militia laws against an American
| citizen. Why or how American citizenship
is to be good against certain municipal laws
| of Hanover, but must yield to other munich
pal laws of Hanover, the Attorney General
does not explain. He tells us our citizens
must be protected in spite of laws against
emigration, but not protected from the mill
tia laws. Thus he brings the whole question
to that precise state of mnddle in which Il
! seems the object Of the government to in
| volve il.
1t comes 10 this-for many years. then
the United States courts have been in the
habit Of granting naturalization" to men o
| military age from every country OF Europe
| who were known to owe their military ser
vice to some King or Grand Duke; and al
| though that is now admitted by our Amer
| can Statesmen TO be a subsisting obligation
yet this government Jraud,lenay deprives the
natural sovereign of his military subjects, by
inviting them TO come and be American citi
Zens. 1t admits, too, this same American
| government, that if the natural sovereign car
catch them he may rlgbtfully hold them
This is dishonest if they have no right tc
come here. why not give them up under 4
new extradition treaty. America has nc
more right TO shield German or Frenchmar
| of fighting age than to shield a bank robber
and no more right to protect such character
here than in Europe.
Now. you adopted absconders! what dc
you think of yourselves! Do you not begin
to feel somewhat mean? Are you citizens oil
not! But never mind: while you are here
and not caught yet, by your right owners
you can still 20 the polls and vote for the
great National Democratic Party: .hat is, il
the Know Nothings don't waylay you and