The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-06-17
General Cass and NaturaIized Citizens
Abroad.

Abroad.
Very recently, citizen Of the United
States by naturalization, q Frenchman
born, wrote to the Secretary of State to
enquire whether, if he should return to
his native land and be compelled to serve
in the army, the United States government
would interfere in his behalf as an AMERI-
CAN citizen2 Gen. CAss said he would
NOT interfere, and limited tbat the safest
plan for the said French-American citizen
to escape trouble, would be to stay where
he is -.
In these partizan times, when natural
lied votes are in demand, it is not strange
that certain individuals came suddenly
&C down" upon the old soldier, statesman
and diplomatist, for backing out of what
they were pleased to call we'll settled
principle-viz that our government is
bound, everywhere, under all circum-
stances, to go as far to protect natu-
rallied, as native born citizens-citing the
cases of the Irish soldiers under General
ScorT, taken prisoners by the English
during the late war,-and the rescue of
KosrA at sea, by Capt. INGRAHAM of the
United States ship st. Louis, KosrA
having been captured by the Austrians in
NEUTRAL port
The National Intelligencer, however,
and Mr.. WHEATON, the highest American
authority on International law, and of the
same political school as the Intelligencer,
hold the same doctrine as Gen. CAss 1t
is astonishing how much common sense
is befogged by party feelings, and how
quickly the mists are blown away by
party authority. The United States, it
seems plain to us, can not take away
from the government of France, or any
other State, what it claims, and has
always claimed as the duty of its native
born subjects, merely by investing them
with all the rights and privileges of our
own people, while here, within the juris-
diction of the United States. The laws
of the United States are of no force in
France, nor are the laws of France in
force in the United States If, therefore,
born subject of France comes here,
and is made an American citizen by our
laws, the process does not, IPso FAcTo,
nullify the laws of France, as bearing
upon him individually, when he returns
to his native country The naturaliza-
ton laws of the United States are in
abeyance when their subject is upon his
native soil, but GOOD EVERYWHERE ELSE,
ABROAD AS AT HOME. That is why the
cases Of KosTA, and of the Irish soldiers
under the national flag, are not parallel
with voluntary return within the juris-
dietion Of ones native land.
Let US take an illustration of the danger
and confusion that would attach to the
doctrine reverse of that held by General
CAss An Indiaman, legal subject of
the Crown Of Great Britain,-bu hating
it with rebellious hatred--comes TO the
United States, throws off his natural ale
glance by an affidavit, takes on new
allegiance, and straightway claims to be
an American citizen in full feather
Hearing that if he returns to his native
land, he goes back as an American citizen
and nothing else, entitled to the protec-
tion Of the United States government, he
commences seditious practices and in
trigues, specially, it may be, to involve
the two nations in trouble, and serve his
own purposes. Is this government to in
terfere by force, if necessary, to rescue
this disturber, and so commit hostilities
or an act of war2 If it were so, every
vagabOnd adventurer would legally have
it in his power to keep two or more nations
continually in hot water, which is an alb
surdity. There is an old legal maxim
applicable to such cases-"DE MINDIs
NON cURAT LEx"-that is, the law does
not notice little matters, although coming
within the purview Of acknowledged prin-
ciples Of action. Something must be
cared for by those personally and imme-
diately interested -" CAvEAT EMPToR"-
you must look out for yourself, or suffer
the consequences of your folly and negli-
gence. We cannot set the vast engine
and machinery of statute, common and
international law, in motion TO kill cat
nor yet to save the life, or avenge the
death, Of valuable dog
Just at this juncture, it would have
been cruel for the Secretary of State of
the United States, to have withheld the
ruth from those Interested Whoever of
our citizens returns to his native land,