The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-06-23

him whether. in the event of his visit
ing his native land, France, this Gov
eminent would protect him from i'm
pressment into military service there.
To this enquiry, our worthy Secretary
returned the following answer, which
exhibits the standard of citizenship
adopted by Democratic Administra-
ton: $1,000
DH w..s;ss.. OF s s..r E., .sss, :
To Mr.. Felix bEClrRc, Memphis, Tenn:
SIR Your letter of the 18th, inst,
has been received. In reply / have to
state that it is understood that the
French Government claims military
service from all natives of France who
may be found within its jurisdiction.
Your naturalization in this country will
not exempt from that claim if you
should voluntarily repair thither.
am, Sir, your ob't serv't,
- LEWIS CAss.
This reply has created considerable
surprise, and lead to great deal
of comment, and well it may. tits, to
say the least, strange doctrine, and
one that virtually gives to foreign gov
ernments power over the persons of
American citizens at once inconsistent
with the rights of our own government
We have ever supposed that it was a
settled principle of our Government
that the moment foreign born citizen
is naturalized and adopted as an Amer
lean citizen, that moment he became
entitled to all the rights and privileges
of citizenship owing no more allegi-
ance to his native country than to the
most foreign government on the face
of the earth. If our naturalization
laws do not accomplish this object,
then what in the name of common
sense are they good for? If the nat
uralization of a foreigner will not emit
tie him to the protection of the United
States, both at home and abroad, then
the whole system of naturalization
is a farce and an imposition. Is it the
policy of this government to invite
foreigners to settle here merely for the
purpose of paying taxes, and contrib
utinp to the general wealth and in
crease of population? 1t certainly
appears so from this know-nothing doc
ument of Gen. Cass.
If naturalization means anything at
all, it certainly means that the adopted
citizen is entitled to all the rights of
the native born; that in renouncing his
allegiance, he sewers all amenability to
the laws and usages of his former
government. In receiving him this
Government covenant to preserve and
guarantee to him all these privileges.
No claim of any Foreign Government
should step in between him and his
citizenship, to either prejudice, obstruct
or annihiate it. But here Gen. Cass
opens wide door; it is in effect recog-
nizing the absurd claims of all despot-
isms, "once asubject, always subject"
A confession of this kind is national
humiliation, we might say disgrace.
1t is a surrender, without demand or
challenge, of all that is useful or bene-
fetal to the adopted citizen. 1t is a
total abandonment of the doctrine laid
down in the case of Martin Kozta,
which was hailed by acclamation, as
Just and correct by all parties and all
civilized governments, and places the
government in ludicrous position in
regard to the great fuss we made about
the right Of search as exercised upon
onr vessels by British cruisers for the
purpose of capturing naturalized sailors
born in the British Islands.
We believe, with the Jackson Citizen,
that it is not difficult to understand how
a party which is SO strenuous a sup
porter of the institutions of slavery as
the Democratic party has become, can
so readily sacrifice all the dearest rights
of the naturalized citizens, who from
necessity or convenience may return to
the House of Bondage. If South Caro-
lima may reclaim its subjects who es-
cape to free States, how can she deny
the kindred despotisms of Austria and
France the less arbitrary power of re-
enslaving their subjects when found
upon their soil? tits notable how very
conservative democracy" is becoming
under the federal leadership of James
Buchanan. 1t has abandoned all its
progressive maxims, in both its foreign
and domestic policy. The letter of
Gen. Cass is a practical Illustration OF
the love felt by the Administration for