Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-01
Letter nom Hon. John Nj. Bolts on Ameii'
Natuiali oil Citizenship.

A>1uK Hor,r, \. y,
June H. 1889.
GrnHrmsn:-l our very acceptable anu
gratifying letter, inviting me, III behai vi
man, citizens who desire 10 meet me- III"
may paItake Of public dinner To pe s'T
en iii this city, a. II testimonial 81 Their
probation Of the views presented by me
inv late letter on the claim. OF our ad"lf'
citizens t. the protection of the goTh q
ment, was handed lie at II late houI"
evening. I,pa- J
feel profoundly sensible OF the hos
tons which the gener"u- offer Ut w., me
pitality and respect has imposed e."
but which hope to be pardoned ost
respectfully declining, -tir>t, because my
letter was not written with any view IL
get up political feeling Tor selfish purpo-
se-, which the acceptance "t pnhll; dinner
would seem t" indicate; and SECONDLY De-
cause have been already more than lie
wardrd III having been All humble instIu.
ment, IN Your hands, whereby the original
views ui this administration have been not
T only forced to undergo IA material mudltirn-
ton bur have been IN part abandoned, al
though they have not Vet entirely assumed
that ''c"npietiOn IL rhi't they must c0ntc at
hd"
The Secretary of State has delrrnird from
the platform upon which the letter Ia be
Clrrr had placed him, aud has lett thoar
parties that We're IN hot haste I" sustain
him standing all alone III their glory; but
he has not Vet aSrrnird the platform which
every true American will occupy, and which
the public Voice Of the country will require
him To stand Gymiy upon, without equiSo-
cation or explanation; or the adminNtrn-
ton, Of which h- IL the organ, will hr Over
wlielmed with their indignation and rrbukr.
Whether the supporters Of his L. Clrrc
position will war upon that winch he now
occupies. or follow him III the various
changes, OK plantations, and Gradatlons through
which il il his destiny IL pass, we shall
see anon At all events the sudden and
uneX pccted transition al the Secretary VIII
relieve me OF all necessity for meeting
their hastily rnncmttrd criticisms on my own
position. and shall leave that matter I" be
settled between themselves and the Serre-
turv.
The questions involved are of such mag
ntudc that | hope may BE- pardoned l"r
awaiting myself ul this OCCASION Tor lar
thrr bur bret ulusinn to the subject, espe
cmlly as do not wish 10 appear III the
public prints more frequently than absolute
necessity may require.
The letter addressed to me- asking my
views on the subject, wa" dated on the llth:
INV answer was written on the Eth, but
dated aud delivered 81, the 18th, and Oh
the evening Of that day | was advised that
I Geographic despatch or letter II am not
sure which, had been Gent 10 the Secretn-
/, nv of State, informing HIM "t The nature 81
the correspondence about t" be- published,
and admUnishing HIM OF the necessity ior
making some explanation OF modification
= of the grounds taken in his letter I" lie
:, Clerc," aud this accounts Tor the rxPlanat"-
~ sna:ial despntch sent t. the Herald IN
! stead Of Mr.. iloter, in Cincinnati, to whom
il protrs,.s "a have been written, and wh"h
appeared in thal&ape smnI'eousiy WITH
my letter
~ thus explanatory letter the Secretary
SAYS: This government IS "Ppo$ed Z" me
dort,inc Of perpetual ~1cg'd"rr, and man. Z.
tains the ijght Of crpdttidii0n, and Me ryhf
to t1,m ncr potiticd ties elsewhere, aud that
IN this age of the world the idea of control
ling the citizen in the choice OF home, aud !
binding him by mere political theory L" IN u.
habit for "A lifetime country he desires
t. leave, can hardly be entertained 10y any
government whatever" Now, this is pre-
ciseIy what | said and is just precisely
what the Secretary denied, In the lie Clerc
letter, to which | replied; and, as matter
If course, the perpetual allegiance referred
to is exactly that which relates t" the obli-
eutons Of all naturaliAcd citizens t" ac- ,
knowledge an allegiance they have renonn-
ced, and perform military service, II reqnir- |
ed, against the country Vi their adopti'n'
which they have sworn t" defend i"r uh- "
ill they have assumed thi. new obligation,
We have no right or disposition u interfere
So far then, 50 well; and it would have been |,
better if the Secretary had stopped at that
point; but he goes on with what | must lie
parlonel for saying is an lncomprehehSibie :
conglomeration of Inconsistencies ana con q
traiictions, wholly irreconcileablo with that
portion of the letter already quoted, the pre- !,
else intent of which cannot he very well an !
derstood, unless indeed it is intended 10 mys-
tify and coniound. lie next says: !
The position Of the 1. ). is that natulaii-
zed citizens, returning to the country III their
birth are not liable to any duties Or penal
ties, except such rs were existing at the pc :
Rod of their emigration And here the
Secretary again falls back upon the doctrine ,
If tbe lie Clerc letter aud recognizes that .
ncruetual allegiance to the native country,
which he had the moment before denied
But this view Of the subject Is again quail
fed by the declaration that II at the time OF .
their emigration, they were III the army or :
actually called into it, such emigration ana
naturalization do hot exempt them from the .
legal penalty which they incurred ." me"
drsr,f;ou, if they afterwards place themselves ,
voluntarily within the local luris ilttIon,
&c | have not understood that Mr.. lie
Cierc wasa ..'deHr,te,," On had otherwise 0t-
Tended against the criminal code II the
French Empire, and yet he was ANSWERED.
Your naturalization ~ this country VIII :
not exempt YOU from that claIm ct military
service shyudyyu voluntarily repair thlth'
er" =.
As a matter of course, If an adopted ciu-
zen had incurred penalties III his naive
land by descrtion. murder, arson, robbery,
ar other offence. be wuuld be Just a. liable to
nuni.hment, and no lR"rr 80 than ""ui'
he If, whist abroad, | had committed syn
offences and were to return again an" ian
into the hands Of the proper auth't"..'
Nv native citizenship in the | nh'i ''a,'' Ii
could mt protect me, and "t c"ursr NJ . n'.u
RADIATION would not protect him. an t"s .r