M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-08-11

. clHEl NONC IL having lulhNh ull Nu NlANs
the polls were not opened.
Coming back the next morning, we met
some Of the party, who had left Redsticlt
with us the preceding night, scattered all
along the road.
The election was held over, in a month
and Mac and Hall, having decided who sho'd
alone run against Colonel Wadd by horse
race, it was at length decided who should
represent Redstck in the Legislature of the
State. Which of them was selected, remains
for you, dear reader, to find out next week.
NatuTaiized CitiZens--'Ehe Dis
patch of the Secretary of State.
We publish that portion of the dispatch of
Gen. C1ss to our Minister at Berlin, which
explains the policy Of the government of the
United States in case of the impressment of
naturalized citizen in the Prussian army
! Although it would not be frank to say that
. this is merely more full and satisfactory in.
| terpretatiOn OF the letter to Lc Clerk or even
that TO Hofef (Which it is not necessary to
gainsay or establish J it will be found much
more in accordance with public sentiment
than either of those letters. 1t should be well
understood abroad that America has nation
ality, and that her citizens, native or natural
lied, are under her protection; and are amen
able to no foreign government save for crimes
committed within their jurisdiction, and sub
iect to punishment under their municipal reg
ulatiOns:
The moment foreigner becomes natural.
lied his allegiance to his native country is
severed forever lie experiences new 20.
lilicil birth. n broad and impossible line
separates him from his native country. He
is no more responsible for anything he may
say or do, or omit to say or do after assum.
iGg his new character, than fhe had been in
the United States. Should he return to his
native country, he returns us an American
citizen, and in no other character. In order
to entite his original government to punish
him for an oifrnse, this must have been COM
milted whilst lie was subject aud owed allie.
glance to that government. The oiftnse
must have been complete before his eXpatri-
alton. 1t uusL have been of such charac-
ter that he might have been tried and pun.
ished for it at the moment OF his departure.
A future liability to serve in the army will
not be sufficient, because, before the time
can arrive Tor such service, he has changed
his allegiance, and has become a citizen Of
the United States. 1t would be quite absurd
to contend that boy, brought to This coun-
try from foreign country with his father ,
family when but twelve years OF age and
nlturOI2cd here, who should afterwards visit
ths country of his birth when he had become
a man, might then be seized and compeIed
to perform military service, because, if he
had remained there throughout the interyen
ing years aud his lie had been spared, he
would have been bound to perform military
service. To submit to such principle WOO
be to make an olious distinction between
our natur- lized and native citizens. Fer
this reason, in my dispatch to you of May
II, 1858, and again in my letter to Mr. Ilo-
fer oi1he 4th ult., conline the foreign iuris-
diCtion in regard TO our nUtu;alizsd citizens
to such of them as "were in the army or ac-
tually called into it" at the tim, they left
Prussia. That is. to the cause of actual de.
sertiOn or a refusal to enter the army after
having been regularly dra ted and called into
it by the government to which at the time
they owed allegiance. 1t is presumed that
neither OF these presents any difficulty in
point Of principle. II soldier or a sailor
were 10 desert from our army or navy, for
which ofleuse he is liable to q severe punish.
ment, and, after having become naturaized
subject Of another county, should return TO
the United States, it would be singular de-
iense for him to make that he was absolved
from his crime because, after its commission
he had become citizen OF another govern
ment. 1t would be still more strange were
/ that government to iuterpOse in his behalf
| for any such reason. Again, during the last
war with Great Britain, in several Of the
States-I might mention Pennsylvania in
partICulaT--the miiltid-man who was drafted
and called into the service was exposed TO a
severe penalty, if he did not obey the drait
and muster himself intO'the service, or, in de-
/ fault thereof, procure substitute. Suppose
such an individual, after havin. incurred this
penalty, had gone to a foreign country AMI
become naturaIized there aud then returned
to PennSylv ana lis it possible to imagine that
for this reason the arm of the slate GuthOrl.
ties would be paralyzed, and that they could
not exact the penalty! stat these exam.
pies to show more clearly both the extent
and Limitations ofrght'ul lanoverlan jufis-
dlclion in such cases. It's impossibletO to tore
see all the varying circumstances which may
attend cases as they may arise; but it is be-
lieved that che principles laid down may gen.
orally be sufficient to guide your conduct.
1t is to be deeply regretted that the Ger
man governments eynce 50 much tenacity
on this subject. It would be better. far bet
ter, for them, considering the comparatively
small number OF their sub ects who return
TO their dominiOn5 after being nalurdlized IN
this country, not 10 attempt to exact militia
ry service from them. They will prove Il
be most reluctant soldiers. II they violate
any law of their native country during their
visit, they are, o course, amenable like oth'
er American citizens. 1t would be sad
misfortune if, for the sake ofan advantage st
triAing to such governments, they should in
yolye themselves in serious difficulties wi,t
a country so desirous as we are Of niinain'
ing with them the most friendly ralations.-
1t is fortunate that serious difficulties OF lhi,
kind are mainly confined TO the Germ ~
] 1. Al IL r n