Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-06-28

the citiren- He owed no service when he
len, has become na,uraliEed here, and when
be returns, 4 = much undsr our proseetion
as a native CITIZEN Of THE country.
But where he was ia the army IN fact,
or had been ordered % enter h at speci-
fed time, and then to escape from that duty
for any other reason abandoned the country,
he is as much deserter as If he had left the
ranks during the campaign or been in a
pitched battle No matter where he goes or
how long he is absent, he is not released from
the balance Of the service he still owes re-
nouncing his connection with his own gov
ernment and swearing allegiance to another,
viii not free him from IL lie is still sub
ject 10 military duty, and in the event Of his
going back, it may not only be required Of
him, but he may be made to suffer any
penalty the laws Of the country choose to in,
flict How is il in this country? Il sol-
der desert in time of peace, even, from the
barracks or fort where ho is stationed, he
may be seized and punished il discovered
afterwards, no matter how long time may
have elapsed.
Instances have occurred where deserting
soldiers have been seized twenty Eve or thir-
ty years afterward and compelled to under
20 army discipline. No questions are ask
ed. It is not demanded where he has been
or wha. doing. He may have been out Of
the United States during the whole time, may
have connected himself with another gov
ernmen and sworn allegiance thereto, but
all this will not save him His declaring
that he is no longer an American citizen but
is subject TO another power will not avail
him. His protestations viii all be unheed,
ed aud be will be compelled to suffer the
punishment IL is sufficient that il be prov>
ed, that he abandoned the army owing milii
tary duty, to justify imprisonment in the
guard house, the inAiction of the requisite
number Of lashes and drumming out Of camp.
A man escaping from military service in
European country, and fleeing to his,wOuld
in case Of q return, lay himself liable to sim.
liar treatment its proportion Of course bee
ing according to the magnitude Of the Of
fence. If he had been simply drafted into
the army, he would be compelled to perform
the service, debt he would be as much in
duty bound to pay, as any other debt he
might have contracted before he ebsconded
and left the country. 1t is frequently de-
clared, that the late war with Great Britain
was caused by the same course on the part
Of England, that Gen. Cass would appear to
sanction on the part of any European gov,
eminent in the present war. The principles
involved are entirely different In 1912,
Great Britain violated the sanctity of the
American flag She entered our territory,
boarded and searched our vessels on the high
seas, and took from thence men whom she
claimed as deserters from her army and ma
Wy. Such method on the part of any for
eign nation now, would hurry this country
into contest as it did then, and it is only
when the capture of any deserter or one ow,
ing an undisoharged service takes place be-
yond the boundsriesspf the United States or
from under the protection of our flag, that
our government would refuse to interfere.