The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-07-23
Gov, Wise OH the Rights of Naturalizcd
Citizens.
ri r 1Iu.... :, +ba la+tor nf Governor

Citizens.
The following is the letter of Governor
| Wise on the naturalization question:
RICHMOND, June l6, 1859.
To MAJ L. Mayer. Esq: Absence has de-
layed my reply to yours of the 10th inst.
I have not time to elaborate an opinion upon
the letter of Gen. Cass, dated Washington,
Nav II, 1859, addressed to MIR. Felix LIE
Clere, of Memphis, Tenn, saying to him,
" Your naturalization in this country will not
exempt you from that claim" 1.-THE claim OF
the f''rench Government to military service
from all natives of France who may be f-'nd
within its jurisdic,ion) "if you should volup-
,arilv repnir tlither.'' Ito France.)
NV opinion is, that this concession by our
Government is an abandonment Of one Of the
most precious American doctrines ever estab-
lisbed by our patriots for q free people. And
rF-~.tbat a Deme5e attic Administration has
nkt 9S9 it as laid d ";n by its Wing piLde-
cessAYt oonahe Dew' ument of State, Mr.. Ed.
ward Asagoir, dix rowing the authority OF
The UniteeGS.ea'e a nTssjirst established the right
of expatriatio,ii%, ,el H@ fEatpe solemn ceremony of
naturalization, investing foreigners with citi-
zenship, binding them to allegiance, aud con
%trae,j,g to civts them protection whenever by
oath and residence they should beupme as ma
tive born. The old despotisms ED to the
MAXIM Once a citizen always a citizen"
The new republic set up u new refuge OF no
ertv, and asserted that birth and nativity
should not limit the rights of man. She estab-
Iished " naturalization y Of those who choose
to expatriate themselves. 1t was for his 3
declared The last war with Great Britain. She
Claimed the right TO seize her native citizens on
board our ships. This we fought to resist.
We said that when her natives re once
natnralized here, they became as if tn~ were
native born. Tina, is, in fact~athe meaning Of
generalization; we'l, p~Es9"'a d. no" ,,a permit son1d
not permit her 10 seize The naturalizcd citizens
Of America, for the reason that naturalization
put them on the footing Of native borne
Again, Mr.. Cass may say that he limits the
case to those who Voluntarily go TO France
and are natives Of that country. Bnt lie ad-
mits there, within her jurisdiction, the claim 10
military service.
Now, military Service is u political duty.
belonging wherever allegiance is due and in
asmuch as We SCAR by an oath the native of
France natnralized here to renounce E siance
to that country. and to every prince and po-
tenta'e on earth. the citizen of France, natural
lied here, owes allegiance, by our laws, to the
United States, and has renowned allegiance TO
France. She ought mt TO claim allegiance of
~, citizens ~aainst our laws. Again: The
natHraiized citizen not only renonnces ALE
glance, by our law, to his native country, bnt
by the same law we adopt hinras one Of our
citizens to all intents and purposes, and We
to give him protection as we give it
to orr native born. Naturalization is thus a
contract between a subject and a sovereign
allegiance is the consideration on the one hand
and protection is consideration on the other.
The subject swears allegiance to the United
States, and IL United States Ilomises protec-
ton TO him. Thus, the laws Of every coCntry
must prevail in its own jurisdiction. But this
is law as to municipal and criminal and CON-
merclal relations, not as to political. A native
or natnra!ized citizen of the United States,
made the same by their laws, may be in France
and must observe the laws there-nust pay,
example. customs and duties or penalties
FIR crime there. But neither the one no more
the other is bound to do military duty
there, because it is a political duty which re-
to allegiance, and not to residence or
s"jonrnnent or travel in %transitu. To a word.
the natnralized may be compelled to do and
observe what, yer the native citizen NAV be
compelled to d. and observe in France, but no
more and so the United States have con-
tracted with him. And political must be dis
1ingnished from other duties as to either class
of citizens.
The Old World has never recds1ized thoqes
doctrines; but they are tle Az
doctrines, and the United STATE and
bound to afford protection in the case snppos. BBfs
by Mr.. tass. Tie is but following Mr.. Everett
aud Mr.. Everett followed the Eur pean cod, o
That code is dramatically oppored to oars,
aud | think hds1i Mr.. Everett ard Mr.. Cass" 4
wrong. They have the European codetand l..
he United States laws for authority. would
our ,atnralized citizens against mill
AIRY service of other powers, to the uitermost
'lids cf the earth. HENRY A. WISE.