The Nevada Democrat., 1859-08-03
THE NATURALIZATION QUESTION.
Letter from Edmund Randolph.

Letter from Edmund Randolph.
Twenty seven naturalized citizens of San
Francisco, addressed note to Mr.. Randolph
the anti-Lecompton Democratic candidate fol
Attorney General, requesting his opinion on
the position assumed by the Administrator
that the fact of naturalization of foreign. born
citizen will not exempt him from military ser.
vice in his native country, should be volunta.
riiy repair thther. The following is Mr.. Ran.
dolph's reply: F''
I SAN FRANcIsce, July oath 1889.
| GENTLEMEN :--In reply to your very latter
ing communication of the 22d inst. have to
say, that have carefully. examined the two
letters Of the Secretary Of State, Mr. Cass, to
which you refer me, aud am unable TO discover
in them any substantial assurance that our
Government will, 10 any case, protect the per-
sons of uaturalized citizeus who voluntarily re-
turn to the country of their birth.
In the letter to Mr.. lie Clerc Mr.. Cass an.
nounces distinctly that naturalization In the
United States will not exempt a citizen from
ferced military service to the foreign govern
ment which still claims him us a subject; and in
that to Mr.. Hofer he goes no further than TO
declare that this government would regard the
impressment by foreign government o. one
of our naturalized citizens, against whom no
present liability TO military service existed at
the time OF his emigration, as an act unjust in
itself aud unfriendly towards the United States.
II is certain that mere naked declaration Of
this sort will meet with no respect from any
consderate power on earth, and as there is no
intimation how far our government would feel
under obligation to resent injustice aud un-
| rriendliness of this description, no prudent
man can venture TO expose himself to eny dan
ger upon the strength of any such assurance,
and the preference between the letters must be
awarded TO the first, as the more candid of the
two. Taken together, they can be practically
construed to mean only that the government
declines to give any promise Of protection
whatsoever, and to amount to nothing more
than u general official notice to all of our nat
uralzed citizens to remain at home. That
idea is indeed very plain y conveyed In terms
by the letter to Mr.. Hofer.
But if, in place Of this feeble, uncertain and
evasive intimation, there was positive pledge
of elicacious protection, the conditions with
which it is coupled would render II wholly iu-
adequate to the exigences OF the times and in
commensurate with the vast extent OF the evil
at this moment too justly to be apprehaDded.
We are not told what the Secretary under
stands by present existing obligation out
standing against the naturaliZed citZen at the
time OF his emigration. And in our own coun.
try 10 less than in Europe il is to day under.
stood. as ii has been by all men iu all ages,
that preseut existing liability to render mill
tary service to mans country begins with his
birth aud continues SO long as be has strength
TO bear arms In its defense. The summons to
the ranks is not, nor ever was regarded as the
beginning of that liability, but the appointment
of the time, place, and manner of ills discharge.
A levy or couscription does not imIote but col
lects the debt. The American doctrine On this
subject differs from the European only in that
&C hold that man may, by his own act, re-
lease bimsclf from this obligation TO bis native
country aud assume it towards the country OF
his adoption, aud, being then naturalized, be-
come in every respect as one born upon the
soil. We cannot deny that, at the moment Of
his emigration, every naturaliZed citizen was
under present existing obligation to render
military service to his country whenever he
might be called upon to do 80, and unless we
maintain that this obligation has been wholly
dissolved by naturalization, we have no resource
but to admit that it still subslsts in all its force
against every individual citizen Of that class in
the United States.
Again we are reminded by Mr.. Cass himself,
that 10 some European countries, as in France,
by general law and as a permanent constitution
Of the country every male child at the hour of
its birth incurs an immediate liability to abide
the decision of q lottery to be drawn at future
day, 20 determine whether or not be shall be
enrolled in the army; while ia others, as In
Prussia, every male child incurs the uncondi-
Iional obligation TO take his turn as q soldier
for certain number of years. Laying out Of
view, therefore, tue general liability Of every
man to serve bis country whenever called upon
by his Government, we Ind that every man who
has become a naturalized citizen, in the one
4. - IL sol,. Ia sk.. l.f
terry aud complied with its decision, if against
him; aud, in the other case, before he has fully
served out the whole of his inevitable term, will
stand in the same category Of those who were
already enrolled in the military service, or had
been actually called into that service, under
the operation of positive laws existing at the
time of his emigration. This would be present
existing liability against the emigrant Mr.. Cass
gives the consent Of this Government that the
Governments of Europe shall enforce that ob
cation against the natnralized citizens Of the
United States. 1t will embrace the flower Of
the youth Of that portion OF our people, for our
laws grant peculiar facilities for their natural-
izatfon; the naturalization of the father makes
citizens Of bis minor children The emigrant,
under eighteen wears of age, is not required to
make preliminary declaration OF his intea
tions: these young men on the threshold or life,
are those who, perhaps to complete their studies
al the universities or voyaging for business or
pleasure, or drawn by the ties Of family, are
most apt TO return, voluntarily, to their native
country and they are also the material with
which the belligerent Governments Of Europe
will most desire to replenish their exhausted
ranks. and may do so with the consent OF our
Government profered in ADVANCE, with most
lamentable readiness,
Such appears to me to be the doctrine Of the
letters of our Secretary Of State, when viewed
10 the most favorable light. My feelingsr revolt
at it. To my mind it is a craven and abject
policy. based upon unworthy fears; sacrifice
of the most essential rights Of the citizen, and
an abandonment Of the most important function
of Government, and therein blow at the exis.
tence of the Government. We're II suffered to
run out to its shameful results, the United States
neither could. nor ought to continue to exist as
a nation. Our country would be no longer a
country. but a political Alsatia, where the Eu-
ropean refugee under the alias of American
citizenship might skulk in safety, but whose
limits he could not pass without being subject
ao ~ tg ~ fuI cfa A nd n