The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-07-27

befsceen our Rafuratized and native citizens." "A
How beautifully this opinion Of our Secretary
Of State harmonizes with the Clarions rant of
"proscription, caste, and racew Attorney Gen.
eras Black, speaking upon this subject says, in
regard TO the protection of our citizens in their
rights at home and abroad, ave haze no lao
i0hich diVides them into classes or makes any df
ference ,chaterer beteeen them. A native and a
naturalized American may therefore 60 forth
with equal security, over every sea and through
every land under heaven, including the country
in which the lattor was born"
+. Again, upon the rights of naturalizsd citizens
he also says, "But the most decisive fact which
history records is the course Of the British and
American governments during the war Of 1872.
The Prince Regent proclaimed 1t as his deser-
mination that every native born subject Of the
British Crown, taken prisoner while serving In
the American ranks, should be tried and exeeu-
ted as n traitor TO his lawful Sovereign
This was undoubtedly right according to the
common law doctrine. The King Of England
had not given his assent to the expatriation CT
those people. If the Prince Regent had right
to arrest naturalized Eng lishmen, Scotchmen, or
Irishmen, in Canada las the King Of Hanover
arrested Mr.. Ernst in his dominions), and com
pei them 10 fight for him, he certainly had
right to hang them to fight for him. But Mr..
Madison delicd the whole doctrine and all its
consequences. He Immediately issued acounter
proclamation declaring that if any naturalized
citizen of the United States should BIO put TO
death on the pretencc that he was n British sub
ject, two English prisoners should suffer in like
manner by way of retaliation. The Prince Re-
gents proclamation was never enforced in sim
gle instance. A principle which our govern
ment successfully resisted under such circum-
stances, will scarcely be submitted to now The
application Of these principles to any natural
lied citizen who returns 10 his native country is
simple and easy enough. He is liable, like any
body else, to be arrested for debt a crime, but
he can not rightfully be punished for the non
performance Of q duty which is supposed to grow
out of that allegiance which he has abjured and
renounced. If no was desertcr from the army
dcsertion is crime. On tho other hand if he
was not actually in the army, at the time of his
emigration, but merely liable like other members
Of the State to be called on for his share Of mill
itary duty, which he did not perform, because he
left the country before the time for its perform
anee came round, he can not justly be molested.
Any arrest or detention Of him, on that account,
ought to Be regarded as Craze offence to his
adopted country"
With this authority before us, the best that
can be produced in this government, in fact the
counsel which governs the action Of our nation,
published in all the leading journals of this
country, in order that it may be perfectly IN
derstood by our own native citizens, as well as
foreign born, it is certainly surprising that we
should have journal in our midst so "unpar-
donably ignorant" or else wilfully misreprescnt
the principles of the policy Of our government
towards our naturalized citizens, acted upon in
former years, and now made as clear as the light
of MONDAY. The doctrine Of the Democracy"
to-day, as expounded "by Cass and Buchanan
upon this subject, is the Same as it was in the
days Of Madison, jefferson and jackson. II
has grown bri ght with age. The principle that
punishment follows the known violation of law,
is as old as government itself, and we do not
propose to interfere with the in1ietion Of the pen
alty upon the law violator in any country. If
country, and comes to our shores, we have no
right to punish him for that offence.
We give synopsis of the doctrine as we un-
derstand it, 1t is as follows:
/. Our government may declare that nat
uralzed citizen of the United States can in no
event be put in jeopardy or made liable to the
government of the country from whence he
came for acts done or service due before at the
time of his departure.
2. That the acts of naturalization while 1t
confers upon such newly made citizens all the
rights Of native born persons, can not absolve
him from the liability to punishment for crimes
committed previous, or service actually due at
the time Of his exputriation,
Therefore, such of our naturalizod citizens as
may contemplate visiting Europe, understand
ing their own position at the time Of their de-
parturc, can best judge whether it is prudent for
them to revisit the country Of their birth ut the
present time, and if they do 80 they will know
precisely how much reliance to place upon our
government for protection.
THAT FIFER.-Who does not love to
listen to that good, old fashioned music of
fife and drum, such as used to be dis