The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-03-07
Aliens and Exemption

In the amended Enrolment Bill, as
PASSED the House; there Is a clause pro
viding that mo person of foreign birth
who has resided in Che United States To-
three years preceding his arrival at thu
age of twenty-one years, shall be exempt
from enrolment and draft on account o
being an alien"
While it is desirable to include as many
persons as possible among those who arr
liable to the draft, yet We think thai
this new proyiso in the bill is neither
equitable nor judicious Jfaliens should
be taken into the army because they
have been here three years before com
ing to their majority Why shonld they
not equally be liable after residence Of
three years in the United States subse
quent to that event4 What has the age
OF twenty-one years to do with it, one
way or the otherl Itseems radically IN
inst to conscript aliens who have re-
sided in the country during that partic,
ular three years of their existence, and
exempt those who came here when they
were nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, OF
older, have lived here ten, fifteen OF
twenty years, and are thoroughly identi
fed with the country, Lawswhich thus
draw arbitrary distinctions where there
is really no line of difference are always
unpopular, and difficult of enforcement
The number of new men who would be
reachedis comparatively small. Few OF
the male immigrants who land at Castle
Garden Children excepted) are under
eighteen years of age. A great majority
of those about that age, who have ar
rived here during the past three years
have enlisted in the army. Of those
who have been in the country for pc.
riod longer than that, there are probably
few who have not become citizens
Young men emigrating to the United
States usually claim the rights of citi.
zenship at the earliest opportunity. 1t
is among the ranks of immigrants more
advanced ia life thatwe must look for
men who are, and intend always to be,
aliens.
Besides, this question of putting aliens
into the army is very ticklish one. A
large share of Mr., Stewards gigantic di-
plomatic correspondence is devoted to ex-
plantations about, qualifications of, and
retractions from certain acts done in con-
ncction with men being, or claiming to
be, subjects of foreign powers. Thisnew
definition ofwhat constitutes citizenship
will he sure to provoke the hostile inter
probation of jealous sovereigns across
the seas, will add greatly to the severity
OF Mr.. Stewards epistolary tolls, and
may end in a back down on the part OF
our government. a. .i ,ii
The effect of the amended law on i'm
migration will also be injurious for it
willprcscnt Il powerful reason why men
mder twenty years of age should not
depart for America. Immigration is
lowing in now, under the remarkable
Inducements of no fighting, abundant
work, and good pay. Change the first
element OF the proposition to plenty OF
lighting" and The Liverpool and Belfast
vessels will soon mako their hither trips
with few young men of eighteen and un-
der The law will also be misunderstood
abroad rs laws are everywhere by
great numbers Of people. Many persons
intending 10 cmigrato will get the erro-
noous idea that all aliens are subject to
draft. There are men and newspapers III
England, Ireland and Germany Interested
in making out this to be the case. The
talschood once spread abroad can mover
he overtaken.