Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-12-05

military and naval officers were directe,
to take all necessary measures for the en-
forcement Of the law. The expeditio,
failed, but it has not been without its pain
full consequences. Soma Of our citizen
who, it was alleged, were engaged in tn
expedition, wore captured, and have beer
brought to trial, a. for capital offense
in the Province Of Canada. Judgmen
and sentence Of death have been pro
nounced against some, while others havs
been acquitted.
Fully believing in the maxim Of govern
ment that severity Of civil punishment fol
misguided persons who have engaged h
revolutionary attempts which have dis
astrously failed, is unsound and unwise
such representations have been made tc
the British Government, In behalf OF the
convicted persons, as, being sustained BY
an enlightened and humane Judgment, will
It is hoped, induce in their cases an exer.
else of clemency, and . judicious amnesty
to all who were engaged in the movement
Counsel has been employed by the Gov
eminent to defend citizens Of the United
States on trial for capital offences In Can
ada !; and discontinuance of the prose
cutions which were Instituted In tho courti
Of the United States against those who
took part in the expedition, has been di-
rected.
RKAsoEs FOR sUPPRRssINa TIE MOVEMENT
AGAINST CANADA.
| have regarded the expedition a. no,
only political In its nature, but a. also In q
great measure foreign from the United
States in its causes, character and objects
The attempt was understood to be made
in sympathy with an insurgent party in
Ireland, aad, by striking at British Prov
ince on this Continent was designed to aid
In obtaining redress for political grievances
which, 1t was assumed, the people Of Ire
land bad suffered at the hands Of the Brit
ish Government during period of several
centuries. The persons engaged in it were
chiefly natives Of that country, some of
whom had, while others had not, become
citizens Of the United States under our
general laws of naturalization.
Complaints of misgovernment in Ireland
continually engaged the attention Of the
British nation; so great an agitation is now
in Ireland that the British Gov
have deemed it necessary to sus-
pend the writ of habeas corpus in that
These circumstances must neces-
sarily modify the opinion which We might
otherwise have entertained in regard TO an
expedition expressly prohibited by our
neutrality laws. So long as those laws re-
main upon our statute books, they should
be faithfully executed, and If they operate
unjustly, or oppressively, Con-
gress alone can apply the remedy, by their
or repeal.
Political and commercial interests Of the
United States are not unlikely to be af-
fected in soma degree by events which are
in the eastern regions of Eu-
rope, and the time seems 10 have come
when our Government ought to have .
proper diplomatic representation in
Greece.
RIGHT OF sELF-axPArRIArIoS.
This Government has claimed for all
persons not convicted, or accused, as sus-
pected of crime, an absolute political right
of self-expatriation, and choice of new
national allegiance. Most of the European
States have dissented from this principle,
and have claimed the right to hold such of
their subjects as have emigrated to and
been naturslized in the United States, and
Afterwards returned on transient visits to
their native countries to the performance
Of military service in like manner a. resi-
dent subject. Complaints arising from thu
claim In this respect made by foreign States,
have heretofore been matters of controversy
between the United States and some of the
European Powers, and the irritation conse-
quent upon the failure to settle this ques-
ton increased during the war IN which
Prussia, Italy, and Austria were recently
engaged
While Great Britain has never acknowl-
edged the right Of expatriation, she has
not practically insisted upon it. France
has been equally forbearing; and Prussia
has proposed compromiss, which, al
though evincing increased iberality, has
not been accepted BY the United States.
Peace is now prevailing everywhere in
Europe, and the present seems to be q IA
vOrable time for an assertion by Congress
of the principle, so long maintained by the
Executive Department, that naturalization
BY one State fully exempts the native-b born
subject of any other State from the per-
'Ormancs Of military service under any
Foreign Government, 30 long as he does
AOt VOluutdiHl ICuOQuCo 1tS IL5 uo 8uQ
benefits.
TRYING ORDEAL.
In the performance Of q duty imposed
upon me by the Constitution, have thus
submitted 70 the Representatives of tho
People such Information OF our domestic
and foreign affairs as the public interest
seem to require. Our Government is now
undergoing its most trying ordeal, and my
earnest prayer is, that the peril may be
successfully and finally passed, without
imparing its original strength and SYM
metry. The interests Of the nation are
best TO be promoted By the rivalry Of fra
ternsl relations, the complete obliteration
Of our past differences, and the re-inaugu-
ration Of all the pursuits Of peace.
Directing our efforts to the early accom-
plishment Of these great ends, let US en-
desvOr to preserve harmony between the
departments OF the Govern
ment that each in its proper sphere may
cordially CO operate with the other In Sc
curing the maintainance Of tbs Constitu-
ton, the preservation Of the Union, and
the perpetuity Of our free institutions.
ANDR8w JOHNSON.
Washington, December 5, 1866.