The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-24
Naturalization and Allegiance.

From ne N. y Tribune.
In the recent debate in the Senate on the
rights of naturalized citizens, it is asserted by
Senators Reverdy Johnson, Sumner, and Con-
ness that England claims that her citizens can
not absolve themselves from their allegiance
to Great Britain. We do not regard this as
candid statement of the position taken by Eng
land, and by every European Government ex-
cept France, on this question. No European
Government has claimed the right to interfere
with the exclusive allegiance of our naturalized
citizens to the United States so long as they
remain in the United States. By the war of
1912 we sought to make the effect of naturali-
cation co-extensive with our flag whether on
sea or land. But during none of our wars has
foreign power claimed either the obligation
or the right to shield a naturalized citizen
from any of the liabilities incurred by him as
a citizen of the United States. They have
respected our naturalization laws as the valid
local law within the domain for which they
were enacted. Had they not done so, they
might have utterly demoralized our armies,
and our whole military system, by demanding
the exemption Of our naturalized citizens from
the draft.
Our law for the naturalization Of foreigners,
and the law of any foreign State against the
expatriation of its citizens, are laws of the
same local character-valid within the domain
or under the flag of the power which enacted
them, and not beyond it. We can no more
interfere with the sovereignty of an indepen-
dent European power to restrain it from en-
acting that every person born on its soil shall
be under perpetual allegiance to its govern
ment, than the European power can restrain
us from enacting the terms on which the same
citizen may absolve himself from all oblga-
tions to that power; both rights harmonic,
provided neither power attempts to enforce its
domestic laws within the domain or under the
flag of the other. When Senators declare
that Prussia denies the right of her citizens to
absolve themselves from allegiance, we an
swer, "No she only denies that the law of
the United States under which they so absolve
themselves is in force within the territsry
of Prussia" If, when the citizen leaves
Prussia and enters the United States,
he Sa S9deF ne gtSs, a Why aS eS
| Prussia, does he not come under the law OF
| Prussia? The United States, If they choose,
| may invest every person who lands on our
| shores the moment he lands, and whether his
stay is short or permanent, by act of his own
OF without it, with all the rights and respon-
sibilities of citizenship. Prussia may, if there
are no treaties to prevent, make citizen of
Prussia of any person entering her domain,
whether he is a native or naturalized citizen of
the United States. This is one of the attri-
butes of national sovereignty. If she chooses
to select our naturalzed citizens, and regard
them as citizens of Prussia it is her own affair.
Our citizens whe enter her territory volunta-
rily have notice of the consequences of doing
so, and can no more complain of her law than
those entering the United States can complain
because we require them to reside here five
years before becoming citizens. Can we then
claim the right to make our naturalization
laws binding within the territory of foreign
powers We can best answer this by asking
whether foreign powers can make their laws OF
perpetual allegiance binding within our terri
tory. Certainly not Whatever immunities
we wish to secure to our citizens, whether
native or naturalized, who voluntarily place
themselves under the operation of the local
laws of other countries, must be secured by
treaty. In case of the invasion of his native
country by naturalized citizen serving in the
army of his adopted country, he would be at
once under the conflicting jurisdiction of the
flag under which he served and of the terri
tory which he had invaded. But this conflict
ing jurisdiction is inseparable from the inva-
sion, and its questions must be decided by the
sword.