The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-12-26
Eaa Accident eg ER;:fr..

well hall on Wednesday evening. for tx
consideration of the rights OF naturali2e,
American citizens, vas the reflex Of 2 pub
'ic feeling that has spread over she eat;r
country. 1t includes men Of all national
tiles and men Of all parties 1t concern.
IS nearly the Germans, the Frenchmen
the Italian, the Scandinavian, and In
+ Irshman, rs it does the dignity Of III,
American nation Its demand is that tht
! Uniled States shall project her citizen
abroad and the demand, 50 long as it e.
tends to no infringement upon the law
which is common to all countries and peo
/ pie, is just one, that the government vii
not be able to put off. rs it has been il
ciincd to do heretofore.
The principle involved is III, simples
in the world, and requires only enforce
ment. 1t initiates against the arbitrary
rule Of native allegiance dependent on the
accident Of birth. Not merely this for
this has been settled in the very act Of al
hitting foreigu-boru citizens 10 the station
ana prerogative Of Americans. The old.
time hcresy of 81 once subject always a
subject has already been denied in th,
United States by the very fact Of forming
laws by and through which they ma7
profer their allegiance TO, and accept the
benefits Of the American repnbl- II re
mains 70 secure an Acknowledgement Of the
principle from other governments: e.ss il
is much worse than no lazy. because it Is a
law which cannot be enforced.
II 4 man under certain circumstances is
declared to be absolutely citizen Of the
United States, has done nothing 70 forte it
the rights Of citizenship, bat is ready to
perform his duties Is such citizen. and
anxious to assert bis alleeancc, then he
i, rs much citizen in London or Berlin
as he is in Chicago II the American gov.
ernment does not admit this, or will not
stand by It, then the American govern
ment should never have given the pledge
of absolute citizenship. \ conditional
citizenship should have been conferred In
stead Thou shalt be citizen, it should
say, a. long as thou shalt rennin in Amer
lean territory or, thou shalt be a ctizen
If thou hast performed the military duties
involved in thy birth; or, thou shalt bc q
citizen under the kind permission IF tho
state from which thou comest originally.
But such is not the language. The let
Ter and meaning OF the text are ''Thou
art citizen Il does rot st0D t. debate
the rioht or wrong of The granted prjvil-
&C. t makes the simple AMI absolute
assertion md, having made it. the coy
crulAen;, Ia be consistent, - he respected
~ home or abroad, must abide " 1t. If
il : ROW discovered that this law OF
Anerican citizenship is unvaryauted ana
uu.cnable, let it at once be repealed, ana
c9ndif''"..:,, c,,Izeu>iiip >butita;ed. Hut Il
It sc siill maintained rs jus; and right -
spect f3s L abroad mus. DC demanded. ani
if necessary, enforced.
The spirit Of oar government, which
has has held out inducements in the form
of free citizenship and greater liberty for
the emigration that cOn:rbutei largely to
our rapiA development, is snch as calls for
protection to tho who have availed them
selves cf the ofer SO long AZ the lush
man remained subject Of Great Britain,
there or in this country, an(. as long as the
Prussan remained Prussian. ut home or
to call upon either for the same duties as
those al. American citizens. Bat, when
these rlen had complied with all these pre-
tininary demands of the government, had
lived the prescribed time within Ameri
can jurisdiction and had subscribed to The
oath Of American teaity, their national
conditions had unaoubtly been changed
with the sanction Of this government.
There is little doubt that the right to
change citizenship is a natural enc; but
whether 50 or not it is certain that the
American government has entered upon
u mutual agreement with certain foreign
ers 10 this effect and 1t is as much a breach
Of faith on the part of the government not
to protect these accepted citizens, it
would be on the part OF the individuals to
break their allegiance aud take mp arms
against the government Ciicogo Times