Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-06

The conviction and punishment of nat
turalized citizens of the United States by
the sentence of an English court, under
circumstances that would have cleared
them OF crime had the binding efficacy
of our naturalization laws been admit
ted. has caused discussion of the
subject by English journals. The
ground taken by them is untenable, yet
sustained as it is by. the courts and the
Government, must, in the very nature OF
things, lead to difficulties between the two
Governments as it has led to, difficulties
before The London Court Journal says:
"a great deal of nonsense is being talked
about not recognizing American citizen
ship In English born subjects. 1t has beer
from time out of mind the law of England
that a man cannot change his nationality. 10
this spirit, the Foreign Office never gives a
passport to a naturalized subject to protect
him In the dominions where he was born
w hen he returns to his native land, the
English naturalization is not in force, and
native of that land he remains still to all
intents and purposes. We are not going to
| oblige Americans by calling ourselves
Americans at their bidding. or lettinq our
feLfon countTynaen be SO called. This is pre-
SumptuOus aud impOtent talk on their part,
and on par with the Alabama stupidity. y
The claim of the English Government
that once a subject always a subject is one
that 1t fails to carry out In cases where citi-
sensof other countries wish to become En-
glish citizens. English naturalization laws
endows the American whO chooses to for
swear his allegiance to the United States
| with the privileges Of citizenship, and as a
citizen the Government Is bound to protect
him, but when a native of England, Ire
Lead, Scotland, Wales, or any other land
where the English flag floats, makes his
election to become a citizen of the United
States, then the English Government, fail
ing to do unto others as she insists that
others should do unto her, still regards
them as her own citizens, and, if found
fighting for their adopted country, would
hang them for treason. -
The War of 1872 was mostly brought
about by this assertion of a claim to the
services of native born subjects of Eng
land, who had been naturalized in the
United States. Every man found on board
of an American merchant ship, who was
cockney enough to be unable to aspirate
| the "h' in its proper place, or whose voice
gave evidence of the "sweet Irish brogue,'
was forcfbly impress ed and madeto serve on
board a British man-of-war and to fight
the battles of q country whose allegiance
he had made his election to abandon.
The assertion of the doctrine that born
subject of Great Britain could not transfer
his allegiance, was the ground work of the
doctrine asserted by the same power, that
they hal a right to impress its born sub
jects whenever and wherever found. And
the-carrying of this doctrine into practical
effect, in boarding American vessels and
seizing such of the crew as the English
boarding officer thought would suit his
purposes, was the cause of the declaration
of war by the Uuited States against Eng
land, in June, 1912. -u-- p iii.- ay
During that war, number of Irish
Am erican soldiers, who had been taken
prisoners by the British forces, were threat
ened with death for treason, and it was only
by the stern determination of the Ameri-
can Gov ernment to make fearful retribu-
tion on the British officers in its possession.
that better counsels prevailed, and the Irish
born American soldiers were. saved from
British vengeance. e f''ts51'fa - ~
Although the war of 1912 was caused by
the assertion, and the carrying into effect
Of the doctrine that British born subject
could never forswear his allegiance, yet,s in
the Treaty Of Peace, this subject, nor that
Of the claim of England to search Ameri-
can vessels, were even alluded to. The
reason. assigned at the time for this omis-
sion, was, that the claim was SO repugnant
to every principle of right-sos utterly at
variance with the laws of nations that the
United States would not even recognize the
doctrine SO far as even to name it in a
Treaty of Peace, but that whenever and
wherever it was asserted we would resist it
as a monstrous absurdity, and war upon it
to, the DEATH. ,ig5 2 .OG1 E77sEdl 2
1t is now again asserted, and that, too,
under circumstances that behooyes -our.
Government to take notice of it. In the
case of MARTIN KozsrA, seized and impris-
military service due that country, previous
to his embarkation to America, and while
on visit to Austria, and after he had given
notes OF his Intention to become citizen,
Mr.. MARCY, then Secretary of State, gave
the world to understand that the American
Government would protect American citi
zens, naturaIized as well as native born, in
their rights, no matter in what part of the
world they were to be found, and KozsTA,
with the guns of an American man-Of-war
bearing upon the vessel OH which he was
Imprisoned, with the threat OF. the Ameri-
can commander to open his fire upon the
Austrian flag, was surrendered.
In the case of the Fenians condemned as
English subjects, they being naturalized
citizens of the United States, it remains to
be seen If Mr.. SEWARD will have the nerve
and the patriotism of Mr.. MARCY, and give
England to understand that he who be-.
comes a citizen of the United States by
choice, has as much right to its protection,
as he who was born under its flag and upon
its soil.
The sth of January Convention.
In our hurried article on the action of
the State Executive Committee, in select
ing the 9th of January as the day for hold
Ing the State Convention of Ohio, we stated
that the only vote against the proposition
was from the member of the Committee
representing the Belmont District, who
telegraphed his vote for later day. This
was an error. 1t was the member from the
Scioto District whose vote is thus record
ed. Mr.. HEAroN, of the Belmont District,
telegraphed his vote in favor of the 9Th of
January. J i a