The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-02-08
The Rights OF American Citizens
Abroad.

Apeech CT Hon. - r. ~ l4e0Hy DI tOWos IL
In. n nae u Representatives., January
80, 1855.
MFR. II GgY obtained lie floor. but yielded
for ten minutes 10 Mr.. WILSON, OF Iosa.
Mr. WILSON, Of Iowa. Mr. Speaker,
havs read with interest and profit the elabo-
rate report of the Committee on Foreign At
fairs. which accompanied the presentation OF
this bill 10 the House. The subject Of which
i. treats IS one OF great gravity and high pub
lie concern 1t involves issues Of mighty con-
seauence to The Repubiic and It's citizens, ahd
Ne should be careful not 70 evsde, avoid, or
becloudthem b. ouf present action. Thefe
port and bill confront US not only with grave
question but also with very delicate one,
which, while We treat it with hrmness, We
must Il the same time handle with care. We
should neither deceive ourselves as to the ma
rure OF the ground upon which We place our
action nor misead those citizens whose de-
mands for redress of asserted wrongs have
commended the presence OF the bill before
US. We are not now dealing with mere qnes-
sion Of elections, nor playing pleasure game
for the Yotes Of nAturaiized citizens. Whoev..
er views the present occasion through such
( asses will greatly mistake the magnitude of
the proportions of the subject with which We
are dealing. The stern fact that we are
breasting the current aud immemoral doc
trine Of most Of the nations Of the earth re
speeding the right of repatriation should place
US on q higher plane Of statemsnship than
that which consults merely the present and
transient effects Of its action. We cannot
play with this question without assuming fisks
for ourselves aud imposing danger on the ma
ton. The former would be folly, and the
latter would be, in certain sense, = CRIME.
Oar steps, therefore, shonld be taken with
dnfsharoteop ard ia
appreciation of the consequences which nt> !
tend them. We may not fnjudiciou.ly rush |
upon the bosses OF the bueklers OF other ma |
sions without encounteraag the dangers OF
war. We may not trilie with the expecfa-
tons Of our nsturalized citizens withou, ex,
citing restless discomfort which may make |
oil them an uncomfortable disturbi ~ element
ia the internal policies and AFFAIRS of the ma
ton. Between these two positive and sntag-
onistic facts We cannot safely play role OF |
Discrimination. We must deal esenhanded- |
II with both, with a perfect IN ierstandieg /
that danger lies on either hand. A straight
forward dealing with any state q facts which
may confront Us in statesmanship; dissimu-
lating manipulation Of thsm il diplomacy
With the latter se have nothin, 10 do, for We
are Legislators. Il 10 our business 10 dee are |
what the law and the policy Of this nation
shall be, and TO do it in terms which may
misead no one, whether foreign patton or
nAtnraixed citizen.
The great question before rs is the right OF |
expatriAton Doos the bill which We are
considering deal fairly with this question and |
in = way not calculated 70 rnisitad those OF |
oar citizens who are most directly iafsresfetl /
in its provisions? | attn sorry 70 say thai, ia
my judgement, il does not, aed bencs il !
that desire to direct the attention of tlis.