The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-01

the President on Monday last IL Will De READ
with great interest by our German fellow-citi-
zens:
WASHINGTON, April 81,
To the, President: The dispatch OF MIR. Ban
croft, copy of which is herewith submitted,
relieves the treaty recently negotiated between
the limited States and North Germany of some
ininrious n1isapprehe which have hither-
to existed. and respectfully submit the expe-
.diancv of communicating the dispatch to Con-
gress. ,:,,,+ sou,,.4
VIM. q. SEWARD.
AMERICAN LEGATION, BERLIN, April s, 1868.
Sir: That no doubt might exist of the cor
rectness of my Interpretation OF our treaty
with North Germany, as communicated a q q to you
in nv dispatch of February q, q left q copy Of
that dispatch at the foreign Office, and no OBJ
lection whatever was made to its contents.
The report made upon the treaty by the COM
nnittee of the North German Council was not
we'll digested. and was not wholly free from
ambiguity. Yesterday the treaty came up for
acceptance in the Imperial Diet. Mr.. KONG,
in the first instance, and then Count Bismarck,
took the occasion publicly, anain the clearest
and most emphatic manner, 70 connrm my m
depreciation of it in every particular. Ex-
Gopsni Meier. the member from Bremen, to
whom the President OF the Diet had referred
the treaty. one OF the first merchants in Eu-
rome and we'll known in America from hisslong
resiience among us, reported the treaty t0 the
Diet with the full conviction of its meritsf He
declared his peculiar satisfaction that the hatu-
raj right of emigration and change Of nation
ality was for the first time MAGE part OF the
suy resugulnd and the United States. sohleider,
40 we'll known to you from his long residence
as Minister at Washington, not omitting to
make some cavils at what he called ''smal de-
fects. !" spoke substantially and heartily for the
treaty and for the most iberalf Interpretation
of its terms, describing it as O. great progress
in international intercourse. A discussion
arose which brought out fqll Interpretation
potentiary who signed the treaty on the part
Of North Germany, in explanation Of the first
article, said that q five years continuous resi-
dence In America, and no more, was all that
the treaty required in regard to residence.
The Chancellor of the Confederation, Count
Bismarck, spoke on the same point, deducing
that the words Of the article we're too plain
to be misunderstood; that the period OF five
wears was to date from the moment when the
emigrant should cross the American line, and
that the continuity Of residence which was
reonired was to be Interpreted s'nicht in koer-
perlichem sondern in juristischem slime" (not
in corporeal but in q legal sense). The in
terpretation of the second article OF the treaty
was equally explicit. DR.. Schleider, Of the
committee Of the Diet, reported thst inas-
much as the liability Of the naturalized cfti-
zen on his return to his original country ex-
tended only to breaches Of law committed be-
fore emigration, it followed that any breach Of
the law which might be committed by itself,
was excluded from the class of punishable &C..
tions. This view was confirmed by Mr.. Konig,
who pointed out that as the emigrant remained
liable only for acts committed before emigra-
ton, emigration itself, and the, consequent
withdrawal from military duty, could not be
Dr.. Lowe, one Of the ablest members Of the
Diet, and we'll known as long. aud esteemed
resident of New York, "the hateful military
business is now put aside, and the emigrant
on his return is not liable to arrest for the vio-
lation Of the military duty from which he ha I
withdrawn by emigration" While he freely
accepted the explanation OF Mr.. Konig, DR..
Lowe still 1intimated o wislf that it might be
confirmed bXtount Bismarck himself.
The Chancellor Immediately arose and replied
as follows:
ssThe gentleman who has last spoken fears
that @ person who has lived five years in Amer
lea and been naturalzed there may yet on his
return here be held to military duty. This i'm
preston I can designate as perfectly and abso.,
futely unfounded. The literal observation OF
the treaty includes in itself that those whom we
are bound to acknowledge as American citizens
cannot be held to military duty in North Ger
many. That is the main purpose OF the trea-
ty. W., soever emigrates bona Jade, with the
purpose Of residing permanently in America,
shall meet no obstacles on our part to his be-
coming an American Citizen and his bona fdes
will be assumed when he shall have passed
FIVE years in that country, and renouncing
his North German nationality, shall have be-
come an American citizen. | believe, there
fore. that no room has been left open for the
anxiety that has been expressed; and lay great
stress upon here placing the subject in it's true
light" Doctor Lowe questioned the Chancel-
lor on this point once more, saying: "I'o my
ioy, I think may understand the Chancellor
to say that no prosecution for unauthorized
emigration can take place, even ii the emigrant
shall have ceased to be an American citizen. u
Count Bismarck replied: 81 herewith confirm
the declaration which the gentleman raises and
desires;;" and added tjocosely. in form, serious
" in substance), 81 might almost assert that
we will treat the five years. absence in Ameri-
ca, when connected with naturalization, as q
fulfllment of the military duty in the North
German Confederacy."
The fourth articles of the treaty came also
under consideration.
MIR. LaSker, one OF tne aDlest mempels VI
the Diet, inquired whether the German natur-
allied in America and returning to Germany
would, after two years residence in Germany,
be held liable to military duty. The text Of
the treaty, he said, gave no color to such an
Interpretation, but the report Of the Council
Of the Confederation was ambiguous, and
therefore he called upon the Councillor for a
clearer explanation. In the beginning of the
debate, ex-Consul Meier has most clearly ex-
planned that the American law required from
the person who becomes naturalized q total re-
nunciation of his allegiance to any other pow
er. Holding fast to this fact, Count Bismarck
replied that the German American citizen on
resuming his relations as citizen OF North
Germany, would, under the treaty, stand in
the light of foreigner emigrating into North
Germany that he could not be held to the dis
charge Of any old military duty, but only to
such :" new" military duty as would attach to
any foreigner emigrating into North Germany
and becoming naturalized there. The Presi-
dent now put the question on the acceptance
Of the treaty, and the whole Diet, with the ex-
| ception Of two or three Poles, who, as it seem
ed to me, only declined voting, rose to their
feet with alacrity. All the proceedings were
marked by the disposition to cherish the most
| friendly relations with the United States.
send you herewith the debate as it appeared
concisely in the North German Gazette OF last
evening, and in the National Gazette OF thls