The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-02-01
American Citizenship.

American Citizenship.
The citizens of the United States have still much to
occupy if not to engross their painful attention. in
nection with their own internal concerns The upheaval
Of that tremendous revoutionfor it far than
foundations false and wicked state of society," in the
Southern States of the Union still thrills and vbrates
throughout the length and breadth of the land. And
wonder that it should For beyond all peradventure
it is one of the very first of the duties which the
patriotic people of this country themselves and
to mankind to preserve-against the unpardonabe
treachery of domestic foes and the ncessant and inter-
ested plottngs of foreign yrantsthat Union which is
the cornerstone of their national independence Hence
it is not by any means, to be wondered at if the better
and intelligent portion of them should watch, if
not with feeling akin to alarm, at least with that
" eternal vigilance" which we truly told is /" the
price Of freedom the action of apostate President
whose malignant purpose is than manifest to
all who have minds to think and eyes to see. That
purpose is daring and desperate 1t to override
the representatives of the sovereign people of the Re-
public to prolong the accursed reign of CASTE injustice
and inhumanity, and so to become-what his chosen
friend and Secretary of State proclaimed him to bea
king and autocrat his account and that of his
saveloving abettors and aes-and all this to be done
under pretense of standing by the Constitution
which proclaims the right of all men to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" of protecting the
" liberties" of the American people!
We readily admit, therefore, that the great party of
true and progressive liberty in this country have very
much to be justly said in defense of their conduct in
permitting their attention to be exclusively directed
to the consideration of their home aars-to them and
indeed to the whole world of such supreme Importance
to virtually overlook those foreign transactions in
which they ought ever manifest the deepest concern
1t is going too far to assert that this persistent heed
lessness of everything outside the boundaries of the
Union has lately been carried to extent which
highly criminal in the eyes Of large section of the
loyal adopted citizens of the Republic, and, in their
dangerous to the national interests if not
disgracefu to the national honor.
1t is perfectly unnecessary to inquire into the facts
OF the case in reference to great question which
concerns relations with the rulers and governments
of European countries We allude, as matter of
course, to the right Of eve'y citizen Of the american Re-
public to the protection of his person. of his property
and of his liberty abroad as we'll at home The world
mas WIFI Cne occurrences WHICH nave Cdken
Scarcely man or woman of ordinary intelligence, IN
any civilized country under the heavens, be wholly
ignorant of them In Prussia citizens have peen
enrolled in the CONSUMPTION for the national army ana
when they did not respond to the call, and enter Inc
ranks they have been proclaimed deserters and pro-
nounced guilty of a crime" the punishment OF which
is Imprisonment death. While in England-lnclud-
ing Ireland being still subject to the mild and mercitu