Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-08

e twas absolutely in accordance with the rules
! of international law, and whether we have
t given them all the opportunity that could
. possibly be given them OF political rights and
: the largest liberty in our country, and unless
I VIC answer them directly and send them all
the papers, we might have by the next
steamer OF by the cable peremptory demand
Z from the house of representatives Of China
II there should happen to be in the progress
OF events such body in that realm, for the
surrender Of Ah Sin and his brothers in this
country to the Chinese Government, and the
restoration to them of all property that ma
} have been taken by process or otherwise in
actions against them.
SIR, this doctrine is one of the most perni-
cIOus and mischievOus doctrines that can
well establish in this country for ourselves.
We call ourselves - the home of the OppresS-
cd OF every land" We invite emigrants
from every country to come mere and fuse
themselves into our common nationality and
become a part of our great country and for
the purpose OF making this invitation all the
more emphit tic and earnest, we point to the
case OF Martin k0szta, to show them what
we viii do IN defending and protecting them
and throwing about them the shield of our
nationality alter they have once planted
their teet on our shores and made
declaration Of intention of becoming Ameri-
can citizens. But now, sir, we are asked in
the { e Ut thai invitation, by a solemn vote
OF the House OF Representatives, u declare
that a residence abroad for fifty years with
out any intention Of returning to one 5
country any expressed intention, or any
that appears from any act, not sufficient to
throw OF this nationality which declare
can be put ON by a residence OF six months
Sir, 1t Is one Of the most mischIe7ous doc
trirpS an IN, it14rn,,ut that paufi rpesiply no
devised, and Il adopted the serious judy
ment ofour country would only be productive
Of continual trouble in the conduct OF our
lOreign affairs
But, sir, as desire to yield little Of my
time to my colleague, Mr.. POLAND, | has
ten 10 state one more proposition IN relation
t. this case, and it Is this; We hear much
about the rights Of American citizens VIC
have had quoted to u TIE rot entirely
original statement that it was 4 high honor
once to be a Roman citizen, and | have no
doubt that 1t Is somewhat of an honor TO be
an American citizen. Still, Mr. Speaker,
/ We h.7e always held that citizenship Is "a
matter Of duties as well n Of rights. The
! Government has righ's which the citizen
must acknowledge The Government has
I corresponding duties nich 1t must perform
. toward the citizen. The citizen has rights
which he can insist upCn from the Govern
ment, ard thc citizen is under obligation TO
perform duties toward the Government. The
relation is one which absolutely requires
that the citizen shall net permanently re
move from the country. Now, in this ease
we have a person claiming TO be a citizen OF
the United States who never has had one
dollar of property interest IN the United
States. lie has not owned real estate here
nc has never owned any personal prOpe. 'y
here lie never has contributed -ot hls
strength. of us intellect, OF ms means in any
way 10 build up or defend OF magnify the
strength or the honor of the American G3v-
erumeut. lie has never done anything which
a citizen OF the United States Is called upon
u dn pi the duties which he owes % the
Government whose protection lie seeks. But
he has chosen - cast has lot with another
people he has chosen % marry his wife OF
another people bis children have been
born and reared with another people his
profession has been practiced IN another
country his family, his property interests,
whatever interests ne has, are with another
people. a. toreiyn Power. And the Cnly link
yshieh he seems n -eEard connecting him
with the nltcd Sta.Is Is this duty 0t the
American Government 10 follow him with Its
protection, even at the peril of war.
w hen a man asks protection OF this Gov
ernment, or when his friends ask that for
him. | think that they ought to show
I Omctlinr OF the obligations resting upon
the country 20 perform taat duty toward
him that they ought 10 show that or hls
| side oi that c.utmct which should be
reciprocal contract IN its rights and duties,
he has given something, or shown some
where hIs devotion 10 the country whose
protection hc claims. When forty million
people on tho one hand are asked AT the risk
%. war ~ rescue from Spanish prisCu, OF
even IA CHAIN "a. Z. any man who may set uP
his claim 10 American citizenship and the
protection OF thc American Government, II
Is due t. Us, before We offer ourselves as
ready ~ 20 % war i'm has behalf that we
Shouii understand what oa his side haa been
done from the first, what on his side ever has
been done 20 show that re has any right to
claim that protection
hold that the line Of decisions j. un form,
that the curreut0t authority Is all one way,
and that no contrary opinions can be cited
chat by this current of decisions and this uni
form authority Dr. ll0uard has no more right
/ to-day 10 ask the intervention of this GOV
crnment in his behalf than any other citizen
OF Cuba or Spain.
yield the rest Of my tjne 10 my coll eague
Mr.. PoIAND.
Mr.. POLAND. In the little time that my
colleague Mr.. WILLAEDI has left and has 50
! kindly yielded to me, OF course | shal be
able to say hut very little upon this question.
have desired 70 obtain the floor for "A short
time to say that in my judgment the doctrine
of this resolution is 50 utterly un- American,
50 utterly hostile and contrary TO the whole
doctrine that has been peculiar to this coun-
try as against the doctrines Of other and
mOnarchIcal countries, that wish an OppOr-
| tunity 10 say in a few words why think SO.
Now, it ny be true that the Spanish
Government may have dealt very cruelty and
harsbly with this DIR. HOuard-HOward, TO
/ give his name Yankee pronunciation, which
seems to be about all there is of his citizen
ship and nationality-it may be true that
they have dealt unjustly with him he may
have been wronglully convicted, and may
now be suffering wrOngtuliy for aught |
know But the important question is, what
is it to US What have VIC rs an American
nation and people to do about it? do not
undervalue American citizenship. | would
% as far as anybody ought to 20 in the pro-
! lection of every American citizen either here
in this country, or, if he chooses TO travel
abroad, or become a mere sojourneT abroad,
] would 20 as far as anybody IN requiring all
foreign nations aud the officers OF foreign
/ Governments to treat him properly and give
him all his rights.
But how is it here? | am not going into
history of this man at all. Suppose he was
born Of American parents suppose that he
had every attribute of citizenship up to the
time that he removed to the island of Cuba.
In lS43 or 1874, almost thirty years ago, he
removed to the island of Cuba and establish
ed himself there in practice of his profession,
and has been steadily following it since with
every sign of being permanent citizen and
resident Of that country. Now what IS the le-
cal presumption growing out of that fact ? As
| understand, there is not particle ofevidence
I