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

18th oil AprH, tne IOIoWlnS ICcOlutlOn
rer1rtcd from the Committee on Foreign
Affairs was under discussion
whereas Dr. John Emilio Houard has year $
.a--aument and trai by military court martial been
,ea = ~ r. IN y, ~ Stand ~ Gbs sTd ] ,'i9
4 conviction ha- been transported 20 penal COLONY Of
Spain far uf eight years. from which conviction,
e1r.rre aud puu- he appeals far protection u
.re Government of the United States and whereas 10
..r.frs. hr-f thar said Houdrd natNcbpu citizen
-.. rr5-af -t7-.- second that be never renounced
....f, r,ti,an but M, the contrary bas
claimed and has been enfolied by the officers of
e eruuact 81 United states third, that il T.
-t shown hr eul form proof that De ever became by
amy act subject citizen Of the Guyernmentm spain
aud whereas it further appears that his trial sentence
| rruf-ireu have been disregard and violation oi
H- uudHHhtet rights as cilllen 81 me Lnijed state,
October % 1905 betv cen the United states and SPAN
Therefore.
rss I,hn Emip toHard was. and is aczen ot tae
Tinted ~ta.- l2 a'r5h and continued and unleLuPie
ch'irr and rs such D. enlird ~ ali nd eNeIy
Trlm thf. Government and the opinion u ils tuu~c
rgre1-e m fIc eltrlfi,n Of biz property winch has
coui-oated 90 the OF the Spanish Government.
Below we copy from the Globe the remarks
Of Nix WILLARD, "a member of the commit
tee) and JUICE POLAND, IN opposition %. the
-esoIuti0n:
Sir. Speaker, the question submitted to the
u.iment &C the House Is, If the House hes
l1v Jurisdiction of il at ALL one Of the gray
s-t consequence. The question what consti-
eetcs person citizen of the United States
itself 2 question Of great Importance,
question which has been considered bv the
.4-.rs judicial tribunals Of the country
40 .ur early history, and its Limitations fixed
a-I established by judicial decision. Ii is
...-tl.u OK Importance as well to the citi-
..n himself as TO the government Of which
r. .-arart. When proposition Is present
.l which adds 10 this question Of citizenship
t-e .-a,r question as to the obligation which
re-,- ar.1 the government To protect its cit
..er whether at home abroad, the matter
l-r.-.lF increased II its consequences and
imp r-.n..
h-r- noticed in the short time during
sgII-H have had the honor 70 be a member
u tl.- body, that this question Of citizen
ship fs- Iceu discussed by gentlemen on the
.r.ar SIDE IF tie House at least IN very dI.-
s-gr- tcmpers upon different occasions
A hen lt Is question Of protecting Amerl-
alu citizens who may have gone abroad, who
lav have become domiciied abroad, and who
nav have committed offenses against the
COUNTRY in which they have taken up their
-esidenee- either temporarily or permanent
r I have found that side Of the House al
ways ready. always eager. to stretch the
powers of the government for the protection
* ans such person. But when Il comes to
The citz- -nsnip Of some one who has remain
81 always within the territorial limits of the
country. who has always remained true to
-rld dag o.. the country, who has given in It's
a.ars af peril his blood and risked his life
30 i'll defense. have sometimes noticed, and
confess / have noticed it with regret, that
gentlemen upon that side Of the House lose
much Of the eloqueuce and enthusiasm which
rlev ordinarily cEpeud in demanding prOtec-
-.on Tor American citizens,
it is q question of protecting loyal Cit
lan7 # the JuIted States from masked mid
night marauders, throwing about them the
shield 1T this government, and holding over
-esm the Il z Of the nite& States, we are
told It Is unconstitutional, and that we can
not interfere II protect American citizens in
any such case as that. But when it comes
To the question of protecting an American
who has gore abroad, and who has there in
terferCd with the domestic concerns of a for
eign country who has there made himself
smcnahle % foreign laws, then we ind there
IRE uo constitutional difficulties, no Difficult
tics Of cxpedcncv, no financial difficulties
but every muscle and every nerve Of the gov
ernmeut must be put into requisitiOn 10 de
fend and protect such a citizen. Now, sIr,
il seems to me that when we find persons
occupying thus two variant positions we may
Lave at least this suspicion, that their zeal
IN behalf of American citizens IN foreign
countries is rather a zeal to make point
against the Republican administration Of az
fairs than q zeal in favor Of protecting hon
ostly the rights Of American citizens every
where.
Irepeat, Mr.. Speaker, that this is one Of
the yravest questions that can be presented
to us as "a dciIJerL-Iyc body do not agree
entirely that 1t is q question upon which we
san speak with the utmost propTiety. Ii Il
Fl the memory Of many gentlemen in the
House that when, few years since, the
House OF Representatives passed a very iero-
.ei.us resolution denouncng the French oc-
euuation Of Mexico. and the attention Of our
government was called to il by the French
z8verument, and we are. inquired Of in re-
-rcc- to the meaning of that apparently Of
teusye declaration, our then eminent Secre-
tary 0f State in courteous and diplomatic
language, and strictly in accordance with
the Institutional view also, informed the
French government that the House Of Rep
rt-entatiyes was not under the Constitution
ot -le United states charged with the man
a-tmeuJ Of our foreign relations, a duty
committed by the Constitution to the treaty
making power This was correct view Of
Ae distribution Of powers under our form
Ct government and until we find the exc
FltTe power of the government so. totally
rcuss Ir its duty toward American residents
abroad as to become utterly regardless OF
ta.s duty that is plainly i'm posed upon them,
.tI-, 10 my judgment, nothing short of i'm
{lrtIence for the House of Representative
% declare what the foreign policy Of the
- ernmcut in respect to any particular case
STALL be.
Tits perhaps not impossible that our gov
eminent should become 50 derelict iii the
Performance Of its duties as to give occasion
i1r q general expression of indignation
against it Tor abandoning It's citizens to
whatever fate may overtake them abroad,
and in such a contingency it may be proper
ilr the House of Representatives 10 express
it- dIsapprobation of that course. But until
VIE ind such condition of affairs iC seems
% me at least becoming for to decline to
slt ourselves up as the proper persons to
dictate the foreign policy OF the govern
uent
But to come directly to the matter upon
which we shall be asked to vote. This reso-
luton, after declaring that, in the judgment
Of this House, DR.. Houard is an American
citizen, proceeds also to make this dcclara-
ton
AHd, the opinion OF this House, President
-"ild promptly demand his unconditional release and
me restoration of his property. which has been
.ated o. rhe use of the cpanis oveunment''
Now, Mr.. Speaker, that declaration, if it
means anything, if it is to have any force, if
any attention whatever is TO be paid TO it by
the President Of the United States, is a dec
iaratIon which may amount to war. It is a
declaration that the President shall demand
the Immediate and unconditional surrender
OF DR. HOuard, and the restoration Of his
eonfscated property. If our government
docs that and Is met with peremptorv
refusal, 1t Is war. We must follow up the
demand with the strong arm of the govern
Heht. mention this merely in passing tn
sho" Tue gravity OF this question which !.
presented 10 US Il the resolution rnaaps -