Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-02


accept the rrcYoSCu change without the assent
81 Congress, whose a. cisiOn upon the subject
at AZ early Ec' Tod de nay be convenient, is
tIsrsu htreaith, for Che Consideration snd
GtttrUiusr1fn Of Congress, an application of
the Requisite OF Sautp Domingo u this govern
meI.t ." exercise p.otectorate over that n
public.
Since the adiourur,, mt of Congress the follow
irE treaties with foreign powers ave reen pro-
charmed. 4 naturalization convention Win
Denmark. n convention with M.xIce for renew
luR The CLAIMS commission; Il convention Of
t-terdsbIp, Cvr1meTce and tNtTIditiOn with the
t'f aIge Free state. and a naturalization con
vsntiUn with Ecuador.
renew tie recommendation n ade in nv
Elt>sagr II Dec, nhcT, icIo, that Congress an
tauTIze the POstmasJeT Geuetsl 20 issue all
con missicrs to officials appointed thToEgh his
d. UaItnfe Mt.
! invitc the earnest attention of Congress to
the eNis-iug laws of the United State respect
irg eNfat1iat on, and the election OF nationality
by Individuals.
Ma-Iy citi7ens of the United states reside
Verr- anF ntiy abroad with iheir families. Tn
der the provisions of the act approved FGBTu-
airy 10. 1875, tie children of such persons are to
he dt emtd and taken 70 be citizens OF the Uni
tel States but the rights OF citizenship are not
to descend tn persons whose fathers never resi-
CCd in the nitcd States
1t thus happens that persons who have never
resided within the [ nsed States nave been en-
ableG to put forward pretensiOn TO the pro-
lection OF the nitfd States against the claim
10 military service OF the government under
whose ITtttCIOu Auty we're BORN ana nave been
reared. In some cases even natuTaliZCd citi-
Zens of the United States have returned TO the
land OF their birth, with intent to remain there,
and their children, the issue Of a marriage con
traCted there after their return and who have
never been in the United States, have lasd
claim TO our protection, when the lapse OF many
Years had imposed upon them the duty of mill
tary service TO the only government which had
ever known them personally.
IItIl the year ISIS IL was left embarrassed by
Conti,ting opinions OF courts and jurists to de-
IA how y thp doctrine ~ al
glance. derived from our former colonial rela
tons with Great Britain was applicable to
American citiZtTs. Congress then wisely swept
these DOUBTS away 10y cEacting that "any decla-
ration, Instruction, opinion, order, or decision
OF any officer OF this Government, which denies,
Tt stTiCtS, inn airs or questions the right OF eN-
VGtTiation, is Inconsistent with the Fundamental
Principles Of this Government" But Congress
did not indicate in that statute. has it since
'ore 80, what acts are To be deemed TO work
rNrafriatlOr- For my own guidance in deter
mining such questions | required (und-r the
provisions OF the Constitution the opinion in
writing Of the principal officer in each of the
Executive Departments upon certain questions
-elatlUg 70 this subject The result satisfies me
thar further legislation has become necessary.
therefore commend the subject to the careful
cor Sid6Ta'tCn OF Congress, and transmit here
with copies Of the several opinions Os the pTin-
cipal officers OF the Executive Departments,
together with other correspondence and perth
ntrt Information on the same subject.
The nitei states who led the way in the
overthrow o. the feudai doctrine of perpetual
all5 gIance, are among the last to Indicate how
Their own citizens may elect another national
ity.
The papers submitted herewith indicate what
- Necessary to place Us on par with other
leading nations in HbeTality OF 'egisIa-
ton on this international question. We
have alEeEoy m our treaties asseuted to
the principles which would need to be
en- bodied IN laws int nded to accomplish such
results. We have agreed that citizens of the
nIted States NAV cease to be citizens and may
voluntarily render allegiance TO other powers
q "a 70 hot TH-i in
lsnd, without intent to return, shall OF Itself
work CXDatriatOn. We have agreed. in some
instances, upon the length OF time
necessary for such continued residence to
work presumption of such intent.
! invite Congress how 10 mark out and define
VIXEN and how eXpatr. alton can be accomplished:
TO regulate by law the condition OF American
women marrying foreigners; 10 fix the status OF
children born IN foreign country of American
parents re idiHg more or less permanently
abroad, and to make rules for determining
such other Kindred points as may seem best u
Congress.
In compliance with the request of Congress. /
tTansmstted to thea american minister at Madrid
with Instructions to present II TO the Spanish
government, the joint resolution approved on
the third 3d. Of March last, tendering to the
people OF Spain, in the name and on the behalf
OF the American people the congratulations of
Congress upon the efforts To consolidate in SPAN
the principles of universal liberty i'll a republi-
can form Of government.
Tie existence Of this new Republic was iuau-
gurated by striking the letters from the slaves
in Porto Rico. This benedcent measure was
followed nv the release OF several Thousand per-
SONS Illegally held Is slaves in Cuba. Next, the
Captain General of that colony was deprived of
the power TO set aside the orders OF his superiOrs
al MADRID, which had pertained TO the Office
since $50. The sequestered estates of Ameri-
can citizens. which had been the cause of long
and 1Iu tless correspondence, were ordered to be
restored to their owners. All these liberal steps
were taken in the face OF a violent oupogtion
directed by the reacti0naTy SHAREHOLDERS of Ha-
vana, who are yainly striving to stay the march
OF ideas which has terminated slavery in Christ
endOm, Cuba only excepted.
Uuhappily, however, this banefnl influence
has tbgs far succeeded in defeating the efforts
Of ali liberal minded men in Spain 10 abolish
slavery in Cuba and in preventing the prom
ised reform IN that Island.
The .,ragsle fer political supremacy con-
tiHues there.
The Pros slavery and Aristocratic marty in
Cuba is gradually arraigning itself 10 more
and more open hostility and defiance of the
home government, while il still maintains a
IcGtical connection with the Republic in the
Peninsula, and although usIrping and defying
the authority of the home government when
ever such usurratIOn or defiance tends in the
direction Of oppression or Of the maintenance
OF abuses, IL is still power in Madrid aui is
recognized by the government.
Thus an element more dangerous to copfin.
rcd colonial relations between Cuba aud
SPAIN than that which inspired the iusarrec-
ton At NaTa; an element opposed to granting
any relief from misrule and abuse, with no as
pirstions after freedom, commanding no SYM
INIElr- IN generous breasts, aiming TO riyet
still stronger the stackles Of slavery and on
preston, has seized many OF the emblem. of
power in Cuba, and under professions of LOYALTY
10 the mother country is eNhausting the re-
sources Of the Island, and is doing acts which
are 1T variance with those principles Of Justice
81 hbeTahty and Of right which give mobility OF
character 10 Republic In the interests OF hu.
manly Of C'viliZ alton and Of progress il il to
be hoped that this evil influence may DO soon
ayerted.
The steamer "Virginius" was on the Goth day
Of September, 1870, duly registered at the port
OF New York as part of the commercial ma
Tine Of the United States. On the It'll OF Octo-
Der, $50, having received the certificate of her
regis In the usual legal form, she sailed from
the port of New York, and has not since been
within the territorial Jurisdiction OF the United
States.
ON the 3ist day of October last, while sailing
under the flag OF the United States, on the high
seas she WAS fOrcibly seized by the Spanish gum
boat Tornado, and was carried into the port of
Santiago de Cuba, where many OF her passen-
gers and crew were tnhumanly, and so far at
least as relates to those who citizens of the
United Sts,es, were without due process OF law,
put TO death.
1t is well established principle asserted by
the United StafRs fropn tina Of tha;r