Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-05

formally IL accept the proposed change
| without the assent Of Congress, whose uee'
| sion upon the subject at as early pefiou
as may be convenient is earnestly reques'e''
s,Nro DOMINGO.
transmit herewith for the consideration
and determination of Congress an appiiea
ton of the republic of Santo Domingo 70
this government to exercise prateetofa'e
over that republic.
TREATIES WITH FOREIGN POWERS.
Since the adjournment OF Congress the
following treaties with foreign powers nave
been proclaimed naturalization coh'eh-
ton with Denmark q convention WIN
Mexico for renewing the claims commis-
sion; a convention Of friendship. commerce
and extradition with the Orange River Free
State, and a naturalization convention Win
Ecuador.
REPATRIATION AND ELECTION OF SAiloN"lii'
invite the earnest attention OF Congress
to the existing laws Of the onitea States
respecting expatriation and the election oil
nationality of individuals. Many citizens
Of the United States reside permanently
abroad with their families under the proyi-
SONS of the act approved Feb. 10, 1899.
The children of such persons are 10 De
deemed and taken to be citizens oil tne
United States. but the rights OF Citizenship
are not to descend 10 persons whose iathers
never resided in the United States. II thus
hannens that nersons who never resided in
the United States have been enabled to put
forward pretension to the protection OF
the United States against the claim oil mill
tarv service of the government under whose
protection they were born anu nave oeen
reared In some cases even naturained
citizens of the nited States have returned
To the land of their birth with the intent 10
remain there and their children, the issue
of marriage contracted there after their
return, and who have never been IN the
United States, have laid clam to our pro-
lection when the lapse OF many years mas
imposed upon them the duty oil military
service to the only government when had
ever known them personally. Until the
wear ls63 II was left embarrassed by con-
fiicting opinions of courts and OF juristS to
determine how far the doctrine OF perpetual
ALLEGIANCE derived from our former colonial
relations with Great Britain was appllca-
HE IN American citizens. Congress then
wisely swent these doubts away by enact
inc that any declaration, instruction, OPT
MON. order or decision of any officers of this
government which denies, restricts, impairs,
or questions the right of expatriation IS IN
consistent with the fundamental principles
Of this government but Congress did not
indicate in that statute nor has 1t since
done 50. what acts are to be deemed to work
expatriation. For my own guidance in de-
termining such questions, required under
the provisions of the constitution. obtain
ed the opinion in writing Of the principal
officers in each of the executive depart
ments upon certain questions relat-
ing TO this subject The result satisfies me
that further legislation has become neees-
sarv. | therefore commend the subject to
the careful consideration of Congress.
transmit herewith copies of the several
opinions of the principal officers of the ex-
ecutiye departments, together with other
correspondence and information on the sub
iect. The United States, who led the way
in the overthrow of the ieudal doctrine OF
nerpetual allegiance, are among the last To
Indicate how their own citizens may elect
another nationality. The papers submitted
herewith indicate what is necessary to place
us on a par with other leading nations in
! ibersity Of legislation on this information
al question We have already in our trea-
ties aSsented to the principles which would
need to be embodied in the laws intended to
accomplish such results We have agreed
that citizens of the United States may
cease to be citizens and may voluntarily
render allegiance TO other powers. We
have agreed that residence in foreign
land without intent 10 return shall oil It
self work expatriation. We have agreed
in some instances upon the length OF time
necessary for such intent | invite Con
greS- 10 mark out and define when and how
expatriat.on can be accomplished, 10 regu
late by law the condition of American wo-
men marrying foreigners. to fix the status
If children born in foreign country of
American parents, residing more or less
/ permanently abroad, and to make rules Tor
determining such other kindred point a.
NAV seem best to Congress.
1HE SPANISH REprBLIc AND crBt.
In compliance with the request Of Con
gress, | transmitted to our minister AT Ma
/ drid, with instructions to present it to the
Spanish government, the Joint resolution
approved on the 81 of March last, tender
/ ing to the people Of Spain in the name and
/ on the behalf of the American people the
/ congratulations Of Congress upon the eff
/ forts 10 consolidate in Spain the principles
| Of universal liberty in = republican form Of
/ Government. The existence Of this new re-
/ public wsS inaugurated by striking the iet
/ tiers from the slaves in Porto Rico This
/ henetcent measure was followed hy the re-
/ lease Of several thousand persons illegally
/ held a. slaves in Cuba. Next the Captain
/ General of the colony was deprived of the
| power to set aside the orders of his supe-
/ rors at Madrid, which had pertained to the
Office since 1875. The Sophisticated estates OF
! American citizens which had been the cause
of long and frequent correspondence were
ordered to be restored 10 their owners. All
these liberal steps were taken in the face Of
| government opposition, directed by the re-
! y0lutionary Shareholders of Havana, who
are yainly struggling to stay the march of
ideas which have terminated slavery in
ChriStendom, Cuba only excepted. n
happily, however, this banetul influence
has thus far succeeded in defeating the ef-
forts ofall liberal minded men in Spain 10 !
abolish slavery in Cuba, and in preventing I
the promised reform in that island. The !
struggle for political supremacy continues. |
The prO-slayery and aristOcratic party in 4
Cuba is gradually arraying itself in more |
open hostility and defiance of the home /
government, while it still maintains poll |
teal connection with the republic in the /
peninsula, and although usurping and de- I
flying the authority of the home govern I
ment whenever such usurpation or defiance |
tends in the direction of oppression or Of /
the maintenance Of abuses. it Is still I
power in Madrid and recognized bv the /
government Thus an element more dan
gerOus to continued colonial relations be- I
tween Cuba and Spain than that which ln-
spired the insurrection at lara, an element /
opposed to granting any relief from misrule /
and abuse, with no aspirations after tree
dom, commanding no sympathies in gene
r0us breasts, asking to riyet still stronger
the shackles Of slavery and oppression, has
seized many of the emblems of power. and
under professions of loyalty TO the mother
country Is exhausting the resources Of the
island and * doing acts which are at yari-
ance with those principles of Justice, of lib
erty and of right which give nobility of
character to a republic. In the interests OF
humanity. of civilization and of progress,
it is to be hoped that this evil influence may
be soon averted.
TUE CASE pF rHE yigCISIU~.
The steamer NirginiuS was on the Goth
day of September. 1870, duly registered at
the port of New ork as part of the com
mercial marine Of the United States on the
ith of October, $50, having received the
certificate Of her registry in the usual legal
form, she sailed from the port of New York
and has not since been within the territori-
al jurisdiction of the nited States. On the
3ist day of October last, while sailing un-
der the flag Of the nited States on the high
seas. she was toreiblY seized By the Spanish
gunhoat Tornado, and was carried into the
port OF Santiago de Cuba, where many OF
her passengers Were inhumanly and 50 far
at least as relates to those who were citizens
of the United States, were without due pro
cess of law put to death. 1t is well-estab-
lished principle asserted by the United
States from the beginning of their national
independence, recognized by Great Britain
and other maritime powers, and stated by
the Senate in the conclusion passed unanim-
ousy on the 10th of June, 1853, that Amer
lean vessels on the high seas in time OF
peace, hearing the American flag. remain
under the jurisdiction OF the country to
which they belong, and any visitation, mo-
lestation or destruction of such vessel by
force or by exhibition of force on the part
of foreign power. is in derogation OF the
sovereignty of the United States. In ae-
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