The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-12-11

in the act OF the 25th of Februar!
last. 1t is apprehended that tina
: Government does not realize thI
character of its obligations under that
Convention, yet there is reason 10 be
lieve, however, that its hesitancy il
recognizing them, springs in part a
least, from real difficulty in discharg
ing them in connection with its obi
cations to other governments. Th'
expediency of further fOrbearance on
our part is believed to be worthy o
your consideration. The Ottoman
Government and that of Egypt have
latterly shown disposition to relieve
foreign Consuls of the judicial power!
which, heretofore, they have exer
cised in the Turkish dOminions, by
organizing other tribunals. AS Con.
gress, however, has by law provided
for the discharge of judicial functions
by the consuls of the United States
in that quarter under the treaty o.
1880, have not felt at liberty fol-
many reasons to accept the present
change without the assent of Con
gress, whose decision upon the sub
ject at IS early a period as may bt
convenient, is earnestly requested.
transmit herewith for the considera-
ton and determination of Congress
an application of the Republic ofSan-
to Domingo to this government to ex.
ercise protectorate over that Repub
lie. Since the adjournment of Con-
gress, The following treaties with for.
eign powers have been proclaimed
A naturalization convention with
Denmark a convention with Mexico
for renewing the claims commission
a convention OF friendship, commerce
and extraditiOn with the Nauge anC
free State, and a naturalization con-
vention with Ecuador. l renew 8
recommendation made in my mes.
sage of December, 1870, that Con.
gress authorize the -Gener.
al to issue ali com missions to officials
appointed through his department.
1 invite the earnest attention OF
Congress to the existing laws of the
United States respecting extradition
and eligibility of nationality by indi-
viduals. Many citizens OF the United
States reside permanently abroad
with their families. Under the pro-
visions of the act approved Feb. 10th,
1855, the children of such persons are
to be deemed and taken to be citizens
of the United States, but the rights OF
citizenship are not to descend to per-
sons whose father never resided in the
United States. 1t thus happens that
persons who have never resided with
in the United Statss have been ena-
| bled to put forward q pretension to
the protection of the United States,
| against the claim for military service
from the Government, under whose
protection they were born and have
been reared. In some cases naturali-
Zed citizens of the United States have
returned to the land of their birth to
remain there, and their children, the
issues of marriage contracted there
after their return, and who have nev-
er been in the United States, have
laid claim to our protection when the
lapse of many years have imposed up
on them the duty Of military service
to the only Government which had
ever known them personally. Until
the year 1868, it was left embarrassed
by conflicting opinions of courts and
of juTists to determine how far the
doctrine of perpetual allegiance deriv-
ed from our former colonial relations
with Great Britain was applicable to
American citizens. Congress then
wisely wiped the doubts away by en-
acting that any declaration, instTuc-
ton, opinion, order or decision of any
officer of the Government which de-
mics, restricts, impairs or questions
the right of expatriation, is inconsist-
ent with the fundamental principles
of this Government; but Congress did
not indicate in that statute, nor has it
since done so, what acts are to be
deemed to work expatriation. Formy
own guidance, in determining such
questions required under the prOvis-
ions of the Constitution, the opinion
in writing of the principal officer in
each of the executive departments,
upon certain questions relating to the
subject, satisfies me that further legis-
lation has become necessary. l there
fore commend the subject to the care
full consideration of Congress, and l
transmit herewith cOIies of the sever
al opinions of the principal officers of
the executive department, together
with other correspondence and valu-
able information on the same subject,
The United States;who led the way in
the overthrow of the feudal doctrine
of perpetual 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 par
with other leading nations in liberal
ity of legislation on this information
al question. We have already, in our
treaties, assented- to the principles
which would needto ue embodied in
laws intended to accomplish such re-
suits; we haYe agreed that citizens of
the United States may cease to be cit
iZens, and may voluntarily render al
legiance to other powers; we have
agreed that residence in foreign land
without intent to return, shall of it.
self work expatriation; we have
agreed, in some instances, upon the
length of time necessary for such in
tent. Invite Congress now to make
out and define how and when expa-
triatiOn can be accomplished; to reg.
ulate by law the condition of Ameri-
can women marrying foreigners; to
fix the status of children born in for
eign country of American parents re-
siding more or less permanently
abroad; and to make rules for deter
mining such other kindred points as
may seem best to Congress. In COM
pliance with the request of Congress,
l transmitted to the American Min
lister at Madrid with instruction to
present il to the Spanish Governme ent,
the joint resolution approved on the
Sd of March last, rendering to the peO.
pie of Spain in the name and on be-
half of the American people, the con-
gratulations Of Congress upon their
efforts to consolidate in Spain the prin-
ciples of universal liberty in Repub-
lican form of Government. The ex-
istenee of this new Republic was in
augurated by striking the fetters from
the slaves. In Porto Rico this benefi-
cent measure was followed by the re-
lease of several thousand persons lille
gally sold as slaves, In Cuba next,
the Captain General of that coioby
was deprived of the power to set aside
the orders of his superiors at Madrid
which had pertained to the office
since 1895, the sequestered estates of
American citizens, which had been
the cause of long and frequent CORES
pondence, were ordered to be restored
to their owners. All these liberal
steps were taken in the face of violent
opposition, directed by the reaction
ary shareholders o; Havana, who are
vainly striving to stay the march of
ideas which have terminated slavery
in Christendom, Cuba excepted.
Unhappily, however, this baneful
influence has thus far succeeded in
defeating the efforts of all liberal
minded men in Spain to abolish slav-
cry in Cuba, and in preventing the
promised reform in that Island. The
struggle for political supremacy con-
tinues; the proslavery aristocracy in
Cuba is gradually arraigning itself in
more and more open hostility and de-
fiance Of the home government, while
it still maintains political connection
with the Republic in the Peninsula,
and though usurping and defying the
authority of the home government,
whenever such usurpation or defiance
tends in the direction of oppression
or of the maintenance of pro-slavery
abuses, it ia still power in Madrid and
recognized by the Government.
Thus an element more dangerous
to the continued colonial relations be-
tween Cuba and Spain than that
which inspired the insurrection at
Yara-an element opposed to grant
- A-0rx, fcv-r, Ia r, n oI Itroa.