The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1875-07-22

ana Clt9keMSnlPs eAphttAAtNS hAtl-
self and becomes o willing subject
OF a foreign sovereign. BE may
change his own status, but he can
not change the status of his minor
American-born ehild. The latter,
when twensv-one years old, may
expalriafe himself by declaration,
OF action equivalent thereto, but
until that time he is an American
citizen IN spite of any authority,
parental OF magisterial, and in spite
of any wish OF act Of his own.
While a minor, he can not divest
himself OF property inheritance !.
for reasons Of UNNECESSARILY
greater weight he can not renounce
the incomparably more valuable
hirth-right Of American citizen
ship.
III his parents at tho time Of his
birth in America were naturalized
citizens, the case is not altered in
the slightest particular. He is an
American citizen by birth, and his
citizenship can not be taken from.
him, except by his own will and
consent, after he attains his ma
iority. Whether he is carried
abroad by his father in the TWEEN
tieth day or the twentieth year of
his age, is wholly immaterial. His
father may renounee the allegiance
which he solemnly swore to bear
to the United States and strive to
poison the mind of his minor son
against the country and it's oonsti-
tuition, but that son can not cease
TO be an American citizen other
wise than by his own act after his
majority. The father may carry
his American-born son to Constan-
tinople aud there become a Mus
sulman and a sworn subject Of the
Sultan, but he can not take from
his boy the boon and birth-right
of American citizenship.
A father born in America, or
one natnralized in America, may
expatriate himself without let or
hindrance from our government,
but he can rot expatriate his Amer.
ican-born child. The right of ex-
patriation is one upon which this
Government has at all times siren
uously insisted, declaring Or. s.,
sec. 1899, after a solemn pTeam-
BILE, that "Any declaration, in-
struclion, opinion, order or de-
cisiou of any officer of the United
States which denies, restricts, inn
pairs or questions the right of ex-
patriation is declared Inconsistent
with the fundamental principles of
the Republic"
Since, then, the child born in
this Republic, his parents at the
time Of his birth being American
citizens, native or naturalized, is
himself citizen, and must so re-
main until his majority, can he not
at any time pending his majority,
while residing abroad, invoke
through bis father, guardian, tu-
tor, or next friend, the protection
of bis government? Can he be
dragged from his school and be
forced into the standing army of a
foreign country?
Such we understand to be the
case Of the youth. Steinkauler. He
was born in Sc. Louis in about
1866, his father, native of Prus-
STA, being naturalized citizen of
the United States at the time Of
| the Child's birth. The boy was a
citizen Of the United States from
the hour Of his birth.
We hold that there is no means
by which he can be Invested Of his
| American citizenship until he il
old enough to renoDnce it. He
Bas taken to Prussia by his father
when four years old, being in his
custody and subject TO bis parental
control. His father reuounced his
own American citizenship, and tho
son was claimed 90 q conscript
under the military laws Of Prussia.
We hold that young Steinkanler,
Il A