New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-11
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Ia one .: MS common sense messages TO
Congress General Grant referred to the
! necessity Of improvement: in the naturaliza.
ton laws. and now Attorney General Pierre.
pom: has delivered al opinion on one ruz-
cling point. The ovigina! trainers OF thelaw,
strong opponents III the doctrine OF once
subject always a subject. never dreamed
of the recantation OF the citizen from the
restraints OF freedom TO adop: again tho
thralls Of bondage. Therefore, the idea
that an American citizen could be BY uni
yersal law prevented from exercising his
rights as such was never considered. But
SO it is. An American citizen, no. vet quail.
tied for suffrage, even under the most liberal
laws of Missouri. ye, eligible in five years to
the presidency. is compelled by the renun.
citation of his father. who never could be
President. to do military duty for foreign
power. And for one year this will be right.
Then young Steinkanler Will be twenty one,
and his birth vii! give him the privilege Of
selecting his country, provided his duties
havs no: got him shot beforehand. His
privilege il only superior to that OF other
young men. snc;. has been the force Of
American principle, in that it will rave
him from the penalties OF desertion. I: is
common law axiom. strens thened by the
American doctrine, that citizenship easily
reverts. 1t is . right of freemen TO owe
allegiance where they please while they do
nothing to forfeit the right. Old Stein.
kanler has lawfully Deen twice a citizen @!
Germany and once OF America. Young
Ste;nkanler was born citizen OF America
without exercising any right of choice, has
been made a citizen Of Germany still! with.
out that right. has no right to any free citi.
zenship as yet, bu: through old Steinkanler,
who declines all rights in America. pleads
his American birth in defense OF the penalty
Of protecting tho German brthright Of his |
father. Mr.. Pierrepont very clearly shows
his rights are in allegiance and unit! he has
a legal opportunity Of asserting them the |
United States government can not interfere. |
But the opinion speaks moro clearly ioc |
itself:
DEPARTMENT % Ir.rrr,, |
" Washington. June 81. 1888. ! |
Hon. Hamilton FISH. Secretary of State:
SIg-The facts upon which the Secretary
IT State asks the opinion OF the Attorney
General are these:
Mr.. Steinkanler, irussian subject bv
birth. emigrated to the United States in
1913. became naturalized in 1884. and in the
ollowing year had son born in st. Louis.
Missouri. -Four years after the birth of his
on, Steinkanler returned to Germany. tax.
ng his family, including this infant child,
md became domiciled at We;sbaden, where
hey have all continuously resided. Mas.
au. in which Weisbaden is situated. be.
anne incorporated into the North German
Confederation in 1866. This son has now
cached the age OF twenty years. and the
government has called upon him
o report for military duty. Mr.. Steinkap.
er thereupon invoked the intervention of
he legation of the United States at Berlin.
n the ground that his son is a native horn
american citizen. To an inquiry bv Mr..
JAWS, our minister at Berlin, whether the |
on would give an assurance of intention |
0 return IN this country within some rea.
enable period, to be fixed by himself, and I
reside here and assume his duties as a
ltizen, the father, On his behalf, declined .
D give any such assurance The question | ]
J, whether upon the facts stated, it is the
uty OF the government of the United
tates to interfere in this matter.
The status of young Steinkanler, andlh;s
ght to protection from the government of
'el United States, depends primarily upon (
esns!lonaAty. Nationality is either natu-