The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-08-18
A Oue.tIon Of CItlaen.hIp.

Among the recent American kilograms we
find this:
/ CHICAGO, June s6th.-A Washington special says
the Attorney General has before him case OF great
I international interest, the decision Of which Is
/ awaited with morp than ordinary anxiety. Some
years ago German named Steinberger came TO this
country and settled In 81. Louis. He bad sou born
4 while living there. After Stelnberger had been In
this country some years be took out naturalization
papers and became a citizen Of the United States
He remaiued in this country years AfterSard and
turned TO Germany taking bis then ak years Of
age. He renouneed bis citizenship acquired in the
United States, and resumed bis allegiance TO the
German Government. The son is now twenty years
Of age and has been drafted into Emperor Williams
army He appeals to the United States Government
10 save him from service 10 the German Army; says
be Was not taken from here Of bis own free will
The AttorneyGener regards the subject as CON-
plicated one and possessing more than Ordinary in
ierest from the novelty and possible results involved
10 H.
A later telegram from Washington states that
Attorney-General Pierrepont, after full in
vestgatiOn of the case, has come to the conclu-
sion that the boy has two nationalities-One
natural and the other acquired. The father re-
turning to Germany and resuming allegiance,
the son partakes of the status of the father,
being minor, and having enjoyed the protec-
tion of the German Government for the time be-
ing, he owes it military duty, the obligation
being reciprocal But when the boy becomes
Of age he can return to the United States as
citizen, with all rights and privileges as such,
and would be eligible even to the Presidency
of the United States.
The decision of the Attorney General that
person can have " two onationalities-one natu-
raj and the other acquired lis sound. This
case is somewhat, though not exactly, analo-
gous to that of the children of Americans born
in this Kingdom, or many foreign country, who
have not renounced their American citizenship.
S-.A-f'ld-ouau-Ulr-- sEIraass- 'ilIU tie UoTn
American citizens, and the other accidental, or
acquired by birth on foreign soil Such chill
dren owe allegiance to the Sovereign under
whom they were born, so long as they remain
in his jurisdiction Whenever they return to
America, they resume their natural allegiance,
provided they have done no act to forfeit it.
a few years since, Congress passed law
which embodied the above principle-that the
children of American citizens, where both pa
rents were Americans, should possess all the
rights Of citizenship enjoyed by their parents,
whenever they might return to America In |
case, however, they did not return to America,
lisir children should not be considered as
Americans, but as citizens or subjects of the /
country in which they were born. The law
vas enacted to settle the disputed question how
ar American citizenship should descend to the
oOsterity Of Americans residing abroad, and if
We remember rightly it was re-published here.
IN the case Of the German lad referred to, if he
narries German wife and remains in Ger
many, their children would Be Germans. But
he migrates to America and marries an Ameri-
an wife, or even if he larries German wife
nd migrates to America, their children would
e Americans This illustrates more clearly
han anything else, the double nationality
Thieh person can possess, and very properly
%, for there need be no conflict Of national ,
laims. In the event of war between the two i
ations to which they owe allegiance, persons I
assessed Of two nationalities, are bound to as 9
st whichever country they choose to reside
!; nor will it probably be held to be treason +
} join the army or navy of one against the I
her, though no such case has been known to P
,rur