The sun., 1878-12-04
How German A merican Citizens are
Protected,


Mr.. EvARrs has shown his hand clearly In
regard TO the protection Of naturalsed Ger
man citizens who may come under tho opcr
alton Of tho BANCROFT treaty, In recent let
ter to Mr.. RUDOLPH LEXow Of this city. Hc
states. first, that the treaty allows the
German Government to consider a sojourn Of
two years to be u remuneration Of tho citizon-
ship Of the United States; !" and, secondly,
that latter the expiration OF the two years
period tho Federal Government would
therefore, on its part, not regard protect
ing Intervention as matter Of course but
make II dependent upon special considcra-
tions whether IL would be proper to insist
upon American citizenship"
There Is no subterfuge in these declara-
tions, or evasion such as has heretofore been
practised by GRANT, FISH. BANCROFT
DAvIs and others, who treachcrously sur
rendered the rights of native and naturalized
citizens In Germany in order TO crafty tho
exorbitant demands Of Prince BISMARCK
and to propitiate his personal favor. The
avowal is boldly made that the German
Government may destroy citizenship ere
ated under tho Constitution OF the United
States whenever the naturalizcd citizen Of
this country may think proper TO exceed a
soiourn Of two years in Germany.
The monstrous character of that treaty Is
made more manifest when 1t Is seen that II
foreign Government. and that, too, by con
sent OF the United Ssates. may do what no
State in the Union can do. The Constitu-
tion OF the United States, in Article XIV,
section l, Declares
An persons born or naturAiIed in the United states
and subject to the jurisdiction thereof citizens OF the
United States and of the STATE wherein they reside No
STATE shall make enforce any law which shall abudgc
the privileges imnumues OF ciuEens VI the Unitsi
statean
The privileges and immunites thus guar
anteed TO all citizens, and which no State
can abridge, are not only entirely aban-
doned by the treaty but the German Gov
ernmcnt has gone much further than the
obnoxious treaty allows, and actually de-
prlved a native-born citizen OF his liberty by
conscription, without word Of remon-
strance. Nay, more than that; in the case
OF young STEGNKAULER, born In st. Louis OF
naturalized parents, who was seized and
treated as n German subject and consoripted
into tho army, GRANTS Administration JUS
titled the outrage through the Department
OF State, and upheld IL by an opinion from
Attorney-General PIERREPoNT. That opinion
deserves TO be branded as an Official infamy
without a parallel In American history.
Since the foundation OF the Government,
Mr. EvARTs is the first 10 announce
that adopted citizens Of German birth will
not receive protection as matter OF right
and duty from the executive department
but II they by any accident exceed the limit
OF two years sojourn, their cases will be
made dependent upon special considera
tlons." Though his predecessor, and his
faithless Minister at Berlin, and the whole
crew that formed the GRANT shoddy court
at Washington, did their best to degrade
German citizens by gross inequality, anG
joined with BIsMARoK in stamping inferi
ority on their passports, they never ven
turcd TO make public proclamation, as Mr.
EvARTs has done, that these citizens have NJ
rights which the Government Is bound u
recognize or 10 respect.
Congress il now regularly organized, anC
it is hardly possible, after these exposures
that there will be any delay In passing
the joint resolution that was Introduce
yesterday, requiring notice 90 be given i'm
mediately for terminating tho BANCROFT
treaty, and restoring German-Amerlcan citl
zcns 10 their rightful position. This is
public duty not TO be neglected Aside from
that duty, there are n number Of members o
the House who hold their seats by the votes
OF these valuable citizens They, at least
should exhibit some concern for constltu
ents who may be exposed any day TO q repe
| ttion OF similar indgnitlos.