The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-12
rur rATmERLAND.
,. of xa,ura,,sed German cia-
yeus.

..,.crox November 10.-Tbe state
,..,~,, ~ in constant receipt OF letters
,,or, naturslized citizens who are ns.isesoi
n0sn,anv making inquiry IN relation W
- s,o,us should they return TO Germant,
tn, VA a creat deal OF correspondence mas Deen
A "o necessary 70 snswer the various
Inns 81 ,uou,ry. The Department mas lus.
Ivnnsred circular, which will hereaIIe' oe
lsn, In reply 20 all such letters ,,
The Department OF STATE Iono"s Wv
,,ritorm rule OF declining TO give au op'u'
en- on the merits oil nyPolne.'os' ease'
The conditions under when ,he peIsous
making these inquiries Quilted Tue Iaua vi
tbeir nativity are 30 Sarieu' anu 'n." VI,
sonal status, not only Win Iespec. " n.'i.'
sou"' 80 nm, with regard also TO their ter
tatY uu't ,,oeSarce under the diverse laws OF
I it.n al sta,es Of the German Empire, Is
Tue r,,Iev that il Is impossible Tor the
s..'"rmncni 10 say in advance whetber
',,ns,,ons may or may not be rsised Dy inc
fSr"ol authorities under the treaty OF MAUI
rot,,st,on with the North German Unlon' 10
a." con.couept molestation OF The return
49,, traveller. who may be called upon 10
n,ove his acquired nationality and clear
btmself Of the imputation OF having
necndeA against The imperial OF nahona'
loo, nv ouitiing the country while actuaIN
!, military service, or under on eXlsung
local obligation TO report for sucn service
In nractice, however. when ease arises IN
yolyinc a person OF German birth not guIIty
20 The commission OF a crime under German
Iow nrior 10 the act Of emigration, OF OF ne
Item from the ranks, who has become ma
,r,.ljzed IN the United States, and who may
revisit Germany peaceably and IN the evil
dent character OF law-3bidlng American
citizen. maintaining his acquired citizen
chin. and eyincing a manifest intent to re-
ann 10 The United States and ENJOY mere
the rights and perform the lawiul ooilga'
lions OF an American citizen, the prOtec'lon
extended by this Government, ihrOu2h It's
representatives abroad, Is almost always
cficacious. IT, therefore, one reyi'is Ger
many i'm good faith as an American eltlzen.
nrovtdinc himself With the full evidence Of
his ACQUIRED nationality, which Is furnished
Nv his citizen papers, or authenticated CO.
nics thereof, and a passport from the De.
n,rtm,nt Of State. he may be assured Of all
nrorer protection by this Government and
its representatives; but this Department
cannot guarantee any one against the posi-
HE moIcstations which might ensue should
his status be questioned and require iustifi-
cation.
"Tbe naturalization tresty between the
limited States and the North German Con-
federation, rati6caiions OF which were eX.
changed at Berlin May Q, 1868, provides that
citizens Of either country who become ma
turaliZed citizens Of the other and reside
fhcre uninierruptedly for five years shall be
held 10 be citizens OF the country in which
they have become naiuralZed, and shall be
treated as such. This il also declared 10
apply 10 those naturalized in either couD-
try before the treaty a we'll rs those
naturalized thereafter. When the pro-
vlnces Of Alsacc and Lorraine were at
facbcd 10 The German empire the question
arose ~ 10 whether these provinces would
be affected by the treaty. The German
Government held that citizens OF these pro-
yinces were not protected from the duties
OF allegiance 10 Germany through any natu-
radiation i'm The United States, inasmuch as
these provinces were not part OF the en-
Dire when the treaty was concluded. AS a
matter of courtesy, however, the German
Government has always pondedfavorably
whenever this Government has made re-
Quest i'm any particular case OF this kind Tor
tbe release Of a naturaliZed American citi-
zen who had been arrested and held 10:
military service. In the cases OF natives OF
Alsace ana Lorraine who left those pro-
yinces prior to their acquisition by Ger
many and became duly.naturalized citizens
OF the United STATES. the State Department
has always held that such persons never
having owed allegiance 10 Germsny, they
could in no sense rest under any obligations
for military service should they return tc
Germany temporarily, and this has readily
been conceded by the German Govern
mentr