, 1880-11-21
Contingencies Enumerated That
May Lead to an Extra Ses-
sion Of Congress.
A Remarkably Clean Balance
Sheet Presented by the Post
Office Department..
Two Hundred Million Dollars Fan
died Without ANY Perceptible
Leakage.
Southern Revenue Collectors Ordered to
Enforce the Laws at All Haz-
ards.
CAPITALIZATION.


~ ~
STATE DEPARTMENT EXPLANATIONS
Special Dtspateh to The CAteag7 Tribune
WASHINGTON. b. C., Nov. 20.-Gcrmau-Amer
lean citizens in Chicago md elsewhere have ex-
pressed great indignation at what they cnaf-
acterlze as the circular of Secretary EFarts re-
Epecting American citizens of German DlFth'
so.ne very vigorous protests on this subject have
t,ecn received at the State Department Inc
Illinois Stddts- Ztifung. in making an earilest
attack upon this circular, characlerizes 1t as a
painful testtmonium paupertatis Of its author.
who, after that, has right TO be regarded -' rs
a statesman. but merely an attorney, and
that most timid and weak one
The Stdne- Zcitung then adds: - Mr.. Garfield
mar congratulate himself that the Evarts
letter gut into publicity only after the election.
II published before, and properly exposed by the
German press. It would hare cost the Rcpuh-
iican party as many votes as the forged Chinese
letter, and that justly too, for 1t proves that
under the Presidency OF Mr.. Hayes. aotwith-
Standing the presence in his Cabinet Of Ger
1nun-Amcrican. the protection of the rights OF
German Americans has been most miserable
one. Mr.. Evarts has simply left that to the
gracious pleasure Of the German Imperial au-
lhorities. II they please to listen to the repre-
sentations OF troubled German-American,
that trouble ceased; if not not"
Inquiry ut the State Department to-day shows
that there is
4 MISREPRESENTATION,
both IS to what is called the circular and as to
1ne intentions, Instructions, and practices OF the
United States Government and the State De
partment regarding the German American citi
zen. Secretary Evarts was absent to-day, but
an official, speaking FOR him. said that the State
Department has In no proper sense issued any
such circular, and that this called circular Is
Simply ssereotyped form of letter which has
fraat n6n tod tn f{fy1n ur,d r1c 3r0E
force in answering hundreds OF letters Of
similar import This letter was never intended
for publication as circular. The circum-
stances under which 1t was prepared were these:
The State Department constantly receives let
ters from German-Americans about to visit
their native country, setting forth the facts of
their personal history as regards military serv-
Ice in the old country. and asking whether, In
the opinion Of the State Department, the au-
thorties OF the German Province from which
the inquirer came would be likely to interfere
with him. and IL SO, whether the United States.
through its diplomatic and consular officers,
would interfere to protect him. TheS State Depart
ment formerly attempted to make specific reply
to each inquiry. but the clerical force was in
adequate fer such purposes as in the main the
inquiries covered
THE SANE GENERAL SUBJECT.
The stereotypedHorua Of reply was adopted, as
ernment. with respect to different classcs Of
inquiries.
The United States has no treaties on natural
1zaton with the North German Empire. The
treaties now In effect are the Bancroft treaties
with Prussia and the other German States.
These States, under the North German
Confederation. have retained their autonomy,
and interpret treaties and statutes according to
their own precedence and In their own way. It
E1rDpp8 That has DIR tsyt,- n
fair Interpretation OF the Bancroft treaties, but
that some OF them are more severe against
Americans In their construction Of them than
others are The State Department could not
undertake. therefore, in each Individual case to
decide whether any particular Gcrman-Ameri-
can citizen has performed his military duty, or
whether he could he technically considered by
any German province rs deserter, or what
construction any particular province OF which
he might he n native might place upon the
treaties Accordingly, the State Department
Sent out In response to private letters the fol-
lowing answer:
DOMESTIC CIRCULAR ro.1
DEfARTNEST or STATE, WASHINGTON, D. c.,
Nov. L-Iour letter uf the -, addressed to
-. IN relation to your status as naturalized
citizen of the United States in the event of your
return to your native country, Germany, has
been received, and am directed by the Secre-
tAry ct State to make reply thereto. Your 1u-
Hury belongs to large class In which the Dc
partment of Stute follows the uniform, ME
pf declining to giye IN opinion on the
merits Ut the Hypothetical case presented. The
conditions under which the persons making
these inquiries quilted the land OF their uatfsity
Rre so varied and their personal status, not only
with respect to military duty but with regard
eso TO their territorial allegiance under the d.
verse Laws OF the several States Of the German
ttnplre, Is so complex, that 1t is impossible for
Ahis Government to sag In advance whelher
4oesuons nay or may not be raised by the local
aulnofa1es under the Treaty Of Naturalization
suu ene Norm German Union to the conse-
4uen1 'oo'estanon OF the returning traveller
NY 1n"S oe ca4ied upon to prove his acquired
naoonal's. ana c'eaf himself OF the imputation
~ "a'!ue ouenueu aealnst the Imperin1 or M
uo"n "a" w qu1ttau8 the country While actually
-. ..4'.s ee!'4ee Vt uaoef an existing obl'sa-
@on ~ 1epo4t 4of suen SERVICE IN practice,
uo"e'cr' ~ ~nea case arises involving person