Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-17
The HUMANITARIAN Ouestion.

Editor Morning Aet1s have been think
ing over the question put to you by your
correspondent "K, " and which you answer
In this mornings NEWS. Before the war Of
1s12-15 with Great Britain your answer
would have been absolutely correct. But
to-day, according to the notifications of
the principles Of naturalization impressed
upon the laws Of nations by our govern
ment, think that your reply, while techni-
cally right, is not, however, practically
sound.
By the Constitution, Congress has the
power "to establish an uniform rule Of natu-
ralization," an attribute of sovereignty
granted by the States to the General Gov
eminent for the common welfare of all.
That is, the power to confer upon foreigners
or aliens the privileges and obligations that
NAV attach to citizens OF the United States
This power to naturaliZe we had to sustain
against Great Britain In our war OF 1928,
although she had herself naturaliZed foreign
ers and aliens for nearly four hundred years
But her long European wars had drained
her of men for foreign service in her army
and navy, and In her desperation and AFRO
gance she denied our power to naturalize
her subjects This was the real cause of
this true cause is not mentioned, and prop
erly omitted, as we could not admit its dis
cussion, England practically abandoned her
position, and the British principle of "once
a subject, always a subject" In eonse-
quence, our country has extended and
strengthened her views Of naturalization,
in connection with the vast and various ina
migrations from European countries into
ours, until the right Of expatriation has be-
come in our international relations almost a
complete right, defendable by circumstantial
evidence as well as by statutory enactment
la the case in point cannot think that a
young man born, in Savannah, we will say,
of English parents, would, or should, on
arrival at twenty one years of age, be re-
quired to file declaration of intention to
become a citizen of the United States, and
wait until he was twenty-six years old be-
fore he could take the oaths and be one
The fact of voluntary domlclle for twenty
one years by his parents has legal bearing
upon the question, unless they have uni
formly and decidedly maintained and de-
clared, everywhere and at all times, their
nationality, and have lived always under
the protection Of the British Consul and
flag. II they have not done so themselves,
and so trained their children, they have
tacitly, in fact, aban doned British protec-
ton, and in place of it, invested themselves
and their children with that of the United
STATES; ana DO not their children, growing
up as Americans with the American chill
dren about them, absorb, as It were, the
principle of American citizenship; and on
arriving at legal age, may they not deter
mine their obligations, as the American
young men do, by the exercise of the privi-
lege of voGing at national election? For
the exercise of the ballot is the highest
privilege Of citizenship, and declaration Of
citizenship IN its perfect sense.
The question of your correspondent K. is
an exceedingly nice and interesting one, in
volving consequences Of moment; such as,
could such native born American of Eng
lish parents, living under the protection of
the United States, as citizens OF the eoun-
try, be ineligible for the Presidency and
Vice Presidency? And would not such an
one in time of war, who had used the bal
lot, be held by court martial as an Ameri-
can citizen and be shot for desertion, should
he have committed the crime of abandoning
his colors for those of the enemy! These
and other important results invest the
inquiry of K. with marked interest,
as they may readily occur, many foreign
ers residing In the United States under its
flag, 10 virtual forgetfulness, or abandon
ment OF that under which they were born1
whose children must certainly be in q ma
tional sense, something more, ."than.neither
flesh, or fish, or good red herring"
H. G. w.
Sa0ann0h, February 16, 1881.