The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-04-25
Defense OF Naturaiized Citizens.

States, recently, the question being
the rights of naturalized citizens,
and the neglect of those rights by
our present minister to England.
Senator Voorhees,, of Indiana,
made q mastery statement of the
case. In the course of his re-
marks he read an extract from a
letter written by General Cass in
1859, who asserted that the right
of expatriation could not at that
day be doubted or denied in the
United States. "But," said he,
"still earlier than the letter of
Gen. Cass, from which l have read,
the law of American honor,
strength and glory was announced
in such majesty Of truth and
power by William l.. Marcy, that
recur to it now in these degen-
crate days with a feeling of a
traveller in a burning desert as he
approaches the cooling healing
waters of fountain in tn e depths
of a grove. Honored forever be
his name. William L. Marcy!
What American can read his i'm
mortal dispatch to Hulsemann
touching the arrest and imprison-
ment of Martin Koszta by the
Austrian Emperor, without feeling
his patriotism kindle into a fame,
and his pride of country rise high
er toward the zenith? koszta was
not yet citizen of the United
States; he had simply declared
his intention to become one.
McSweeney's naturalization papers
are full and complete; Kos2ta had
been domiciled iu this country
less than two years; McSweeney
nas resided here, and been we'll
known aud respected business
mau quarter OF a c,-'tury in San
Francisco" Mr.. Voorhees, then
quoted from Nr. Marcy the follow
ing language: <'Giring effect to
these we'll established principles,
and applying them to the facts in
the case, the result is that Kostza
acquired while in the United
States their natural character, that
he retained that character when
he was seized at Smyrna, and that
he had the right TO be respected
as such while there by Austria
snd every other foreign power.
The right of nation to protect,
and require others to respect, at
home and abroad, all who arc
clothed with its nationality, is no
new doctrine, now for the first
time brought into operation by
the United States. 1t is comon to
all nations ard has had the sanction
of their practice for ages: bat it is
new that nj this late period, when
the United States asserts claim
10 IL as common inheritance, il
should at once be discovered thai
il is doctrine fraught with danger
aud likely to compromise the
peace of the world. The United
States sees no cause for alarm
and no reason for renouncing fol
themselves what others have SC
long and SO harmlessly enjoyed.
Mr.. Voorhees, then continued
"Sir, these are high, heroic words
and they will become the occasion
An American sloop of war, the
St. Louis, Captain 1ngraham,
commander, had with shotted gun:
and lighted matches. rescued in &
distant sea from chains, dungeons
and certain death, the person of 6
wanderer and an exile, who had
barely touched our shores, but
who in that brief stay had clothed
himself with the mantle of Ameri.
can nationality. The imperial
house Of Hapsburg demanded that
the government OF the Uunited
States should deliver n N up to
Austrian vengeance; that it should
disavow the conduct of Captain
1ngraham aud all the American
agents in the affair, punish them
severely and then tend to Austris
such satisfaction as she might
deem proportionate to the outrage
complained Of. And in order to
enforce this demand upon the