The Rock Island Argus., 1882-04-19
ROCK ISLAND & MERCER CO., r. r..
VOORHEES, ON ExPATRIATIoN.

WASHINGTON, April 14--After the SEN
ate this afternoon, had passed over great
mass of petty bills on the calendar, Senator
Dan Voorhees, introduced resolution
which served as the basis Of a speech on
the policy of the state department in the
matter of the American subjects now in
confinement in Great Britain. At first
there was very little attention paid to what
the Indiana Senator had to say; but he
had apparently entered into the subject
with great deal more than his usual
earnestness, and the result was that be-
fore he had been talking five minutes he
had the profound attention of the entire
Senate and the packed galleries. The lat
ter part of his speech was the nearest ap-
proach to anything like real eloquence
heard in the Senate for some time There
was vein of hearty patriotism and loyal
Indignation throught the closing para
graphs that called forth mods of approval
and at times hearty applause, that was
with difficulty checked by the chair The
Senator showed marked contrast between
Secretary of State and the present admin |
Senator Voorhees, read an ex
tract from letter written by Gen. Cass, |
in 1856, who asserted that the right of ex-
patriation could not at that day be doubt |
ed or denied in the United States. But"
said he, ''still earlier than the letter of |
Gen Cass. from which [ have read, the |
law of American honor, strength, and glory |
wns announced in such majesty of truth |
and power that I recur to it now in
tkese degenerate days with the feeling of |
a tfstveler in the burning desert as he APP |
proaches the cooling, healing waters of |
fountain in the depths of a grove. William
l.. Marcy-honored forever be his name.-
what American can read this immortal LET |
ter to Husleman, touching the arrest and |
in plisonment of Martin Kotza by the Aus
trian empire, without feeling his patriotism
kindled into flame and his pride of country
rising to the zenith? On the 29th day of |
1853, the great democratic |
secretary of state proclaimed the following |
grand utterances to the listening, expect |
ant, and wondering nations of the earth.
Whenever, by the operation of the law |
of nations an individual becomes clothed |
with our national character tC be native
born or naturalized citizen, an exile driven
from his early home by political oppres-
sion or an emigrant cnticed from it by the
hope of a better fortune for himself and
bis posterity, he can claim the protection
Of this government, and it may respond to
that claim without being obliged to ex-
plain its conduct to any foreign power for
i is its duty to make its nationality respect
I'd by other nations and respectable in
Every quarter of the globe. International
aw looks only to the national character in
what country has the right to
protect. If person goes from this coun-
ry abroad with the nationality of the United
Sta les. this law enjoins upon other nations
o respect him in regard TO protection as
n American citizen.
''Kotza was not yet a citizen of the
United States. continued Mr.. Vorhees; he
lad simply declared his intention to become
me. McSweeney's naturalization papers
re full and complete. KotZa had domicie
n this country less than two years ;McSwee-
icy has resided, a well-known and
business man, quarter
f century, in San Francisco"
Mr. Voorhees, again quoted from Marcy
he following language:
Giving effect to these well-established
rinciples and applying them to the facts
q the case, they result, in that Kostza ac- !
uired while in the United States, the ma
onal character; that he retained that
haraeter when he was seized at Smyrna,
nd that he had right=to be respected as
aeh while there by Austria and every
ther foreign power The right of nation
> protect and require others to respect, at
ome and abroad, all who are clothed with i
s nationality, is no new doctrine, now for
he first time brought into operation by the
Enited States. It is common to all ma ,
ons, and has had the sanction of their
ractice for ages; but it is new that at this
tie period, when the United States asserts
claim to it as a common inheritance, it
louId at once be discovered that it is
octrine fraught with danger, and likely
} compromise the peace of the world.
he United States see no cause for alarm
nd no reason for renouncing for them
elves what others have SC. long and so :
armlessly enjoyed :,
Mr.. Voorhees, then continued: i
Sir, these are high, heroic words, and .
hey well become the occasion. An Amer I