Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-19
Cleveland ON American Citizen
ship


the Court of st. James, an indignant IN
meeting was held at Buffalo over which
Grover Clevelend presided. lie deliv.
cred the following inimitable speech on
taking the chair;
Fsiiow Citizens This is the formal
mode Of address on occasions of this
kind, but think we seldom realize
fully it's meaning or how valuable n
thing 1t Is TO be citizen.
From the earliest civilization, to be q
citizen has been to be a free man, en-
lowed with certain privileges and adj
vantages and entitled to the full protec.
ton of the State. The defense and
protection of personal rights of its citi
zens has always been the paramount
and most important duty of free, en-
lightencd government.
Aud perhaps no government has this
sacred trust more in its keeping than
this-the best and freest of them all; for
here the people who are to be protected
are the source Ct those powers which
they delegate upon the express compact
that the citizen shall be protected. For
this purpose we choose those who, for
the time being. shall manage their ma
chinery, which we have set up for our
defense and safety.
And this protection adheres to us in
oil lands aud places az an incident of
citizenship. Let but the weight of a
sacrllegious hand be put upon this sa
cred thing, and gre,t strong govern
ment springs to its feet to ayenge the
wrong. Thus it is that the native. born
American citizen enjoys his birthrights
but when, in the westward march of
empire, this nation was founded and
took root, we hockoned to the Old
World, andinvited theritsimmigration,
and provided n mode by which those
who sought home among us might be
come our fellow citizens. They came
by thousands and hundreds of thou.
sands; they came and
"Hewed the dark old wooks away.
And gave Il virgin fields Today"
They came with strong sinews and
bra wny AIMS to aid in the or with aud
progress # a new country; they came
aud upon our affairs laid their fealty and
submission; they came to our temples OF
Just CT an under the solemuity of an
oath renowned all allegiance to every
state, po;e tate and sovereignty and
surrendered to us all the duty pertain.
ing to such allegiance. We have accept
ed their fealty and invit ID them to sur.
render the protection of their native
land.
And what should be given them in re.
turn? Manifestly, good faith and every
dictate of honor demand that we give
them the same liberty and protection
here and els where which we vouchsafe
| to our native-born citizens. And that this
has been accorded to them is the crown
ing glory of American institutions.
1t needed not the statute winch is now
the law OF the land, declaring that all
naturalized citizens while IN foreign
lands are entitled to and shall receive
from this government the same protec.
ton of person and property which is &c,
corded TO native.born citizens, TO voice
the policy of our nation.
In all lands whtre the semblance OF
liberty Is preserved, the right OF per.
son arrested to speedy accusation and
trial is, or ought TO be, fundamental
law, as it is rule of civilization.
AT any rate, we hold it to be so, and
this is one Of the rights which we under
take to guarantee to any native-born oil
naturdlized citizen of ours, whether h,
be imprisoned by order OF the Gar Of
Russia or under the pretext of law adj
ministered for the benefit of the landed
aristocracy of England.
We do not claim to make laws foi
other countries, but we do insist that
whats oever those laws may be they
shall, in the interests of human freedom
and the rights of mankind, so far as they
involve the liberties of our citizens, be
speedily administered. We have right
to say and do say that mere suspicion
without examination on tr al, is not suf
tieient to justify the long Imprisonment
of citizen OF America. Other nation.
may permit their citizens to be TINS i'm
prisoned. Ours will not And this il
effect has been solemnly declared 10y
statute.
We have met here tonight to consider
this subject and to inquire into the caus,
and the reasons aud the Justice Of til,
Imprisonment OF certain Of our fellow
citizens now held in British prisons with
out the semblance OF trial or legal ex
animation. Our law declares that tn,
government shall act in such cases. Blu
the people are the creators OF the gov
ernment.
The undaunted apostle of the Chris
tian religion, imprisoned and prosecuted
appealing centuries ago to the ROMA
law and the rights of Roman citizenship
] hoIllu da,na nda1. ttIa II ful for vni
to scourge man that is Roman an
uncondemned.n
So, too, might we ask appealingly t.
the law of our land and the laws O
civilization, is it lawful that these on
fellows be imprisoned who are America
citizens and uneondemned,'
| deem it an honor to be called upo
to preside at such meeting, and than
you for it. What is your further pleas
ure!