New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-04
AN AMERICAN ABROAD.
Mr.. CRAWFORD EARNESTLY DENIES THAT HE
HAS FORFEITED HIS CITIZENSHIP.

Mr.. CRAWFORD EARNESTLY DENIES IhhL NE
HAS FORFEITED HIS CITIZENSHIP.
TO tho Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: During the past years many friendly critl'
cisms and appreclatve notices OF my work nave ap'
peared In Tho Tribune that venture to beg little
space I'm your columns In which to make state
ment concerning myself. 1t has been repeatedly SAID
Of me- and Of late the assertion seems TO have iouhd
crcdence that | am not an American dc facto, and
1t Is questioned whether am citizen OF the
United states de lure. The doubt cast upon my
nationality have had It's origin In the fact
that have lived abroad many years. To this
might answer that my father, Thomas Crawford, the
sculptor came 10 Italy at the age OF twenty-five, and
lived almost wholly In Rome until he died, In Lon
don at the age OF forty fOnr. Yet no one seems ever
to have taken him for an italian or an English
man because the circumstances Of his and
the necessities of his art made It almost indispensable
for him to live ont Of his own country.
Ny position Is almost exactly Identical with MS.
suppose It will be granted by reasonable people that
n man who lives by his work should establish him
self wherever he find abundance Of raw ma
teral suitable for the exercise Of his craft, and,
further, that man may by nature and education
be better able TO make OF one sort Of material
than Of another Because my father lived abroad, |
was brought up abroad, and foreign subjects are
therefore much familiar to me thnn American
ones. should be the last to deny the existence in
nv own country, Of matter for fiction in as large q
measure ms may be found anywhere else, but TO those
who know anything about writing would point out
that what Is needed for good novel Is not only a
story plot or a dramatic situation, but thorough
knowledge OF the scenery to be employed, and per
feet familiarity with the characters, manners and
customs Of the dramats personac. such familiarity
and knowledge are only to be acquired by careful
study extending oyer many years, and In my case
necessarily involving cessation of activity In the
direction circumstances have chosen for me. Under
the tendency OF the times to specialize in all branches
Of science and art American fiction has become a
specially, like Russian leather, the English Navy
and the Ncapotan guitar, TO succeed In which man
must be born muIk sailor or good for nothing. The
competition Is great. the competitors nre gifted, and
even we're I able to spare five years for study In
order to match myself with Them should be tolerbly
certain Of failure
Am any the less an American for this reason' IT..
rs | have always been Taught am free does my
freedom permit me to get my living in the best way
can does it nO2 ! am aware indeed, that a
Russian subject can neither live in his country nor
out OF IL without written authorization for ms ex,
stencc and | believe that this has been calico
tyranny I'm our own country, and In all PROBABILITY
similar law to myself and to others who are more
or less obliged 10 live abroad. 30 far as ! KNOW
however. no such law has vet been passed III the
United states, and 1t seems 10 me that an Aretic'n
claim his citizenship. until he IS foolish enough 10
forfeit it by accepting foreign decoration ior ms
coat. by taking foreign money for service rendered
10 a foreign government by hosting a foreign
trusting that have not trcspassed too far upon
your valuable space, and thanking you beforehand
II KIM * 10 insert tnlN fttI ii, '"'
yoir, truly L. MARION CRAWFORD.
sorrento. June 80 1s92.