The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-22

The merry crew OF the flndlore naQ
no warrant in English practice for sing
ing.
He right have been Roosan.
\ French or Turk or ProosiAn.
Or perhaps Italian.
Rnt in spite of all temptations
To belong to other Nations
He remains an Enslishman.
Certainly when England was impress
ing sailors on American boats, she did
not concede that an Englishman. what
ever the temptation, might belong to an
other nation. On the contrary. she held
that "once an Englishman. always an
Englishman." and she entirely ignored
the American naturalization Of any one
born in the British Isles.
The American Doctrine.
Many years afterward. when James
Buchanan was Secretary Of State in the
Polk administration. he assailed that
ancient rule and asserted for the first
time the right of men to change their
citizenship. In 1916. Secretary Buchanan
announced that naturalized citizen was
entitled to the same protection as a
native. and again in 1S4s, in letter OF
instruction to George Bancroft. the Min
lister of the United States at London, he
served notice upon the world that the
republic expected foreign governments
to receive and treat all American citizens
alike"
This new principle of self-expatriation.
however. was not SO boldly affirmed
again until ten years later. when Buch-
anan himself was President. The Ger
man kingdom Of Hanover having forced
into its army native Hanoverian. not
withstanding his American naturaliza-
ton. the administration at ashington
declared that the moment foreigner
becomes naturalized. his allegiance to his
native country Is severed forever. He
experiences a new political birth.
Should he return to his native country
he returns as an American citizen and
in no other character. In order to en-
title his original government to punish
him for an offense this must have been
committed while he was a subject and
owed allegiance to that government
Although the Kingdom of Hanover re-
Ftorted that this American view was con-
trary to international law, It released
the young man from military service.
And Buchanan, in his next annual mes
age to Congress. reiterated the opinion
that our government is bound to pro-
tect the rights of our naturalized citi-
zens everywhere to the same extent as
though they had drawn their first breath
in this country
The Right of Expatriation.
Naturally the government at Wash.
ington let the issue rest while the civil
war engaged its energies. Not long after
the return of peace. the question wa,
brought to the front by the Fenian move.
ment. when two citizens of Irish birth
Warren and Costello. who embarked
aboard the brigantine- Jacmel. on a raid
Of the coast of Ireland, were captured
by the British.
Under an old British law that ha,
since been repealed. an alien charged
!, with crime was entitled to be tried by a
jury half British and half foreign. Blu,
this mixed jury was denied to Warner
and Costello on the ground that they
were born in Ireland. and therefore still
were British subjects. p
Their conviction Of treason felony al
Dublin aroused the naturalized Irish In
the United States, and at public meet.
ings all over the country the demand wal
! made that the government should insist
upon the prisoners receiving the benefit of
their American citizenship. The House of
Representatives, under the leadership OF
the late William E. .Richeiieu" Robin.
son. of New York. passed q resolution re.
questing rhe release Of the uniswfully
convicted hen and their return to thu
flag with such ceremonies as are appro.
pirate to the occasion The ceremony
was omitted. but the men were set free.