Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-03-15

UNTO luGluSSlNSS, SpS bhSS NNtA|
hold forever in chains those of man
kind who were so unfortunate as to be
born their subjects. In respect to birth
right and the right Of repatriation, and
the duty of allegiance and protection
and the law OF treason, crowned heads
held to the ancient dogma: Once Il
| citizen always a citizen" II man
was so miserable as to be born the
| slave of a tyrant, he must remain MS
| slave forever. He could never renounce
| his Inflated rthright-could never
! eXpatriate himself to seek for bette"
! country and could never for
! swear the allegiance which bound
/ him to his chains. He mi"ht emigrate,
| might take the wings of the morning
and fly to the uttermCSt parts OF the
/ earth, might cross seas and continents
and put oceans, and rivers, and lakes
and mountains between him and the
! throne in the shadow of which he was
! born. and he would still "but drag 4
| frightening chain" Still the despo-
! tsm might pursue him. find and bind
him as a subject slave. If America
beckOned to him to fly to her for free
dom. and to give her the cunning and
the strength of his right arm to help
ameliorate her huge proportions and
to work out her grand destiny, the
tyrant had to be asked for passports
and permission to eXpatriate. But they
came-loi they came! Our laws en-
couraged them to come. Before rs, Vir
ginia and all the colonies encouraged
immigration. 1t was a necessity as
we'll as a policy of the whole country.
Early in the revolution, the kings
forces hung some of the best blood of
the colonies under the maxim. "Once
a citizen always citizen" They were
traitors if found fighting for us, be-
cause they were once subjects. Wash
ington was obliged to hold hostages to
prevent the application of this barbar
Gus doctrine of tyranny AIT last our
struggle ended, and our independence
was recognized. George III. was com
PEELED to renounce our allegiance to
him though We were born his subjects
But still, when we came to our separ-
ate existence, we were called on to
recognize the same odlous maxim,
still adhered to by the despOts of Eur
ope: "Once citizen, always a citi-
zen"
Subjects were still told that they
should not eXpatriate themselves, anu
America was warned that she should
not naturallze them without the con-
sent Of their monarch masters. Spurn
ing this dogma and the tyrants who
boosted the power to enforce it, the 4th
power which the convention of llo..
that formed our blessed Constitution
enumerated is: "The Congress shan
have power TO establish an uniform
rule OF naturalization.
We conclude for this week as fol-
lows:
The meaning of this was, to say by
public law to all Europe and her COM
blDed courts, Your dogma, once a
citizen always citizen, shall cease
forever as to the United States OF
North America. We need population
to smooth our rough places, and to
make our crooked places straight; but
above and beyond THAT policy we are,
with the help of God resolved that
this new and giant land shall be one
vast asylum for the oppressed of every
other land, now and foreveri' That is
my reading of our law OF liberty.
Those born in bondage might raise
their eyes up in hope Of better coun-
tryl They might, and should If they
would, eXpatriate Themselves, fly from
slavery and chains, and come!-Ho,
every one OF them, come to our country
and be free with us! They might for
swear their allegiance to despots, ana
.irould be allowed here to take an oath
to liberty and her flag, and her free
dom, and they should not be pursued
and pun she'd as traitors. When they
came and swore that our country
should be their country, we Wou!d
swear to protect them as If in the coun
try born, as if natives-i. e. as natuarliz
ed citizens. and they should be our citi
zens and be entitled to protection. And
this was in conformity to the only true
idea of Naturalization" which accord
cal sense, means, when one who is an
alien is made natural subject by act
Of law and consent of the sovereign
power Of the state" The consent of our
sovereign power is written in the Con
stitution of the United States, and
Congress, at an early day after It's
adoption passed the acts of natural1za
ton. The leading statute is that OF
April 18th, 1902. 1t provided that any
alien, being a free white person, may
be admitted to become citizen OF the
United States, or any of them, on the
following conditions, and not other
wise:
1st. That he shall have declared on
oath of affirmation before the supreme,
superior, district or circuit court OF
some one of the states, or of the terri
torial districts Of the United States or
circuit or district court of the U. s.
three years 1.-TWO years by act of May
26th, 1924 at least before hds admis-
sion that it was his bona fide inten-
ton to become a citizen Of the United
States, and to renounce forever all al
| legiance and fidelity to any foreign
prince, potentate, state or sovereignty,
! whereof such alien may at the time be
citizen or subject.
! End. That he shall, at the time OF
! his application to be admitted declare
on oath or affirmation before some one
of the courts aforesaid, that he will
support the Constitution Of the United
| States, and that he doth absolutely
! 81 oo+;roI,, ,onounoo opd odiura all