The Evansville Daily Journal

CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST 22.

Naturalized Citizens Abroad.
The policy of the present administration
upon this important question in our foreign
affairs, remains as yet very much mixed and
undefined. We find the President avowing
in his inaugural, that "the rights which belong
to us as a nation, are not alone to be regarded,
but those which belong to every citizen in
his individual capacity at home and abroad,
must be sacredly maintained. It will be his
privilege, and must be his acknowledged right,
to stand unabashed even in the presence of
princes, and that he cannot, in legitimate
pursuit, wander so far from home that the
agent whom he shall leave behind in the Pre-
sidential office, will not see that no rude hand
of power or tyrannical passion is laid upon
him with impunity. He must realize that
upon every sea, and upon every soil, where
our enterprise may rightfully seek the pro-
tection of our flag, American citizenship is
an inviolable panoply for the security of Ame-
rican rights."

This fulsome and patriotic program of the
policy of the administration, foreshadowed by
the President's inaugural, turns out to have
been only a time serving rhetorical flourish:
the policy of the inaugural simply, not that
of the government.

In our own city, that portion of the inaugu-
ral relating to naturalized citizens, was
hailed with delight, by many of our German
citizens who had been deterred from visiting
their fatherland, because their rights as Amer-
rican citizens were not respected by the des-
pots of the Prussian government.

The Secretary of State, Mr. Marcy, has
been repeatedly addressed upon this subject:
as the official exponent of the policy of the
administration, in relation to this most im-
portant matter in our foreign affairs. Of Mr.
Marcy then, we are to learn the true policy
of the administration, and from his letters we
do learn that the fulsome inaugural was all a
farce.

Read the above quotation from the Presi-
dent's maiden inaugural, and contrast its burn-
ing patriotic sentiments with the following
letter, which we have published once before,
and see what it means when officially inter-
preted by the Secretary of State:

Department of State,
Washington, July 6, 1853.

Mr. A. Henry Bidwell,
Milwaukee, Wis.

Sir: In reply to your letter of the 28th
ult, I have the honor to inform you, that
Prussia claims the right to hold to military
duty those of her subjects who emigrate to oth-
er countries and become naturalized there, with-
out first procuring a certificate of emigration:
and that she has in some cases, effected by
violence the performance of such military
duties from such persons returning there.

The interference of the U. S. Govern-
ment in behalf of those naturalized in this
country has been to no purpose, and Prussia
has not given up her claims to them.

I am sir, &c.
W. L. MARCY.

The President's high flung inaugural, offi-
cia!ly interpreted by the proper officer, in-
stead of meaning that the rights of American
citizens shall be "sacredly maintained at home
and abroad," means that any despotic menial
with a crowned head, can fine, imprison, sub-
ject to military duty, and require whatever ob.
ject it pleases, with impunity. It means, as
the Secretary states in another letter, that
American citizens, instead of enjoying "their
acknowledged right to stand unabashed even
before princes," must make, individually, ap-
plication to the Bavarian government, and as-
certain the terms upon which an adopted
AMERICAN CITIZEN can visit his native
land in "legitimate pursuit" of his business.

Such application has been made by one of our
own citizens, who has for years enjoyed all
the rights of citizenship, and he is by the des-
potism of that government simply required to
furnish a substitute in the army for the length
of time they allege he owes service, or pay a
fine of $500, and comply with certain other
strictures equally rigorous and tyrannical
and he is then, "by the grace of his Majesty,
king of Bavaria," allowed to visit his domi-
nions in a "legitimate pursuit."

Our neighbor of the Enquirer jumps at the
meritorious conduct of Capt. Ingraham, as
an evidence that the "noble declarations of
President Pierce are to be maintained at the
cannon's mouth." Now let us suppose for a
moment, that Capt. Ingraham had not seen
fit to act upon his "own hook" in this case,
but had awaited instructions from Washing-
ton, would the doctrine of the inaugural fic-
tion have been sent him, or would Secretary
Marcy have been consistent with himself on
other occasions, and acknowledged the doc-
trine contained in the letter above referred
to?

The Enquirer entertains no doubt that the
conduct of Capt. Ingraham will meet the ap-
proval of the government. We sincerely
hope it will, and have no doubt it will meet
the warmest approbation of the people of this
country; but such conduct is nevertheless
diametrically at war with the policy of this
government as officially declared by Secretary
Marcy. The Enquirer congratulates itself
that the "true Yankee mode of illustrating
national rights has been handsomely illustra-
ted at last," and hopes that the example,
whenever the exigency may require it, will
be followed up. Will the Enquirer have
the goodness to enlighten its readers, as to
which of the "Yankees" has so handsomely
made this true illustration of national rights?
Is it Capt. Ingraham? If so, he has done
it in direct violation of the policy of the
"agent he left behind in the presidential
office," as announced through the proper offi-
cial channel.

The policy dictated by Marcy, which is of
course the officially expressed will of the
President, cannot consistently approve the
proceeding of Capt. Ingraham, in refusing
at the cannon's mouth to acknowledge the
right of a foreign power to imprison and oth-
erwise molest American citizens. A "Yan-
kee illustration" of a double somerset will
be necessary on the part of Gen. Pierce and
his Premier, in order to approve the
conduct of Capt. Ingraham. It only re-
mains to be seen now, which doctrine is to be
adopted, that which secures to adopted citi-
zens full and equal rights, as "handsomely
illustrated" by Capt. Ingraham, or that which
only promises those rights, and allows for-
eign despots to dictate the terms upon which
they can be enjoyed. Those terms are dis-
tinctly known to this government, to involve
the life, liberty and property of American
citizens. Yet the Secretary of State says,
that "interference on the part of the United
States is to no purpose," and further directs,
or rather advises, that adopted citizens of
the United States wishing to visit the land
of their nativity, make application to the
government in question, and make the best
terms they can.

This is "protecting the rights of American
citizens at home or abroad" with a ven-
geance.