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. CITIZEN, .sAfl'Um)AY, I APRIL“ 8, : isisifm I V I I 317
' ever! Ars they to forget the two million graves dug by this same nif-
nnn- --i.-ii ..n- -‘
:2 Incl!
of their exterminated fathers and mothers, hsarihs that were wann
in the days of their youth. where now grass is growing to fatten bul-
locks for the British Market-forget the hopes and die vows of’48r
silent and secret now, but not abandoned, not recanted-forget the
wrongs, and the insults adding sting to wrongs, which have em-
bittered their sojounr in their own land ever since, and have made
them almost ashamed, in foreign lands, to be known for Irishmen
at all--forget all this, and troop by tens of thousands alter the fife
and drum that recruit soldiers for England, and Despotisni, and
‘ the Devil 1 ' r
In that cause, if they are victors, they vanquish their own kin-
drcd and their own oifspring-vl'hoso falls in that cause, dioth as
a fool, and as a dog dieth.
Jorlrr IIr'rcllr:l,.
. New York;-IYFII Elli, REA ;
ARE NATIVE AMERICANS BRITISH SIIIITECTSI,
This is a strange question; still stranger is its solution in the
slhrmstivs of a Court of Elritisll law. From a report in the Lon-
don Timu, we learn that on die Gtll of March, in the Vice-Chaim
celIor's court of London, Sir John Stuart dclivercd judgment; in
the matter of Mary J. Dawson, a minor, whose guardianship was
claimed by her maternal aunt, Miss Eliza Jay, of the State of New
York. The case does not seem to have attracted in this country
the attention it deserves, either as regards the personal rights and
liberties of American citizens involved, or the political conse-
quences of an international nature that would flow from the doc-
trine. The importance of the decision, as we shall soon see, is
greatly enhanced by the circumstances of the present oriuni in
British affairs. The Lacts, as they appeared on the face of the
- judgment, are bi-telly these: ;
The infant was born in this city. Her father was an English-
man who settled in New York many years ago as a merchant, and
oblainingletters of naturalisation, became an adopted citizen. Her
mother was allliss Jay, a native born American citizen, and grand
r daughter of Chief Justice Jay of the United States. On the death
of her mother in I846, the child became entitled to land in the
neighborhood of New York, worth about $60,000. For some
‘time prior to this event, her paternal aunt, Miss Mary Anne Daw-
son, an English lady, continued to reside with the infant until the
death of her father in 1851, and shortly after removed her to Phil-
sdelphia on a visit. In June, 12352, it was proposed that her ‘pu.
ternal or English uncle, Ilobert Lee Dawson, be appointed guar-
., llian of the infant, which was opposed in the Prerogative Court, on
the ground that he was not a resident of the State. A compro-
miso was elfectsd, by which the maternal or Arnercian relativrs
consented that Mary Anna Dawson should be appointed guar-
dian on condition that the infant should be brought up in the Uni-
" ted States. The child was subsequently removed to Maryland,
where heruucle, Mr. Dawson, was appointed her guardian, and she
was again brought back to New York. with a view to remove hsr to
England. An injunction was granted against the removal, by‘ the
Supreme Court of New York, and Miss Jay was at the same time
appointed guardian. - Notwithstanding‘ the injunction, the in-
fant was carried oll'to England by her paternal aunt Miss Dawron,
in October, 1852, and this in violation ofa solemn promise in writ-
. ing, that she would bring up the child in America, teaching her to
consider it as her home. Under these circumstances, Miss: Juy
asked the VicbChanccllor's Court in England, to appoint herguar-
dian, with a view to the infant's returning to the United States luld
being broughtup here. The Vice-Chancellor refused tho prayer of
the petition, on the ground that the child, though a native of the
United States, is I subject of the British Crown ! The ibllowiilg
q are the words oftllc judgment :- l
“The father of the infant W18. 3 British subject, and is paid to
I the rights of an American citizen, did not absolve him from his
duties, or deprive him of his rigllu as a British subject, and his
’ ban: in America, of I marriage contracted with an American
lady, and with an American domicile, and under the protection of
American laws, is, nevertheless. a subject of the Crown of Log-
Can the farce of nrilnh inrpudclicc further go: Hitherto the
i f‘ allegiance of British born subjects has been claimed by England,
afler they have abjured allegiance to her Crown and Governriicrlt,
and become citizens of the United States, on the ground;that
“ once a subject, always a subject]: This doctrine has been inva-
riably scouted by the American Governrnrut and by the American
pmple, and its practiml assertiorfhas been resisted rxrnto ‘l .
In the cu.-‘e of Martin Konzla, mu higher ground was taken,
the declaratiolfof a bone iiilo intention to become an American
citizen was regarded by the Secretary of State as suthcient reason
. i for extending the protection of the American arm for his resrl e.
What is the doctrine now maintained 1 Nothing less than this-
that s Natiie American citizen is aBritish subject, provided his
or her father happened to be born A subject or the English Crown,
‘Vs suppose the next thing clainrcd II] the British, will be tho! ...il
onwhich Americans are born. Tlmt question has been almaily
twice decided by air; arbitrurnenl oflhe sword. It vi ould remitting
a third time is neceussry to satisfy the pretensions of John lie
The English court basjllst as much right to adjudicate upon the
land inherited by the American infant Dawson, from her Amer ln
mother, as upon the custody and guardianship oftllat inrnncl
Thu political bearing of this new doctrine upon the rlghn of
American citizens, at n time when the English navy cannot
obuin nnilntl for the var with Iillssin without inipreuln-act, is
the most serious purl of the question. According to this Lo'lrl.-n
1”,’ 3pm.), (tnyiggfj may impress for the llritlnh service, nolvnnly
Qdlpljd his native cltissus: and II the hostilities threatens‘; ll]
gr.
z:
i
Lord Clarendon against this country in the matter of Cuba and
Central America, should be put into execution by s British drel,
dashed with victory over the Muscovite; the sons of English,
Scotch, VVelsh, Irish, or Canadian parents, tbo'ugh born in
America, would, if captured lighting for their native country, bu
dealt with as traitors to the Crown of England, and denied the
rights of prisoners of war : they would be ignominiously hanged,
drawn, and quartered as rebels. Thus three or four millions of
the American population are contingently placed in this pleasant
predicarsent-‘if they refuse to hght for America, the land of
their birth or adoption, and give aid and comfort to the British
enemy, they are justly liable to the fate of traitors-if they
refuse to become traitors and make up their minds to battle for
the republic, they do so with a halter round their necks. In tho
resent condition of things this contingency may be realized
sooner than any man dreams oC “’ould it net be better to ham
tlle question definitively settled beforehand, and that the American
executive should distinctly ascertain whether tho British govenl-
mcnt endorses this new dictum of one of its judges, touching
English citizenshipl It is well that we should be prepared for
the worst. 1: is greatly to be feared um the encroaohments cf
English insolenee have been dangerously encouraged of late by
the impunity which insults to the American dag, and infringe-
ment: upon the rights of American citizenship, both by Britons
and Spaniards, have obtained at the hands of the United States
govsmment.’ The ancestors of the AInEYican'peoplc and their
governments in other days did not submit to these things. The
moment any independent first class nation permits its rights or ils
honor to be tridsd with, it takes a descalt to the place of a second
or third rats Power, and if its course is not promptly arrested, it
will soon reap the bitter fruits of its degradation. Resist, there-
fore, the tint downward tendensy before it is too late.
lllx. hll-rcnrl.'s Lee-l-uses. r. Mitchel will lecture in Phila-
delphia on Monday next, whence he will proceed to Baltimore.
Mr. Iliesgher to Mr. Esughton.
si. chnrlu uolol, New Orlclum,
lldlrch Yllh, 1554.
Mr. Meagher presents his compliments to Mr. I'Iaug'hton, and
bugs to state he does not recognise in Mr. Haughton, nor any
other person, nor the public generally, any right or title Wl1nLso-
ever to require from him an expression of opinion respecting
the question of African slavery in America. ,
Mr. Meagher holds himself, upon all such questions, wholly ir-
responsible for his opinions, his silence, or his action, to M r.
I-Iaughton, or to any other gentleman, or to the public at large. or
any portion thereof. . ,
Mr. Meagher begs leave to add, that he has taken the propaga-
tory oath of allegiance to the constitution, laws, and sovereignty
of the Republic of the United States ; that he is not yet a citizen;
that three years have yetto elapse before he is one; that he poul-
pones till then his declaration of opinion regarding African slat cry
antic resolutions are now happily at a discount. 'Tis true, the
l"rrmla7l'n Journal, the 1t"a(mu and Tulle! are occasionally filled
with reports of mag-ni.6eent banquets in honor of some “ indepen-
dent? member, but few read thine reports, or pay the slightest at-
tention to what is said or done at these entertainments. In saying
this, I do not mean to disparage the patriotism of those who by
means of public dinners and independent membu-ship are seeking
to achieve the great measure of tenant-right. But I do hold that
it is vain to seek that measure at the hands of the English Parlia-
ment, while an sgilation for it in Ireland would serve only to de -
hide the tcnanlry with false Ilopevl, and furlller to degrade the
character of the people by familiarizing them withleramples of
corruption and falsellood in the prrrmlln of their chosen representa-
tive: For I like it to be impossilrle Io rein] la the House of Com
IIIOIII at present even tvrrrliy llollcsl utld elnoirnl advocates ofany
great Irish measure. ha, I rejoice ill the Ctbsiilibll ofsgitation in
Ireland “ - all n parlimnrrilsry agitation. , Tllal should
have ended, at least for our gem-mlion, with Smith O'Brien‘!
speech in the House on his return from Paris in 1848. If Iam
asked “ what then you would do! would you allow the tenantry to
be driven oil the land nilhoiiz making an scam to me them I" I
answer “ yuur parliamrnlary agilalilnivxonl hare them, while per-
aps it may lmr the em-ct of pron-nting the people from lining
themselves‘-leave the wnantry to their own impulses, and perhaps
they may make tlzeinsolves rrr-pr-cud." car I have dwcll. too
lung on this subject, but the mui....nis 1 have erprrssed srg lhoso
which I honestly entortailr. Let t erc M) -o more “ agitation,"
but let the peoplc,vl'hile bmroly strugglin against so many difIicul-
ties to live on the land vlhicli God gate 1 em, think of the wrongs
under which that land still labors, think of the process by which
its manufactures have been destroy ml, its towns blighted, its Eelds
depopulatsd, think of the famillc,urld at‘ the million deaths from
starvation, think of '98 and '48, of Fitzgerald and ml:uctl,'and
O'Brien, and then resolve that should the opportunity present itself
they will be prepared to meet it, and by one blow to avenge the
past, and establish the prosperity oflhe future.‘
s there is no country on earlh which has suffered so much
at the hands of a foreign power, so there is none which has so
much need of revolution as Ireland. Any movement, Lharrfott,
vvhisb aims at anything short of revolution, I look upon as s delu-
Hon. e at wn to bring about a revolution is to look it
straight in the face, to weigh wall the dimeultier, and resolve to
brave th en you hear of the “ improvement " in the con-
dition of Ireland, you must understand that the term is used rela-
tively. Any change within the last you or two must necessarily
I
low that she could not possibly have sunk furlhrr. Of late she
has begun to breaLl‘Ie again ut mark the consequence. The
moment the poor old country bcgzln to exhibit signs of returnin
animation, the government put on all income tax! ' It won
seem as if the same spirit of inlolcrarlce of‘ Irish prosperity, in
which the Union Wat mlried, slill animated the councils of the
ritish Empire. It is understood also that gorenmlerlt have de-
termined upon the removal from Dublin of the Post-Otliar,t.ho
vv Courts, and the rd Lieutcnantcy. I‘-'rll, let them go.
Ireland will then be “lest Britonlsed. Are Irishman in America
prepared to witness this consummation’! Do they forget and [or-
give the starvation dsnzha of their kindred! Do they Icccpt the
surprise of '48 as a linsl defeat! If rim, and if their military
organizations are as fm-midahle in reality as they are upon paper.
they can sonomplish much. ‘ ‘ ‘
Notwithstanding the immense reduction of the population, the
in America, and every other question a.tl‘u:ting the joint cum-
pact ind constitution of the several Sums. ) ‘ ‘ r
‘ r.r1-rrznrsorrnr. .
. run, iaulrtam, Isis-I.
Tun condition of Ireland to-day adilrtls a striking illustration of
the immense recuperative power which dwells in that country and
in its people. No other Iand,I believe, on earth could have plus! :1
through such an ordeal as has Ireland of bile, and yet present In
the eye of the stranger such faint marks of the devastation. Thu
stranger indeed will not notice the havoc, but to one scellatainm-I
to look beneath the surface, the change which the last few years
have produced is terrible and appallin g. “here, before the famine,
thickly-populated villages stood, docks and herds now graze. In
country chapels, then scarcely rul-‘ricient to accommodate half tho
people of the parish, you now oun count, of a Sunday, the cm-
gregation. What can comprnuale for this‘ destruction of llie
people 1 <
A “IVorld‘s Fair”-a Queen's visit.-an encumbered eslnlca
court‘. lllov.-keryl The Vli'orld's Fair gave a temporary stir to
business in Dublin, but failed to produce a single result benedx ial
to Irish industry. The Queen's visit-bah l The encumbered
estates court has done good, inasmuch as it has rid the land of
many of the old broken-down proprietors, and has put in circula-
tion much money that had long been lying dormant; but that it
has been productive of any good to the Irish lenantry, I totally
deny. So long as Irish landlordislu continues to be the irrespons-
ible despotism it now is, no more change of proprietary can por-
manently better the condition of the tcnantry. The case tlzcrl
stands thus-Irelandlolt by the famine and emigration oonsequ-nt
thereon, two rnillionl of her people. She has got in return an
encumbered estates eourt and an income tax. -
Still, the spirit of the survivors is unbroken ; and I recogni.-ed
with satisfaction a determination that they will hold by the uld
country, nor allow themselves to be driven from it but in tin‘ I-Ht
extremity. A: a proof of this determination, I may mention llint
an unwanted spirit of industry pervade be land. People no lun-
gsr trouble themselves with “ politics, ' in the ordinary WWI‘.
but each man resolves to make the most olhis position, and to ac-
business or calling. I confess I applaud this spirit. A protm ted
political agitation is a were to any saintly. IN! I WE'VE “'9 01”"
M1‘-‘I’ Of the Irish plopla has suffered as much from this ps (min
my nlhir cause. With the exception of Catholic Ema.I'll.'lpIliun'
Irish agitation has accomplished nothing vrithin the last fifty ycnrl:
and it is a question if the good remltiig to the people from that
rrrlullre IIII equalled the evil. vlhieh oh. -simian "0' i“ P'0""r
rnonl entailed. ‘ Great demonstrations. eloquent rpuolwir Wfhlld‘
quits if possible all independence by close application to his prrper ‘
cry of distress is still hoard throughout Ireland. In the work-
houses of Dublin are ten thousand piupm. - In Limerick and
(flare there are hundreds of men able and vvillirl to walk who
cannot End employment. The hipln-st wages w lch labor can
command in any port of Ireland in one shilling I do -and that to
u very I-t'3l‘Iit-Cd extent. What an anomaly! An yet the lnnd
terms vu vr
market; and Irish beef and million, and wheat and outs, and
even potatoes are 1- lo IInglanil,vshils the people whose
labor produced this abundance, perv-ll for want of food. .
The commercial and industrial spirit, as I mentioned in a former
part, are more active than before. In 'mcrick a steam packet
company in in operation, having vessels plyin rc larly to Lon-
don and several of the chief seaports of Eng an , and doing a
profllable business. “Ibis company, I understand, propose, in the
retiree of’: year, to send a stsamcr, titted up for emigrant passen-
gen, to haw I ark. I trust they will do so, and thatga beginning
will thus have been made in the great work of establishing dlrrct
rlearn communication between In-land and Ameriiaa. Siocs Ibo
construction ml‘ the doaling dock. vessels of the largest size can
some up to the wharves at Limttick. , It in most pIUlVllli9y how-
ever, that should the Sllsnrlon in chosen for a packet nation,
-‘o nee would be the harbor selected. ‘A rail voutletting
I“o;nes with Limerick (thirty miles) will shortly be commmced. I
urn aware, In Galwlny has great claims as an American
packet station. It is at pqresent a noble harbor, but the construe.
non of a breakwaler at utton Island would remove every 0IIJg;.
tiou which could be urged ugainst it. The Government also has
been solicited to undertake this work. or even to advance, as a
loan, a Inn] of forty dlopgM<l pounds for the purpose; but, of
course, in vein. The ,Ei(:Itl-l)fl(‘I'Ilr[!0;- a lzctutrjtn-n'l‘ae.elrl;-rlellillrce, but
no manor. 1 gig re -reian p ; ns inane
;, Ming lavishly expended in mnnlrucung a r of refuge nyt
llolyhmad, it is rxlbera good yolielo preach to the Galway people of
self-relimlve . X on are aware that a vernrnent commission, sp-
inlsd to re rt on the capal-llrncs oi ‘the harbors of Galwayuyd
‘ yns-.5, I.-on mned both. Of course it was for that they wug
nppainled. I should like to sea a -report p mmigiion “-
Amencnn Engineers on the eapacltlcg ofgthe Irish harbors. It
would differ, I think, from'tbat at the Lnghsh commission. , Not-
withstanding, however, this nionilscmus report, nnin-impgandin,
the opposition of gov.-rnmonz nnlnr Iavc 9 ant h 3
Iicrs that direct steam mnu-uunicntion can and will he esruhlinhed
lwl-cg Irela.ndnn:dd ghrnsrica. Io‘;-‘k E; the shipping dinnsg".
which ave ocnx t is season in o :l.nncL I do not be ‘
I exaggerate wllrul ray that a Ihollsand human lives, nridlis:
parry luzlie amount of a million pounds sterling, have this re..-
been lost in the channel. All this we id have been .md'h.d
oi;g;l:;oer:gp;il:oun‘dnvvssels taken their parlure from . somhorpn
A ins of mail steanlcrs is about to be establis ‘
wunnronl Ind lllilronl Haven, nnd to carry .n.“.‘,“;n‘f;;‘;:,l‘:i::,;::
of relan . It will be a convenience to business persons audwill
have or. rlrro: of making better known the fine capaliilitiu of
Wntsrflird as a shipping port. I
g Inueoncluslon. I say to on, and to all my countrvlnell in Amen
-rm 4" not sue up thv 0 ll country." Long live the 1‘ Cl'rlurv."
P. J. Snrrw.
ealth. ’And Irish sour is bought up furthe French ‘
