Speech #430002340

Under the provisions of the act approved February 10. 1855. the ehiliren of such perss are to be deeuied and taken to be citizens of the Uilited States. but the rights of citizenship are not to descend to persons whose fathers never resided in the United States. It thus happens that persons who have never resided within the United States have been enaled to put forward a pretension to the protection of the United States against the claim to military service of the government under whose protection they were boren and have been reared. Il some cases even naturalized citizens of the United States have returned to the land of their birth. with intent to remain there. and their chsihlren. the issue of a marriage contracted there after tlih reirn. and wiho have never been in the United States. have laid claim to oe piotection. when the lapse of many years had imposed upon them the duty of military service to the only government which had ever known them personally. Until the year 1868 it was left embarrassed by conflicting opinions of courts and of jurists to determine how far the doctrine of perpetual allegiance. derived from our former coltnial relations with Great Biitain. was applicable to American citizens. Congress then wisely swept these doubts away by enacting that "any declaration. instraetioun. opinion. order. or decision of any oiicer of this Government.