Government in the United States, National, State and LocalGarner, James Wilford
History
Government in the United States, National, State and Local
Garner, James Wilford
United States -- Politics and government
=Rights and Obligations of Citizens.=--The chief privilege of
citizenship is that of protection by the government in all personal and
property rights. If the citizen goes abroad for the purpose of business
or pleasure, the government will protect him from wrongful treatment so
long as he obeys the law of the country to which he is, for the time
being, subject, and demeans himself peaceably. If he is injured or
discriminated against because of his foreign nationality, the government
which fails to protect him will be required to make a suitable indemnity
for the injury.
_Equality of Native and Naturalized Citizens._--When it comes to
protecting its citizens abroad, the United States government makes no
distinction between naturalized and native-born citizens. In the case of
a Russian, for example, who comes to America and is naturalized and goes
back to Russia for business or pleasure, our government will insist that
he be treated by the Russian authorities as if he were a native-born
American citizen. At home a naturalized citizen enjoys the same
privileges as a native-born except that he is not eligible to the office
of President or Vice President of the United States.
_Duties and Obligations of Citizens._--Rights and privileges seldom
exist without corresponding duties and obligations, and so citizenship
has its duties. One of these is to contribute to the bearing of the
burdens of the state. This includes the payment of taxes, service in the
militia or army for purposes of defense, and the discharge of such
public trusts as may be imposed. It is, of course, the duty of the
citizen, as it is of every one who lives in the state, to obey the laws
and do what he can to secure their enforcement. Finally, if the citizen
possesses political privileges, it is his duty to take an active part in
securing the election of competent and honest officials to the end that
the government which protects him may be efficient and well
administered.
=Obligations and Duties of Nations: International Law.=--Nations, like
individuals, are bound by rules of conduct in their relations with one
another. The rules governing nations constitute what is known as
international law, a subject of which we have heard much since the
outbreak of the great world war in 1914. The rules of international law,
unlike those of national or municipal law, are not enacted by a
legislative body, for as yet, unfortunately, there is no world
legislature. They consist partly of customary rules and usages, and
partly of international treaties. The most important of these treaties
are those negotiated to end the World War, and also the so-called
conventions, sixteen in number, recommended by the Peace Conferences at
the Hague in 1899 and 1907, and adopted, for the most part, by nearly
all the civilized nations of the world. These conventions contain a
large number of important rules prescribing the conduct to be observed
by nations both in time of war and in time of peace.
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