Ancestors: A Novel
Page 62
IV
On his way to the house he decided that he could not confide even toJudge Leslie that he had been singled out as likely spoil by the"grafters." No doubt that in a way it was a compliment to his abilities,this early-conceived determination to whisk him out of the reform fieldand engross his abilities, killing two birds with one stone. Probably hewould be approached in a similar manner very often, until he became adefinite quantity, and in time would grow accustomed to it; and callous.But at present he was hot and sickened, the more so as he felt that hehad received a new impulse to believe in himself. These vastcorporations--the railroad, street railways, lighting, and telephonecompanies, were the ones that dictated to San Francisco, and weresupposed to have debauched the Board of Supervisors, all of them smalllaborers, elevated by the Boss to serve his ends--counted their capitalby the millions; in one case, at least, by the hundred million. They hadalready bought much of the best talent in the country, and they wastedno time on the second-rate. Gwynne could easily guess in whose teemingand orderly brain the scheme to seduce and attach himself had beenshaped, and, with the American contempt for the perspicacity of anyforeigner, had selected this judge, with his breezy direct tactfulmanner, as certain to edge the newcomer into the fold. To Gwynne theonly saving grace in the whole interview was that he had not beentempted. Had he been he should have felt utterly demoralized, disposedto take himself at the valuation of the business-like unsentimentalbrains in power.
He found his judge awakening from a nap before his library fire anddusting the crumbs from his beard.
"This is an unexpected pleasure," the old gentleman began, then stoppedshort. "What is the matter?" he asked, anxiously. "Sit down."
"What does indigenate mean?"
"Why--a purely technical term for citizenship."
"A friend of yours called upon me to-day, on the strength of havingknown the Otises, and remarked that it was a pity I was ever dischargedfrom my American indigenate."
"That you renounced American citizenship upon coming of age. It is apity."
"But I remember doing no such thing. I did no such thing. I certainlyshould remember it."
"You mean that you made no formal act of renunciation of your Americanbirthright, obtained no certificate of British nationality?"
"I did nothing of the sort. It is possible that my father did it forme--"
"Your father could do nothing." Judge Leslie was staring at him.Suddenly he laughed. "You _are_ British! I am almost inclined to believeyou hopeless. How did I get the impression that you had formallyexpatriated yourself? From Isabel, who, no doubt, woman-like, jumped atthe conclusion--having known you when you were more British still. Andyou never brought up the subject--"
"Don't regard me as wholly an idiot. I read the Constitution of theUnited States half a dozen times while making up my mind to come here,and it is not likely that Article XIV.--'All persons born in the UnitedStates, etc., are citizens of the United States, etc.'--escaped me. Iconsulted my solicitor, and he read me from some chapter onExpatriation, as plainly as may be, that the forfeiture of nativecitizenship was accomplished not only by a formal act of renunciation,but followed a long severance with the relations of the government underwhich the person was born, or--acceptance of service under a foreigngovernment. Considering that I had left the United States when I wasfive weeks old, and had fought and bled for Great Britain, besidesserving in her Parliament--where, of course I took my oath ofallegiance--and that I had been an Englishman to every possible intentand purpose, even wearing my titles for some weeks, it seemed to me--andto my solicitor--that I would have rather a hard time obtaining anAmerican passport."
The judge nodded. "Quite right. All the same, I can't understand whyyour father did not bring the question up when you attained yourmajority, or why you, an ardent Britisher, did not think of ityourself."
"You would understand if you lived among us for a few years. In thefirst place my being born in the United States was such a mere incidentthat it was rarely mentioned, and then in the most casual manner. Idon't suppose my mother ever volunteered a piece of information in herlife, and my father rarely gave a thought to any matter but sport. Mygrandfather probably disliked the idea--he detested America--at allevents he never alluded to the subject, and was far too British to dreamthat the child of British parents could be other than British were heborn in heaven itself. I don't think the matter had entered my mind forten years, when the subject came up the first night of Isabel's visit toCapheaton--and I stupefied every one by announcing that I had been bornin America; but otherwise it made no impression upon them. It is quitepossible that had there been any prospect of my becoming the heir, whenI reached my majority, some member of the family would have recalled thefact of my birthplace; but Zeal was well then, his wife was bearingchildren rapidly, there was every reason to suppose she would have halfa dozen boys. Do you mean to say that I have never been an Englishman?"
"Oh, you are all right as far as the British law goes. And you were agood and bona fide British subject for thirty years. Don't feel anydiscouragement on that score."
"Then am I an American citizen? Is there to be no long period of waitingand of comparative inaction?"
"I am not so sure. There is no provision of the Constitution so open tovarious construction. And none has been so variously construed. I couldcite a hundred instances--that is, I could read them to you to-morrow.But I recall two, and they are fair samples. One child, born in theUnited States, of French parents, returned to France, and after servinghis term in the French army wished to become an American citizen, andobtained his passport without difficulty. A full-grown American citizenwent to Mexico and fought for Maximilian, and lost not only his owncitizenship, but that of his children, who had been born in the UnitedStates. There you are, and there you are again, as dear old Dickenswould say. But I must think a minute." He transferred his gaze to thecoals, and was silent for a few moments.
"There is a pretty strong case on both sides," he resumed, in a musingtone. "You left this country when an infant, you practically forgot it,you entered the service of Great Britain heart and soul, and achievedhigh distinction. You inherited a title and wore it as a matter ofcourse. For thirty years you never set foot on American soil, nor at anytime demanded the protection of the United States, as you might easilyhave done in your foreign wanderings. There is hardly a doubt that ifEngland had gone to war with us at any time during the last ten yearsand needed your services you would have given them. However, thatcontingency did not arise, so let it pass. But with an unsympatheticState Department and an active enemy or two, all the other points citedwould make up as clear a case of voluntary expatriation as any onrecord. But there is a pretty good balance on the other side. You _were_born in the United States, you _did not_ renounce at any time yourallegiance, you have the blood of two Presidents in your veins,and--here is the important point: you have been one of the heaviesttax-payers in California for thirty-two years. Now, as I have intimated,these expatriation cases have all been decided on their individualmerits. I should advise you to go at once to Washington, and enlist theinfluence of the British Ambassador to get you personal and privateinterviews with the powers that be. Then plead your own case. One of twothings will happen. Either there will be much hemming and hawing, andmuch virtuous and judicial weighing of your peculiar case, article byarticle, or the President himself will decide one way or anotheroff-hand--he being what he is. For that reason I think it would be wellto approach him by degrees, let him digest it a bit. He may be delightedthat you have thrown over your titles and your brilliant and promisingcareer to become an American citizen, invite you to take the oath ofallegiance forthwith, and order the State Department to issue apassport. On the other hand he may fly off at a tangent and berighteously indignant that a man with the blood of the Otises andAdamses in him, who had the good-fortune to be born on American soil,hesitated a moment after reaching man's estate--more particularly thathe never gave the matter a thought. Nothing could be more proble
matical.I wouldn't bet a twenty-dollar gold piece either way. But, I repeat, youmust go yourself. Otherwise the affair would hang on interminably.Moreover, you must tell no one the object of your journey. Tom Coltonwould pull every wire within his reach, and he is no mean rival, topostpone your admission to citizenship, and so, I fancy, would others."
He shot a keen glance at Gwynne. "I think I know who your visitor was,to-day, and what he came to Rosewater for. That speech of yours, and itseffect on the crowd, never escaped the attention of the party bosses,and of course you are a marked man in this small community--to saynothing of your intimacy with the reform set in town. The judge, whostarted somewhere in this neighborhood as a poor boy, rose from variousminor situations to be the secretary of Colton's bank, saved his dimesand studied law. So far so good; the average self-made American. The lawleads a good many of us into politics and it wasn't long leading him. Hewas an invaluable party man, with that bluff honest exterior, thatsuperabundant magnetism, and that twinkling eye. The world alwaysassociates a fine upright nature with a twinkling eye. I have one myselfand I believe that is the main reason why I have always been afraid todo wrong. Well, our friend got the bench when he wanted it, and he hasbeen a mighty good friend to the corporation that put him there. And ithas done well by him. He owns a fine house in San Francisco, entertains,goes into the best society, has visited Europe several times, and,although he is now rising sixty, continues to fool all but a few. Hemight climb higher and become a United States Senator, but thecorporation finds him too useful here. He rather resents that, but theymake the sacrifice worth his while. I can well conceive they havespotted you, and you may be sure there is little about you they don'tknow. Of course they have made up their minds you are erratic, and havenot the least doubt that they can manipulate that loose screw. They havebought thousands, these ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- -------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- (it was not often the judge swore, butwhen he did he took some time). Grafters, that are debauching thecountry and will soon make it impossible for an honest man to live; andalthough they will no doubt have the grace to approach you with lessbrutal directness than commonly, I knew that was what they were afterthe moment that old rascal began to talk to me this morning. He neverfooled me. Well, we'll fool him. You go to Washington and get yourpassport, and if you can't hasten matters don't let an outsider knowwhat you are after. Plunge into society and let them think you need achange from California. Of course you will give your real name. Cat'sout, anyhow. Perhaps they will think you are on your way home toEngland. Flirt with the girls and be a frivolous young blood. The judgeasked you to dinner, I suppose? I thought so. You would meet more thanthe judge; if not the first time, then the second and third. Write him anote, telling him you are obliged to go south to take a look at yourmother's ranch. Then obey a sudden impulse and go East by the southernroute. In Washington be seen as much with your ambassador as possible. Idon't think these rascals will suspect, for they take for granted thatyou were duly 'discharged from your American indigenate'--I can hearhim! If they did there would be the devil to pay, but I don't think theywill. However, don't waste any time."
Gwynne was staring at the fire, his inner being chaos, but he replied ina moment that he would start for Washington on the following day.