ompletely Americanized, as it will be found most of our people
are,--we say, if we can not be raised up in this country, we are
at great loss to know where, all things considered, we can be.

"If the Colored Americans are citizens of this country, it
follows, of course, that, in the broadest sense, this country is
our home. If we are not citizens of this country, then we cannot
see of what country we are, or can be, citizens; for Blackstone
who is quoted, we believe, as the standard of civil law, tells us
that the strongest claim to citizenship is birthplace. We
understand him to say, that in whatever country or place you may
be born of that country or place you are, in the highest sense, a
citizen; in fine, this appears to us to be too self-evident to
require argument to prove it.

"Now, probably three-fourths of the present colored people are
American born, and therefore American citizens. Suppose we should
remove to some other country, and claim a foothold there, could
we not be rejected on the ground that we were not of them,
because not born among them? Even in Africa, identity of
complexion would be nothing, neither would it weigh anything
because our ancestry was of that country; the fact of our not
having been born there would be sufficient ground for any civil
power to refuse us citizenship. If this principle were carried
out, it would be seen that we could not be even a cosmopolite,
but must be of nowhere, and of no section of the globe. This is
so absurd that it is as clear as day that we must revert to the
country which gave us birth, as being, in the highest sense,
citizens of it.

"These points, it appears to us, are true, indisputably true. We
are satisfied as to our claims as citizens here, and as to this
being the virtual and destined home of colored Americans.

"We reflect upon this subject now, on account of the frequent
agitations, introduced among us, in reference to our emigrating
to some other country, each of which, embodies more or less of
the colonizing principle, and all of which are of bad tendency,
throwing our people into an unsettled state; and turning away our
attention in this country, to uncertain things under another
government, and evidently putting us back. All such agitations
introduced among us,