, 1877-02-11
John F. Seaman Comes to the
Defense Of t e Irish Ma
tionalists.
Chlcago Politics Have No Connec-
ton with Affairs 5000
Niles Away.
The Western Catholic and It's Arrogance
Generally Repudiated.

] III
, responsible editor. had gone on a Dom ybrvol
| drunk. and in true Donnybrook style determine,
to hit the beads Of friends and foes they appsse
/ ed to his distracted vision. -,
An attack 30 general on the character Of Il peop1
SO well known Is the Irish faithful to the nrfnc,
pies Of Government coming direct from the peo
Us the Irish people hare becn* cannot,
nr,ih in the isht Of history, harm them much
Ts aoosh bv Se
Of few Individuals, who claim to be Irish aut
whose dsreputahle nets are but the reflection q
Hence believe need not defend the Irish ~
people Zone Of whom ] feel proud OF beIng>, bn
let the good Judgment OF our fellow citizens arriy
! At an opinion Of our honesty and jncnpacity ~
people; through our record In American histor,
from the firing Of the first gun at YORKTOWN to TIL
present moment, or FROM the ,artic!s referred to-
over to the public our part Of American histor,
il, ne ease: gat q your srsIels you
principles are not 80 well known to your readers.
and Class all men VINO may have been born In Ire
land as Irish Eationaiista. In this you not
tion that Irish Nationalist presupposes Catholic
(religiously, suppose ycu mean}. would be too
ridiculous for argument, were not for the above.
| namely, that many Of your readers do not under
stand tue situation; and your statement, unre-
fnted, may place Irish Nationaliuts in position
they do not wish to occupy, In my opinion.
] The Natlonalists occupy and are q distinctive
party within the ranks OF the Irish people. They
look and work for republican government In Ire
fact ~ ae majority
Republic of ths 7sles: The membeEFs Isl nay be
fact that Cardinal Cullen has hurled more anathe-
mas at the Natlonaiists than any other class Of
people within bis Jurisdiction should remove the
lists be Catholic. As to the numbers Of Protest.
ants in the ranks Of the Nauonalists, you do our
Protestant fellow -eoantrymen great Injustice, and
/ 1rishmen- both Catholic and Protestant are op-
posed to the principles Of the Natlonasts. This
with the fact TINT Irish Nationalist such never
interfere In American politics. the Westecn Cath
Ollie to the contrary notwithstanding. compels ME
to earnestly protest against your throwing the sins
Of the Hogans. Sections, ct a., on the Nationa1sts
have no sympathy with their principles. As to
your thirty four Prosestest members Of Parliament
who stu vote against their country, do not shtnk
it much to their credit, and that they prove them
selves worthy Of their Protestant predecessors VINO
sold their country twenty-six years ago, while we
have now Butt and his eopatr1ots Us We had then
fall with their country. When yon assert that the
Irish Protestants are lreated with the respect
niva1, you utter foul libel on the Irish Cath
olic people, who hare ever honored with more
than political devot,on the Protestant patriots
hearts OF the Irish people than their affection and
lore for the trinity Of Ireland, Protestant Lone,
Fitzgerald, and Emmett7 think can say without
this or the old land can be cited where the advent
Of Protestant into the ranks Of the NatIonalists
was not regarded by his Catholic conntrymen with
more than ordinary satisfaction, and the place OF
honor awarded to him according to his capacity il
preference to his Catholic brother. In the spirit
Of protest hope our Irish Protestant won't protest
knowing no religion as Natlonalists. It is then
rather to the discrcdit Of our Protestant fellow
that liner f them aqd are not
ing. trust, BIT. Editor, that in this 6 Much ado
about nothing, you will not drag into the mrs Of
"a Gdss pa who hsS nothing bat 'eEs for thls
who have nothing but hate, and who, in the strug
gle to elevate themselves. fear to arouse the de-
tAeir ranks. The IVesttrs Cathoie or no other
tionalists. While the Natsonalists working to
peoples Government to the people OF Ireland and
England, think can say that they do not desire
to do: one act that would cause us to blush as
American citizens, or shrink from any OF our re-
sponsiblitles the Stars and Stripes as soldiers
as citizens. At the Bench. or Bar. in honesty OF
gauge their conduct oy the highest code Of hcnor,
and adopted lands that we cannot be too perfect !
for the success Of both. Yours respectfully,
JOHN F. scAN1As.
Mr. Scanlan uaisrepresents, or rather miscon-
:eves, the drift Of the two articles IN The TR1B-
1SE to which he makes reference Stated brief
J, the facts are that the Weste7,. Catholic which
$, as its name indicates, a religious paper, pro-
essing to represent one of the largest and most
influential seets in Chscago, published an article
n which it reviewed In detail the political situa-
ion with reference to the ensuing municipal
Election. It went through every one Of the
Eighteen wards, and approved or disap-
'rovcd Of the possible candidates &C.
ording to their adhesion to or dis
ent from certain Irish nationalist tenets.
paper protesting to be intensely devoted to
be cause OF Catholicism aud Ut 1relaud' was
ound proposing, as the crucial test Of II mans
lection to the Legislative branch Of the City |
government, bis soundness on the question Of | I
rish nationality, and practically calling on the
rish to defeat every American, German, Scan
inayian, or Irishman, who ran for Office ii be | I
as not in favor OF the separation Of ireland | 4
ON the British Empire. The sHester7. Catholic {
u7tsed it's couutrymen to seize upon all the =
[1ces they could, aud, wherever they held the
alance Of power, to SO USE 1t as SO secure the
.turn Of a man who held firm to belief iu | :
-ish nationality. Separation from Euglaud | =
a. the ope7s ses1u1e at which the door OF po1ft~
al preferanent would swing vide.
TIE TRIBUNE naturally felt indignant at 9
'reigu know-Nothipgism Of this kind being y
lrlst into the fares Of American citfzeus, and =
surh antfquated medieval issues being / =
rust into u contest which should relate to ~
lrely local questions The TRIBUNE criticised y
lis article With some little heat, and neces- - =.
rily reprovcd It with considerable severity / =,
Language, aud even some asper1ty, a.
al With thing Of that kind r. r.
rs to stamp it out as soon as possible, and Il
It allow such dangerous spurk to fn1aIne the :,
,dy polite. In both articles upon this sub e
ct, The TRIBUNE expressed the confident bs- " y.
4 that the utterauces Of the Westcr Catholic ~ ~
uut represent the views Of large section Of :,
c Irishmcn III Chicago, and called upon them T.
express themselves tu that effect This has ys
en- douc BY alr. Scanlau and by many Others =
10 hare written UPON this subject It has u
en- perceived BY number Of Irish citizens OF
Eicago that it was necessary for them to :
REBUKE THE 1MPuDEST PRETESS1oNs
the ffeste17k tdlhotie, It would necessarily n
t them in a dsagrecablc and unnatural posi- -;
10 toward tie other citizens Of this c{ty | r
ere are also many sons OF 1rishnlen who were
IN In this city, and who, while feeling u nat
u tenderness and Affection for the land OF | -.
eir forefathcrs, feel irTjtated and wounded hg | "
b dangerous sentiments US those expresscd
the 3Peyt7ss Catholic. They, it appears, are | n.
posed to the self-stylcd organ Ut any SECT. nt
Eeriul and influential though it may be, | i
ating them as an inferior class devoid OF
.rlotism and love Of country, aud thus seek NJ
to antagonizc them directly with their own =.
1ntry, aud indirectly with other nationalit:es.
t will be seen, III reading Mr. Scanlau's let AT