Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-07

mand from the Government of Great
Britain the reasons Of such imprison-
! ment, tif he be not now in possession OF
such reasons;l and iii shall appear to
him that such Imprisonment is wrong
| full and in violation OF the rights OF
| American citizenship, that he shall
forthwith demand the release of such
citizens, in accordance with preeedents
| and usage which exist between the two
| governments; and ifthe release so de-
msndedshall beunreasOnably delayed or
| refused that he use such measures, not
! amounting to an act Ofwar, as he may
| think necessary or proper to effect such
release, and that he report all the facts
| and proceedings relative thereto as soon
as practicable to Congress.
Mr.. McLane-I suggest to the gentle
man to strike out that portion. of his
resolution containing the words mot
amounting to an act Of war;"
Mr.. Wilson-The suggestion of the
gentleman from Maryland think is q
good one, and / will cheerfully adopt it.
My object was to draft the resolution
so as to make it conform as nearly as
| possible to the section of the statute to
which rhaYe referred. i had not complet-
ed the draught of it when the gentleman
from Indiana Mr.. Orth had offered
the report to the committee on Foreign
Affairs, or / should probably have
dropped out the words to which the
gentleman from Maryland refers.
The object that / have in view, Mr..
Speaker, is to bring this subject TO u
speedy conclusion, with view that our
(, llow-citiZens who are now confined in
Irish prisons shall have the benefit of
such relief as this Government can eX-
tend TO them.
Ishould have said, Mr.. Speaker, that
/ had the unanimous consent of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs to bring
this subject to the attention Of the
House, and to submit the resolution l
have offered with view oftesting the
sense of the House upon that subject.
II will be born in mind that section =, 0OO
of the Revised Statutes secures to
naturaliZed citizens of the
United States. while in foreign
countries the same protection of person
and property which is accorded to our
native-Eorn citizens. 1t is, therefore,
imma. rial to us here to inquire wheth-
er che citizens so unjustly confined in
Irish prisons are native-bOrn or natur-
allied. They occupy the same plane,
are entitled to the same protection, and
it is the abstract right and duty of this
Government to interprose in their be-
half.
We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to
our nationality, we owe it to the great
principles which underlie our republican
form of Government, to take care that
no foreign power shall mjustly seize
our citizens, native-bOrn or naturalized,
and deprive them of their liberty with
out sufficient cause. While the statute
referred to has clothed the President,
with full power upon this subject, L
think all Congressional interposition in
This beh, If has rather tended to delay
than to facilit,t' a final conclusion.
The Pr, silent, with becoming modes y,
might properly say that he will decline
| to act when Congress has assumed con-
troll of the matter. Send it back to him.
Let this demand be made and he will
report all the facts and proceedings in
relation thereto to Congress, and then
will be the time for Congress to act.
This is not the first time that the
question has occupied the attention OF
tbe two countries. On former occasions
other citizens of the United States have
hetn imprisoned by Great Britain and
subie cts of Great Britain have been ar
rest, d and imprisoned by this Govern
ment. The books are full of presidents
and those presidents may perhaps
amount almost to usuage. They Will
operate as a guide to the President, and,
/ hope, will enable him to reach a
speedy and satisfactory conclusion, by
full and ample justice may be dose to
| our suffering fellow-citiZens who have
been ruthlessly plunged into British
bastiles. The proceedings heretofore
| taken before our committee have SAVIOR
| ed too much of inquiry and too little oil
| action. Now, want to see action, hnai
and definite.
Mr.. Speaker, on February =, 1870,
when citizens of the United states were
imprisoned in Ireland, Hon. Thomas
Swan, of Maryland, then member OF
| this House and of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, in reporting to the
House a resolution upon that subject,
held the following language:
1t is the first duty of government,
| Mr.. Sneaker, to protect her citizens, to
| throw around them the panOply of her
power, and to defend them when as
sailed at every sacrifice against oppres-
sion and wrong, come from what source
| it NAV. Not less imperative is the
moral duty of friendly remonstrance
when the principles Of right and justice
are forgotten, and nations, like ndivi-
duals, become blinded by distorted
views of their own interest.
/ also desired, Mr.. Speaker, to quote
from the distinguish gentleman from
New York Mr.. Cox] some pertinent
and appropriate remarks whlch ne
made on the same occasion and IN the
| same connection, but l have not the
record at hand. And then L desired
also to quote from various authors OF
| international law, and from distinguish
| ed diplomats of this and other countries,
but my limited time viii not permit. 1t
| Is enough to say that it is the right and
the high and imperative duty of this
Government to throw around our eiti-
zens, native or naturalized, at home or
abroad, in prison or at liberty, that pro,
lection which their personal liberty and
right of property demand.
I do not desire to be understood as
saving, Mr.. Speaker, that If our citt-
zens to con fined in British prisons have
committed any offense against the laws
of that country they should not be tried
and punished if found guilty. But this
| much / do say: that they should have
the benefit of speedy and fair trial. Ii
| found guilty they are punishable; if not
guilty, they are entitled to an imme-
date release. We can ask nothing
more, and We should submit to nothing
/ les.
BY the permission of the House de-
sire TO omit from my resolution the
words "not amounting to an act OF wal"
as suggested by the honorable gentle
man Maryland. hope it will be the
pleasure of this House to adopt this
resolution unanimously. II will, l sup
pose, supercede the necessity OF the
State Department furnishing 10 this
House the information called for by
the resolution presented by the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs.
J Mr.. Wilson, now desire to offer the