Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-06
Release Of American suspeots.
pILAToRY DIPLOMACY


report of Secretary of State Frelinghuysen,
relating to American citizens imprisoned in
Ireland. The secretary says that no copy Of
the act for the better protection of the persons
and property in Ireland, (the act under which
the arrests complained of were made being
found IN the department of state here at the
time of its passage the Goth of May last, the
then secretary of state instructed Lowell to
obtain and forward authentic copies of it at
his earliest convenience. Lowell compiled
with this instruction on the 18th OF June last,
but meanwhile the department seems to have
obtained copy of the act as the secretary of
state instructed Lowell as follows on the Cd of
June last;
CAREFULLY COURTEOUS.
"Whatever necessity there may be in the es-
timation of her majesty for the existence and
enforcement IN Ireland of the exceptional leg
islative measures recently enacted in respect
to that country, the government cannot view
with unconcern the application of summary
proceedings attendant upon the execution of
these measures to naturalize citizens of the
United States of Irish origin, whose business
relations may render necessary their
presence in Ireland or any other part of
the United Kingdom, or whose filial instincts
and love for kindred may have prompted them
to revisit their native country. If American
citizens, while within British jurisdic
ton, offend against British laws this
government will not seek to shield them
from the legal consequences of their acts, but
it must insist upon the application to their
cases of those common principles of criminal
jurisprudence which in the United States Sc
cure to every man who offends against It's
law, whether he be an American citizen, or
foreign subject, those incidents to criminal
prosecution which afford the best safeguard
to personal liberty and the strongest securi-
ties against oppression under the forms OF
law which might otherwise be praeticed
through excessive ZEAL that the accused per-
son shall, Immediately upon arrest, be in
formed of the specific crime or offense upon
which he is held and that he shall be offered
an opportunity flor speedy trial before an i'm
partial court and jury, are essential to every
criminal prosecution, necessary alike to the
protection of innocence and ascertainment OF
guilt"
THE IMPENDING BRITISH.
Lowell replied to this ut will give me
great pleasure to communicate to Lord Gran
vile the views you have SO clearly and elo-
quently expressed as to the injustice some of
the features of the so-called protection act,
and especially to Its retroactive character;
but I would respectfully suggest whether
any steps would be Joined toward speedy
trial or the release of the prisoners by argu.
ment against the law itself, under which he
was apprehended SO long as Lord Granville
expressly declines to make any distinction
between British subjects and American citi-
zens in the application of the law, position
which | presume may be Justified by pre-
cedent under our diplomatic history"
LIST OF IMPRISONED SUSPECTS.
On the 21st of January last the house Of
representatives called for list of "all Ameri-
can citizens naturalized or native born, under
arrest or imprisonment, and especially such
of said citizens as may be be arrested and i'm
prisoned under suspension of the habeas cor
pus In Ireland" etc.
A copy of the resolution was forwarded to
Lowell. It appears from his return that the
following arrests and lmprisonments of per-
sons claiming to be American citizens, were
made after January, 1881, namely: NJ. D. Fo-
garty, Michael Boyton, Daniel McSweeney,
Henry o. Mahopey, James A. Daley, j. Mem
cry, Dennis II O'Connor, Michael Hart, Jos.
Alton.
In the course of correspondence it appears
that Boynton was not an American citizen,
and some doubt was shown by the consul at
Cork upon Mahoney's naturalization.
MORE DIRECT DEMANDS.
On the Sd of March last the secretary of
state instructed Lowell to use all diligence in
regard 10 the late cases, especially Hart and
McEnery. On the 4th of the same month
Lowell was instructed to inform the British
government that the president hoped that
without discussing the applicability of the
coercion act to citizens of the United States
the lord lieutenant would be instructed to ex-
ercise the discretionary power reposed in him
by the first section 30 far as to order the
speedy trials of all imprisoned American cit
liens.
90 the 10th of the same month Lowell was
again instructed to call attention 10 this sub.
iect and to say that the president did not wish
to appear unreasonable, but would be relieved
if he could inform congress that his request
for the speedy trials OF Americans had been
complied with.
On the 25th of March Lowell was again In
structed to say the president hoped her males
ty's government would see Its way to an early
and favorable answer to hls request.
Negotiations still going on have so far
reached conclusion that but three persons