The daily gazette., 1882-04-04
SECOND EDITION
From the Phlladelphia Times.
American Prisoners I'm Ire1am,


American Prisoners fm Ireland.
The protracted imprisonment of
American citizens IN Ireland with
out trial and with denial OF the writ
Of hGbeGs corpus. demands the prompt
and positive Intervention of our
government. The policy of the
Coercion act, recently enacted to
suppress lawlessness In Ireland, is O
question with which the United
States has nothing TO do 80
far as it relates to the subject
OF, the British Crown. 1t is lot the
business of Our governmental to dictate
laws for the regulation of the do
mestic affairs of other governments,
but lt is clearly the dictate alike Of
jus tice andinternational law that
American citizens should be protecs
ted against indefinite Improvement
for alleged offenses without the right
of h&beas corpus or the privilege Of
trial. 9e.A o. q
/" IfiAmefican citizens have offended
against the laws of Englsnd, hows
eyer unjust those laws may be they
have chosen to accept the conses
quences of their acts, and it is not
the province of the United States to
interfere: but the arrest of American
citizens In Ireland and their protraes
ted imprisonment without trial de-
mands the positive intervention of
our government. The suspension of
the writ OF hGbeGs corpus cannot be
made subject OF complaint by the
United States, as every government
is presumed to be the sole Judge of
its necessity and is warranted in the
suspension of the writ of right as q
measure OF public safety; but there
can be- no reasonable excuse for
denying prompt trial to American
citizens imprisoned In Ireland nor
can there be any infractlon of mas
tlonal comfy by demanding speedy
trials for all who can justly claim
the protection of our government.
If American citizens have violated the
laws Of England they must suffer the
same penalties imposed upon the Eng
lish subjects, but the English Govern
munt must not be permitted practically
TO assume the guilt Of Americans, deny
them the highest sort cf right, refuse
them trial in the courts and punish them
by indefinite imprisonment. The fact
that that has been refused to these
American prisoners, although demanded
by them and requested by our govern
ment q month ago, would sesm to be
very strong evidence Of the inability Of
the English government to convict the
prisoneTs;and the additional fact that no
explanation of the delay has been fur
nished the Stale Department by the
English authorities, is strong presump-
tive proof that no good reason can be
assigned for the failure to try the prI-
soners. It is possible that some satis-
factory or al least plausible explanation
may be made for the delay, but the case
as 1t now stands clearly demands that
our government should act with the ut
most promptness In enforcing the rights
of our imprisoned citizens In ireland.
The law of the United States on the
subject is most clear and emphatic in
I defining the duty of the government. 1t
was passed July 81. 1868, and may be
found In section 2,001 OF the Revised
Statutes, as follows:
Whenever it is made known to the
President that any citlzcn of the United
States has bee unjustly deprived Of bis
liberty by or under the authority Of any
foreign government, it shall he the duty
of the President forthwith to demand OF
that government the reasons of such i'm.
prisonment;and If If appear to be wrong
full and in violation of the rights of
American citizenship, the President
shall forthwith demand the release Of
such citizen, and II the release 80 de-
manded is nreasonably delayed or re-
fused the President shall use such
means, not amounting to acts Of war, as
he may think necessary and proper to
obtain or effactuate the release; aud oil
facts and proceedings thereto shall, as
soon as practicable,be be communicated by
the Prs dent 10 Congress.