New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-11
4 SUSpECT,S TECHNICAL RIGHTS.

One of the Irish American suspects mas
adopted a novel expedient for rcvivng con-
troversy between the State Department and
the British Foreign Office. Stephen J. Meany,
who was recently arrested at Ennis, has re-
nounced his rccognizances to keep the peace
His sureties acting upon his request have re-
fused to hold themselves bound by Their
bonds, and have asked to be relieved from all
further responsibility. Mr.. Meany contends
that continuance OF the bonds would IMPLY n
confession of lawlessncss and crime, and he
cannot as an American citizen, "carry the
stigma of a British bOndSman." He accord
ngly places himself at the disposal OF the
resident magistrate and the police lie is ready 10
be mmured at moments notice in the z loom
lest British dungeon. He cannot and will not
consent to compromise the fair fame oil
American citizenship by remaining under obll-
options to foreign bOndsmen. Cnaccused, un-
convicted, he is merely suspected of offences
that are not even named. The burden OF
vague accusation is intolerabe. He welcomes
incarceration.
Mr. Meany's Interior purpose, we suspect, s
to make talk and then to return to New York
and ask his Irish-Amerlcan friends to elect him
to some lucrative Office BE that us 1t may, the
technical points require careful consideration.
lie is said to have taken this decisive course
for the sole purpose of testing the legality OF
his arrest and processes to he acting under in
structions from the United States Government.
The latter allegation is probably gratuitous
bit of impertnencc, forltis extremely unlikely,
to say the least, that Mr.. Freliughuysen or the
American Minister has advised this course
The truth is that the legality OF an arrest under
either the old or the new Coercion Act cannot
be questioned for moment. Those Acts may
be not only unwise and arbitrary, but even ty-
rannical and detestable. Yet they constitute
for the time being the law of the land. Under
that law the authorities have the right to arrest
on suspicion any person, whether British
suhjec5 or a foreign citizen. without being COM
PEELED to furnish any evidence of his guilt. 1t
may be bad law, and worse policy, but it is
none tho less law. 1t legalzes the arrest OF any
person who incurs suspicion. No American
can claim exemption from the operation of the
Coercion Acts. This is proposition that re-
Quires no argument. Whether the charge
against him was well or i'll founded, NJ. Meany
was legally arrested, and now that his sureties
have surrendered him, he can be legally rear
rested
What, then, is Mr.. Mcany, as an American
citizen, entitled by the naturalization treaties
and the law of nations to ask of the British
Government Only one thing-a fair trial.
He has the right to insist upon being tried, and
if his innocence be established he can demand
an immediate and unconditional release. If
this right he denied by the British authorities,
and Mr.. Meany be unwilling to accept con-
ditiOnal release, our Government should take
up the case and not drop il until judicial trial
is granted. Under the former Coercion Act the
local law was suspended In proclaimed districts,
and Jury trials and judicial investigations were
declared TO be mpracticable Under the new
Coercion Act provision is made for the punish
mont as well as tho detection of crime. jury
trials have been resumed, and 10y change of
venne any offence can be judicially investigated
at Dublin Recent events have demonstrated
the facility with which witnesses can be pro-
tected, offenders convicted and 1iuries vindi-
Gated. When, therefore, an American citizen
is arrested i'll any quarter of Ireland, he should
be tried in Dublin or elsewhere as speedily az
possible Now that judicial investigations
have been shown to be practicable, the British
Government are not likely to incur the odium
of impIisOnng foreigners for indefinite periods
without giving them the privilege OF facing
the charges and establishing their innocence.