Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-04-22
THE CASE OF McSWEEyEY,
Mr. Voorhees, Makes a Speech on it
in the Senate.

In his speech in the United State.
Senate on the subject of American ant
English prisoners, Mr.. Voorhees, said
In her letter from Ireland of August
3, 1881, to the Secretary of State (re
ceived in Washington on the 10Th o.
that month), Julia McSweeney, the
brave, high-spirited wife of the prisoner
told how four years before she had come
to reside temporarily in Ireland on ac
count of her husbands failing health
that, although aware that England
claimed the island, she thought that
Americans might venture to travel OF
reside abroad under the protection OF
their flag, but that in this she had been
mistaken.
She then described the brutal arrest
of her husband, and added that it YVES
not pretended he was charged with
crime that he Immediately forwarded
his naturalization papers, together with
solemn protest against the outrage, to
Mr.. Lowell, the American minister at
London. His answer was that the let
Ter would be laid before one Granville,
aud that inquiries would he made as to
the grounds of the arrest. She pro-
tested that she knew nothing of Gran
vile; that she did know that she was en-
titled to the protection of the great
American republic. and exclaimed, with
all the lofty grace of the ancient appeal
of citizen of Rome when Rome was
greatest, 81 am an American. My
husband is an American citizen, and he
has committed no crime"
But this cry of distress found no
Roman spirit in Washington. 1t fell
still-born in that Department where
American rights have so long been held
cheapest. 1t was never answered. She
also stated in the same letter that one
Olphert, q tax collector of Donegal
County, had sent his horses and carts
and carried away a poor woman's crop,
grown on her land from seed obtained
from charitable sources; that the same
Olphert refused permission to erect
schoolhouses on his 10000 acres to
educate his 5000 serfs, alleging as
reason that if those people were edu-
Gated landlord could not walk out of
his house; that her husband had ex-
pressed the opinion that these things
were wrong, and for that expression of
opinion was cast into British dungeon.
She added that she entertained the
same opinion, and that, as this fact was
known to the enemy, she was liable at
any moment to be cast into dungeon;
and that having eight American orphans
on her hands, she appealed for protec-
tion. There was no response to this
appeal. The unmanly and pusillan-
imous silence of the State De-
partment throughout the whole case
was such that every American head
would be bowed and every American
heart filed with humiliation as the facts
became known.
He (VoOrhees) felt degraded in his
pride as citizen when compelled to
state, as he now did, with the communi-
cation Of the State Department in hi
hand, that for six months after this
Government had received the letter os
Mrs. McSweeney not single step was
taken by the authorities here for an
inquiry into the circumstances OF the
arrest, and they were only then in
fuenced to take action by considera-
tions other than just appreciation of
the claims of McSweeney for protection.
MIR. Jones, of Florida, asked whether
McSweeney was in prison now.
Mr.. Voorhees, said he understood that
he was, as no notice had been given of
his release. He added that letter from
McSweeney, published on June % in
the San Francisco Examiner, accom-
panied by an editorial statement that
the correspondent Was for many years
a well-known resident of that city, doing
business in the cattle trade, was the
first intimation to his former friends
and neighbors of his incarceration.
The letter, written from Dundalk
Jail, asserted the writer's innocence of
any crime; that he had been in Jail for
seven months; that his health was pre-
carious; that he still held the certificate
of citizenship he received upon re-
nouncine allegiance to any foreign
power; that the American Minister was
snubbed and insulted when he asked
any question about the imprisonment,
and that the American Government
took no more notice of it than would
the King of the Sandwich Islands.
A copy of the letter and an urgent
appeal for the intervention of the Gov
ernment was at once sent to the Presi-
dent by Mr.. John Cuddy, citizen OF
California but there was no evidence
before the Senate that the slightest at
tention was paid to this, nor to subse-
quent note from California represent.
ative to the Secretary of State, calling
special attention to the inhuman treat
ment of McSweeney in the Dundalk
Jail.
Meanwhile, the California friends oil
the prisoner moved in the matter, and
the Congressional delegation joined in q
note to the Secretary demanding action.
The fact that McSweeney had violated
no law, and was not apprised of any
charge against him, appeared in Mr..
Lowells correspondence. Upon this
history of the case, Mr.. Voorhees,
charged, there had been a gross and
fragrant violation of the act of July 27,
1868, for which somebody ought tC
answer at the bar of the Senate, under
articles of Impeachment.
Mr.. Voorhees, then quoted the terms
of the law, which requires the Presi
dent to take action in such cases, anG
declared that a more monstrous viola
tion of the law, more deliberate be-
trayal of the value of citizenship, or {
more complete degradation of the ma
tional honor than was here disclosed
could hardly be found III the history o.
any first-class power, ancient ol
modern.
Mr.. Voorhees, then sharply criticised