Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-05
American Citizens,

ihctc is great zeal OF cheap nonsense
talked and written about the rights of
"naturalized citizens" And there is Il
sort of speech and writing that has fire.
queut allusion to Irish Americans" which
deals in big words and. in the use of which
even Roscoe Conkling INDUCES in his letter
to the New York indignation meeting of
Monday evening Mr.. Conkling has dis
covered that Irish Americans are "incar-
cerated' in Ireland And GencralPryor an
nounced, referring to the presence of Mrs.
Parnell, that eve have the mother of
libcrius Gracious with us."
1t is IN abomination when talking Of
the rights Of American citizenship to say
" Irish Americans" or any other kind of
Americana. When one who was an Irish.
nun is naturalized he is, in all talk or &C
ton about his rights, properly al American
citizen pure and simple. "One that was
II woman, but, rest her soul, she's dead"
The old citizenship dies when the new is
taken on. And no meaner thing can be
done than TO come from ireland or Ger
many or any other country and to take on
American citizenship without casting of
the old political life and obligations. We
have no sympathy for anybody who gets
American citizenship to use it merely as Il
shield undor which he can on n return to
his old home safely do acts that he would
not have dared to have done had he al.
ways remained there. That sort OF thing
when done should be condemned with as
little question as the assassination of Mrs
Smythe at Westmcath, ireland Monday.
Irishmcn come to America; get natural
lied and arc then Americans. They would
indeed be less than human, and certainly
Of no Irish blood, il they did not follow
with their sympathy, and if they please
with more active assistance, their friends
in the home they left both in domestic
business and public affairs. Nor are all
Americans who go TO a foreign country
whether they were formerly of it or not
and who break the laws OF that foreign
country always blamable. May be the
laws ought to be broken. But on breaking
them the American should not whine If he
is punished.
So If any one who was an lrishman and
is An American, goes back to Ireland and
commits a crime let hin be punished fol-
1t, it is none Of our business, and the Grim
inal has no right to consider it as any
ones business except his own and that Of
tie government that Furnishes him.
But there is right thatEAmerican citi
zens should:have preserved to them,-i
right Of being brought face to face witt
their accusers and the accusation, and Q
fair and decently speedy determination o.
lheir guilt or innocence. England ha'
doomed it ncedful to pass an act for the
government of Ireland by which person
may be imprisoned OH suspicion, ant
may lie for months without chance fol
trial. With that act this government ha'
on its face no concern, but when Ameri
cans are seized in this way it becomes ou
business.
We have a law fourteen years old max.
ing it the duty of our government to do
mard the reason Of the imprisonme mt o
oar citizens and in case such impris
oument seems wrongful the presiden
shall demand the release Of the prisoner
II is asserted that number of our citizen:
have been put in prison in Ireland rs sus.
poets and denied trial. Mr.. Lowell has
not been diligent in their behalf and his
course is not approved at Washington
where different line of policy is plainly
coming with the approval OF men of all
PARTIES.
England may do with her own what she