Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-04-02
WEEKLY CITIZEN.
SUNDAY. APRIL 2. 1882
BRITISH INsoLENcE.

SONOA1, APRIL 7, lSS-
 BRITISH NSoLEEcE.
 In times of insurrection, sedition and riot. a government Is often compelled temporarily to resort to arbitrary meas ures for safety and protection,and pos sibls wrong to individuals may result. 1t ia, however. reasonable to suppose that. after reasonable time, the errors of the emergency may be corrected and innocent sufferers accorded justice, if not indemnifed for their actual unjust losses
 The troubles in Ireland, while not par taking of the nature of a concerted in- snrrection. have afforded England an op- portunity Of exercising an arbitrary authority quite at variance with the spirit of the present age, and while sup pressing the troubles arising from de fective agrsriau laws, that Government has deviated SO far from its repu.ed usual spirit of fairness and disregard Of international law and treaty, as to im- prison American citizens temporarily sojourning within its domains for many months, without trial or official inquiry into the cause thereof. The best efforts of OUT minister to the Court of St. James for the relief of these prisoners have been met by an arrogan: snubbinR through Lord Granville, and our weak represen- fative reports that they can only be released through the courtesy" of the British Government
 They are accused of no crime. but have been arrested and thrown into pris- on under the coercion act-a subversion Of civil process to military exigeneies- as being reasonably suspected" and months are allowed to pass without the least manifest disposition to inquire into the truth of the allegations against them.
 During all this time a desultory cor respondeoce has been maintained be- tween our State Department and Minister Lowell relative to the matter, but it has been barren of result Re gently, however, Secretary Frelinghuy- sen has exerted more vigor in their be half, and on March 2d, in cipher tele- gram to Lowell he instructs the latter to use all diligence in regard to the late cases, especially of Hart an | lMcSweeney, and report his action by cable. 4 reply was received by cable, in cipher the next week. March 1, 1882. Lowell says that on the 10th of June, 1881, he | instructed the Vice Consul at Belfast to | ascertain the cause Of arrest, and if the l prisoner were innocent to present the ] matter in the competent quarter, and ask | that McSweeney be released or brought | to trial
 The same day Mir. Lowell asked Lord Granville to furnish particulars in the case. The Under Secretary at Dublin meanwhile informed the Vice Consul at Belfast that the prisoner was reasonably | suspected of ofinciting persons to assemble unlawfully, and commit riot and assault. No further means of ascertaining the | justice of the accusation were open to the l Vice Consul. Later, on the 29th of June, Tor Granville informed Lowell that, ir- respectiys of the nationality Of arrested parties. whether native or alien, in no ease could information be given beyond statements of the warrant of arrest. Nc Sweeney having asserted his innocence, Lowell communicated this circumstance, unoiicially, on the Sth of July, and asked that the case might be considered favor ably. Lowell was thereupon distinctive ly assured that McSweeney could not be discharged from custody, bis conduct having brought him under the operation of the Coercion Act. Frelinghuysen then sent the following:
 The Secretary of State refers to the cause of OConnor, Hart, McSweeny. Walsh. McEnery and Dalton, and directs f 2lfTn6Gt dscnshgg hggfhi fhe tns anbpEiarm5ShrTT ir5S Toy M the existing coercive statute to the citizens Of inc United States. the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland will be instructed, under the first section of the act, 10 exerclse the discretionary l powers conferred thereby in this and all ,ases of impris oned Americans by prompt trials.
 In reply 10 this, on March :, 1882 Lowell says the instructions of Frel.ng. $ luysen have been obeyed, and Earl Granville had informed him that tine r natter will have immediate attention. f The matter now is attracting much at- entiOn in the United States Senate. ., md although the State Department has '. aken no steps to resent the alleged af- Tont put upon Minister Lowell, Con- V 'ress has asked the President for all the l' documents bearing on the case and will ' cry likely take immediate action.
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