Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-12
AMERICANS IN IRELAND.
President Arthur's Instructions to Min.
lister Lowell

A special dispatch from Washington
says: Immediately after the passage OF
the act for the prevention of crime in Ire
land which revived the alien act, Minister
Lowell informed the State Department
1 that questions were likely TO arise under
II which would need to be treated with
/ extreme delicacy and discretion. par
! ticularly what related to the alien act.
/ He said: at will be rather TO the personal
! application of the act than to its princi-
/ pie that objection Will lie, and | should be
/ glad to be armed beforehand with the
! opinion OF the President as to what nv
general line of action should be under
these new circumstances. There must
be great number of natlIraliZed Ameri-
can citizens in Ireland, besides those that
have rendered themselves obnoxious TO
the local authorities, and the alien clauses
OF the act may very probably strengthen
the temptation of private enmtv to bring
false accusations, and it undoubtedly in
creases the opportunity for him.
The general views of President Arthur
on this act of the British Parliament.
given in the instructions sent TO Minister
Lowell, show what is thought by the ad-
minstration of this extraordinary meas
ure. The Presidents apprehension was
that ii might affect a large number of the
citizens OF the United States. 1t was an
extraordinary measure in country
whose traditional history in regard to the
freedom OF the individual and the right of
every man accused of CRIME to an impair
tlal trial had formed its GROWING
glory. The revival of the alien acff
as part Of the crimes act more
directly concerned us. and il was
this feature of the measure which had
caused the President to feel anxiety as TO
its possible effect sn the business and the
social relations of American citizens, par
ticularly those of Irish BIRTH The possi-
bility that persons in pursuit of their law
I9l business enterprises, oEk those who
visited Ireland to aid their relatives
should come under the operation of the
proceedings contemplated by provisions
OF the new law was very much to be
deprecated. The opportunities for this
kind of annoyance which the act affords
for the qualification of private en-
nifty increased the grounds of
this apprehension, and, when this
was added to the superservice-
able zeal of local officials, it was hardly
to be expected that an Irish-American
citizen, however innocent he might be in
act and intention, should consider his per-
son or his property safe in that country.
The President further said that he could
not contemplate the enforcement of this
measure on mere suspicion against Amer
lean citizens without fears of it's having
dh uHHdppy lnHueHce upon the good feel
ing which exists between two great ma
tions of common origin and common Ian
guage.
The conclusion of the instructions of
the President is as follows: 81 need
scarcely add that this government has no
sympathy with the motives OF the methods
of the class of indiscreet individuals. IN
significant i'll number, in this country,
whose ill-directed zeal can neither serve
the cause of Ireland nor reflect credit on
the country of their adoption. The law
abiding and peaceable American citizens
of Irish birth should not be exposed to
suffering on their account"
The instructions to Minister Lowell were
subsequently supplemented by the decla-
ration of the President that the power
given to subordinate officials by the pre-
Ventl0n of crime act was so great and
the rights subjected to their discretion
were so important that foreign govern
ments might reasonably require that, so
far as their citizens present in Ireland on
legitimate and proper business were con-
cerned, the individuals selected to adj
minister that act should be competent.
well informed and unpreiudiced. and
should 1t appear that these officials had.
III the case of such foreign citizens. mis-
used the powers intrusted to them they
should be subjected to such condemna-
tory action. and the citizens wrOnged
should receive such amends, as the facts
might warrant.