National Republican., 1883-03-13
rnE cn1Mr Acr 1N mr1ANp.
Correspondence Between Minister Lowell
and the State Department.

Correspondence Between Minister Lowell
and the State Department..
The diplomatic correspondence of the year
1852, transmitted to congress with the last
annual message Of the President, is now in
course Of publication by the government
printing Office, and when completed will
make a volume of about six hundred pages.
Nearly all tho selected letters and extracts"
from letters of any general importance have
been covered by current newspaper publica-
tion. Among those which have not hereto
fore been printed are two, written by Minis
ter Lowell and Secretary Frelinghuyscn, in
regard to the Irish prevention Of GRIND
act" They appear in the volume as follows: (:
MR.. LOWELL TO Mr.. FRELINGHUYsEN.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, LON
DoN, July ii, 1sS2.-Sir! have the honor to
inclosc two copies of crime Ureand) act,
which has Just received the royal assent.
1t is the revival of the alien act which alone
directly concerns our relations with this
government. Questions are likely TO arise
under IL which will need to be treated with
extreme delicacy and discretion, IL will be
rather to the personal application of the act
than to its principle that objection will lie
and ! should be glad to be armed beforehand
with the opinion of the President as to what
my general line of action should be under
these new circumstances.
There must be n great number of natural
lied American citizens in Ireland besides
those that have rendered themselves obnoX-
ious to the local authorities and the alien
clauses of the act may very probably
strengthen the temptations of private enmity
TO bring false accusations, as it undoubtedly
| increases the opportunity for them. | have
every reason to believe that under the present
| government the act will be applied with eau
| tion and discrimination, but a change of
ministry may take place at any moment. In
any event, however, | think myself safe in
predicting that the provisions of the act will
he brought to bear only in cases of men who
have made or may make, themselves particu-
| larly prominent by Indictment to disorder or
defiance of authority. | have, &c,
j. II. LOWELL.
MIR. TRELINGHuYsEN TO MR.. LOWELL.
| DEPARTMENT or STATE, WASHINGTON, Sept.
| %, 1SS2.-Sir! l have, in an instruction, No.
135, of the fifteenth of August last, acknowl-
edged the receipt of your dispatch, No. 39s,
| of the fourteenth of July, in relation to the
prevention of crime Qreland) act" recently
passed by the British parliament.
The careful attention which you have evil
IDENTIFY given to the subject, and your just COM
ments on the policy that could have die
tated so extraordinary measure in a
country whose traditional history in regard
of the domicile, and the right of every
man accused of crime to an impartial trial has
formed its crowning glory, relieve me from
the necessity of giving you anything more
than general directions as to your future con
duct in connection with the cases affecting
American citizens that may possibly come
before you. Nevertheless, deem il proper
in the interests of our citizens and in com
pliance with your own expressed desire tC
that effect, to put you in possession of the
general views of the President on this recent
act of the British parliament-an act which
he conceives may seriously affect large mum
Der of the citizens of this republic.
1t is as you justly observe, the revival o.
the alien act as part of the crimes act thai
more directly concerns us, and it is this feature
of the measure which has caused the Presi
dent to feel anxiety as to its possible effect oil
the business and social relations of American
citizens, particularly those of Irish birth.
Many Irish American citizens have parents
brothers, and sisters resident in Ireland ant
whenever they learn of their destitution, a.
the most effective mode of relics, they send
member of the family to Ireland with tn,
means to aid them. The possibility that per
sons in pursuit of their lawful busines
enterprises or on their mission of benevo
lence, should como under the operation o
the proceedings contemplated by provisions
of the new law is much to be deprecated. Th
, which the act affords for the qualification O
! private enmity, as you justly remark, in
, Creases the grounds of this apprehension, an
when to this is added the superserviceabl
, zeal of local officials, it is hardly to be eS
pected that an Irish-American citizer
however innocent he might be in act an
intention, should consider his perso
| or his property safe in that country
: His private, although temporary abod
may be forcibly visited by night or day, n
papers and his valuables may be taken froi
him and subjected to Search and he may l
ordered out of the country at the will of tn
: executive, with the stigma of guilt upon hin
) and without having had an opportunity fC
: hearing or trial. The President mOreove
. cannot contemplate the enforcement of tn
measure on mere suspicious against America
y ! citizens without fears of its having an III
= happy influence upon the good feeling whiC
|, exists between two great nations
! common origin and common languag
,, / need scarcely add that this govcrnmel
! has no sympathy with the motive or IL
: methods of the class of indiscreet individual
. insignificant in number in this countr
< whose ill-direct zeal can neither serve Il
t. cause of Ireland nor reflect credit on I'll
!, country of their adoption. The law-abidiT
% and pcaceable American citizens of Irish birt
y should not be exposed to suffer on their a
VI count. The President, looking only to I'll
lulcTbSlo VI hhullNlli NlNiHohS, lluo uSbhN
it proper that these suggestions shou
be transmitted to you in view
any future contingency. 1t wou
l. be difficult, in the absence of any actual cas-
to give you any more specific instruction
D. Much must be left to your own judgmcr
Cases may arise when it will be necessary f
10 you to act ut once without consulting the
!" partment. In such case the President trusts
your discretion.
r You will, of course, keep the departme
l. informed of whatever steps you may find
NJ necessary to take in any and every case tn
NJ may come before you, using telegraph
that purpose when you deem it expedient,
g., l am &C.,
d. FREDERICK Il. FRELINGHUYsEN.
TO THE RIVER STYX.