The Rock Island Argus., 1884-10-17
M'SWEENEY IS NOT FOR BLAINE.
Arrival of the IriSh-Amcrican Suspect
Who Was Kept Ten Months in Jail.

New YORK, Oct. 13.-Danei Nc,
Sweeney, the Irish American who was
imprisoned in Ireland for ten months and
four days as suspect, arrived here yes
terday on the steamer Aurania, and a
party of Irish Americans went down the
bay in tug to meet him. Among them
were General Mcmahon, John Z. Develin,
Commissioner Coleman, James Redpath,
Congressman Robinson, Judge Richard
O'Gorman, Eugene Kelly, General
Thomas Francis Bourke and Senator
DAILY. The customs officers insisted that
MIR. MCSwGeney should land at the Barge
Office and the tug took him thence to the
foot of West Thirty fourth street. He
was escorted to the New York Hotel,
where he sat last night facing a group of
reporters.
Il come here voluntarily" he said, "tO
tell my COuntrymen how Blaine treated
me when was locked up in an Irish jail.
/ am now fifty years of age, and came to
this country first in 1852. remained in
Pennsylvania three years, where got out
my first naturalization papers, and then
went to California, where | got my final
papers on Nov 10, 1860. l was in the
cattle trade, and attended so strictly to
business that my health gave way, and
physicians ordered me to take sea vOyo
age In March, 1877, l went to Ireland
with my family and bought small free
hold property called CarrOwcannon
House, in County Donegal. was there
four years, and tried to sell the property,
but BuckshOt Forsters coercion act had
so deprecated property that could not
dispose of it.
Early in the morning of June 2, 1881,
Constabes broke into my house and ar
rested me. was SO feeble at the time
that had to use my crutch. | was drag
ged 200 miles and thrown into Dundalk
Jail. The charge against me was melting
the people of the neighborbood to riot
and assault saw the American consul
at Dundalk and demanded my release or
a speedy trail on the ground that | was
an American citizen. He wrote to Minis
ter Lowell, who in turn wrote to Secre
tary Blaine. With the sanction of Secre
tary Blaine, Minister Lowell wrote to me,
after / had been four months in Jail, that
Lhil OluHtlllO LO ItlI WIlub lLt
charges against me were, and that he him~
self could not interfere, because ] was
only naturalized citizen anyway, and
not an American born. 1t was a new and
startling doctrine to me- | had thought
that the rights of American citizens we're
the equal no matter what their previous
condition or nationality might be-
'For over ten months | lay in that
British Jail, when, had l not been an
American citizen, / would have been re.
leased in three months time at least, as
the other suspects were During all that
time | listened to the CALLING taunt from
my jailers. What good is you American
citizenship Let your flag protect you if
it cam Insult after insult was heaped
upon me, all because it was James G.
Blaine's policy to turn his back on the
appeals or 1rishNAmericans IrishAmari,
can should know this, and act according :
ly. When Mr. Frelinghuysen went into
office he took hold of my case at once.
and the prison door were opened and l
was released"
Mr.. McSweeney is in the hands OF the
National Democratic Committee. His
part in the coming campaign will probab-
ly consist in taking the stump for Cleve-
land