Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-10-10
THE M'swEENEY CASE.
What Mr.. McSweeney Himself Says
AbOnG IL,

Much has been said by politicians in
this campaign relative to the case Of Daniel
McSweeney, an American citizen, who
visited his native country, and was there
imprisoned Is months without trial. AS
the politicians disagree as to the facts in
the case, and presuming that Mr.. Nc
Sweeney, who was resident of California
for many years, knows, perhaps, a little
more about it than they do, we print an
extract from his letter on the subject to
the San Francisco Examiner, so that the
readers Of the SENTINEL may draw their
own conclusions
while in failing health, by the advice
OF my respected physician, DR.. VIM.
Jones, of San Francieco, l came tempora-
rily to reside in this country. Mr.. Blaine
will hardly dispute tina. this was on a
lawful errand.' 1t is true took part in
the Land League agitation which broke
out here Immediately after the great
famine of 1879 and 1880, and which has
resulted in the partial emancipation of the
unfortunate seIfs of this country from a
servitude more odious than the
WORST EORM OF AFRICAN SLAVERY,
But in SO doing l violated no law of this
country.
immediately after my arrest l commu-
nicated with Mr.. Lowell, forwarded to him
a certificate Of American citizenship, and
put him in possession Of all the facts con-
nected with my case. That gentleman an
swered in effect that it was absurd for q
naturalized citizen of the United States
to claim American protection, or, in his
words, 1t is manifestly futile to claim that
nsturalized citizens of the United States
should be excepted from its operation (the
Coercion Act. Lest should labor under
any misapprehension with regard to his
meaning, he adds: The only case in
which could intervene would be where
an American citizen should be arrested; it
would be proper to appeal to the
COURTESY OF THE ENGLISH
Government for the release of the prisoner,
etc. | have communicated these views to
the Department of State, and have so far
received no instructions in a contrary
spirit"
"At the time this correspondence took
place, and, in fact, during the first six
months of my Imprisonment, Mr.. j. G.
Blaine was Secretary Of State. That Mr..
Lowell received no instructions in con-
trary spirit from that department, proves
conclusively that Mr.. Blaine indorsed
those views and, consequently, he is, be-
yond all doubt,
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE oUTRAGEs
| Committed on American citizens in this
| country. In our correspondence with Mr..
Lowell during my imprisonment, that gen
tleman took pains to inform me that he
| was led TO believe that American citizens
| who were imprisoned in ireland did not
meet with exceptional treatment l was
among the first imprisoned and the last
released, and there was not even shadow
Of foundation for suspicion that had COM
mitted any crime.
''In conclusion, beg to say word to
my fellow-citizens in the United States OF
| America. | am bona fide citizen of the
| United States. / committed no act, either
at home or abroad, by which l forfeited
my right to claim the protection of the flag
of my adopted country. l came to this
country on a lawful errapd. | was con-
| demned and sentenced to IS months i'm
prisonment without any form of trial. l
was confined for IA months and 10 days i'll
a British dungeon. l wss locked up in a
! cell, Sx12, Is hours daily during that
period l committed no crime known to
the laws of this country. was charged
with none. l appealed TO j. G. Blaine,
Secretary of State for the United States, to
protect me. Ny wife appealed to him in
my behalf. He treated our appeals with
| COLD INDIFFERENCE;
He did not condescend even to reply. This
was Mr.. Blaine's vigorous foreign policy
when he was in position to demand and
procure the release of the American sus-
| poets imprisoned in this country. Under
these circumstances, l would ask the free
man of our great, glorious and free Repub-
lie, will they trust the man who suffered
the spotless emblem of liberty, the stars
and stripes, to be disgraced and trampled
on by Queen Victoria's hirelings2
| 'D. MCSwEENEY,
"Carrow Canon House, Falcaragh, Done
gal, Sept. s, 1884"
| III