The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-25
BLAINE AND THE IRISH SUSPECTS"

BLAINE AND THE IRISH SUSPECTS
The recent visit of McSweeny To New
York and the exposure he makes OF his
ill.treatment at the hands of the American
Government as a prisoner In Ireland while
our diplomacy was under the control OF
James G. Blaine, as Garfield's secretary OF
state, has about broken up the Irish Dyna-
mite, Blaine organization in that city. In
addition to the direct proof McSweeny
brings Of his own contemptuous treatment
by Blaine, the following extract from the
British Blue Book is produced, showing,
by letter written by Lord Granville to the
British Minister in Washington, that while
Blaine was secretary of state there was an
actual compact entered into by HIM with
the British Government, that the u s.
Government would not interfere with the
treatment by England of American citizens
arrested in Ireland as suspects" In a
letter of Lord Granville to Minister West
at Washington occurs this passage:
think 1t as well to state 10 you that Sir
f. Thornton, who was at that time her ma
iesty's Representative at Washington, re-
ported TO me last summer that he had been
confidently Informed through trustworthy
source that the government OF the United
States were not disposed to take up too
warmly the cause of American citizens,
whether native or naturalized, who went to
England or Ireland with the express object
Of agitating and of then appealing to their
government for protection.
As all the dates and cognate correspond
ence In the Blue BOOB show that this
compact between the British and Ameri-
can Governments was made with Mr.,
Blaine, 1t has ut once aroused towards him
among the Irish people in New York of
every class and association 'the highest In
dignation and contempt as Times cor
respondent reports that man intrusted
with foreign affairs should be capable of
humiliatlng his country by such an assur-
ance. He invited the supercillous inso.
lence with which his demands for justice
70 our citizens, feeble as they were, were
treated. He virtually tied his own hands
50 that he could not efficiently in proper
cases enforce attention to demands which
the laws of the United States required him
10 make--namely, for specific statement
of reasons for the imprisonment Of our
citizens, and If these were not sufficient,
then for the release of the prisoners The
fact is, Mr. Blaine, even in foreign affairs,
was negligent, ignorant and ofaced, pos
ing in one light before our public and at
the same time giving out communications
10 foreign governm ents for which he would
have been impeached If they had been
known" .t .t.-. @
"Of course" says Mr.. Algernon S. Sulli-
van, in view of this revelation, Blaine can
not get an Irish vote. The Irish people are
100 sensible TO be deceived. have presi-
ded during the present campaign at three
important nationalist meetings, and know
what am talking about | know the feel
ing of the Irish people toward him. The
Injustice toward Irish American citizens
arrested on the other side of the Atlantic
an injustice of which James &. Blaine was
the head and front-makes the Irish blood
boil. You may rely on it they will bitterly
oppose at the polls the election of man to
the presidential chair who has been con
clusively shown to be antagonistic 10 the
welfare and best interests of Irishmen."