Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-09
The McSVeeney Case.
7 What Jim Blaine Did and Did
Not De for British
Office Holder.
The Citizen John Finnertv's Pan.r,


exhausted themselves. Now for the
acts:
Daniel McSweeny was at one time
resident OF California and no doubt be-
came 2 citizen Of the United States In
1876 he returned to his native place in
Ireland, near Cardonagh, Donegal. He
took UP q residence there, occupied a
farm, and titled it, and after a few wears
was elected q poor-law guardian for his
district Of the Dunfanaghy uLion. In
1879, 1880, and 1881 he took very proni-
nent part in the land league movement.
Ills American experiences made him the
most aggressive land Lacquer, perhaps, in
all Donegal he was suspected by
Buckshot' Forster, was 81 rest ed under
the codTcion act in July, 1881, and claim
eel American citizenship. This, it will be
remembered, was after Garfield had been
shot, and while he was lying on bed Of
1aIn. About month after hs was ar
restd McSweeney wrote TO Mr.. Lowell
claiming American protection. Mr.
Lowell, who IS slow going person, and
particularly slow when the case Of Irish
american citizens are concerned. COM
muncated with Mr.. Simms the Amcri-
can consul at Belfast, and requested him
TO investigate the McSweeney case Mr..
Simms did as requested. and reported
that hlr. McSWeeney, though at one
time On American ciGZen, had apparent
~ returned to his former I'll glance, in
asmuch AS he had accepted Office in Ire
land, an Office created by the British
government CONTRARY to the protest of
the Irish people, and had taken up his
domicile permanently under tie British
crown, thereby fOrfeiting his claims to
American citizenship. Mr.. Simms adj
y-Igad MI. o,,v,lI
case was not one for the interference of
the American government. While this
correspondence was going en- Mr.. Nc
Sweeney became impatient and wrote
to Mr.. Mr.. Blaine, then secretary of state
Mrs. AcSWeeney also wrote. Mr.. Blaine
Of course referred their letters 30 Mr..
Lowell, who communicated back to Mr.
Blaine the result Of his investigations.
Mr.. Blaine advised a further scrutiny,
because Of the appeal made by Mrs. Nc
Sweeney.
Before the reply to the American min
lister at London was received, Garfield
had died, and FreGnghuysen had taken
his place. The action of Mr.. Blaine,
however, had been productive Of good,
and IN few months after Mr.. McSwee-
ney was released. These are the facts as
far as his case is concerned.
NJ. EICSweeney, to be sure, complains
that Mr.. Blaine did not answer his or
his wife's letters. This is foolish. IL
the secretary of state replied to every
complaint made, there would be no sur
plus IN the treasury, that is certain.
Mr.. Blaine did what was meet and prop
er under the circumstances. He referred
the case to Mr. Lowell the Americas
minister to Great Britain Mr. Lowell
acted, though tardily, on Mr. Blaines
instructions.
Now, 1t must be remembered in this
connection. that Mr. McSweeneg had
acted as a British subject in ireland, by
holding office. He has held the same
office ever since. He is now a poor-law
Guardian Of the Dunfanaghy union, Don
egal, Ireland, ana only a few months
ago he was q defendant in q British
court, ut Londonderry, Ireland, at the
suit of an officer Of the union. He is
also a candidate for parliament. Ii
elected he would haye to take an oath
Of allegiance to Queen Victoria, though
when IL became an American citizen
he foresWore allegiance to that person
age.
What would American citizens think
Of man. III Lrishnan, OF an Engisnm4n
or ScQlcam ~, FOR instance. who, after
accepting the oiiiceof alderman, county
commissioners. OF supervisor, should
when rva-. 4 under American Law,
claim British protection: Insolvency.,
Nlhe Donegal po0r-Iaw guardian, claim
.ng American protection, is 4 parallel
case. Is ii Il I:
And now a word as TO Mr. Blaine's
action iu the case Of American citizens.
On the 2t5h OF May, 1891 before the
coercion act had come mo his posses
sion. he wrote to MI Lowell to use all
care ana diligence III protecting Ameri-
c3n citizens, and on the 2d OF June fol-
lowing Wrote to Nj. Lowell a letter, from
which We extract the following instruc-
{ ons III reference to the case OF Joseph
u. Walsh. of Castelar,. Mayo:
Whatever the nece -sitv may be in the
estimation Of her lnaiesty's government
Tor the existence AMI enforcement in
ireland OF the exceptional legislative
measure, receotly enacted in that
count \, his country Ga mot view with
uMcCncerD the application OF the sum-
mary proceed ngs attendant upon the
prosecution Of tae5e measures to natur-
allied citizens Of Irish origin. whose
business rrlati ms may render necessary
their presence IN Ireland on any part Of
the United Kingdom. or whose tiIial ia
met and love for kindred may have
gromptet them to revisit their native
country.
If American citizens. while within
British jurisdiction, offend against
British laws, this government will not
seek to defend them from the legal con-
sequences of their acts: bat it must
insist upo tse application to their cases
Of those common principles of criminal
jurisprudence which in the United States
secure TO every man who offends against
IS laws, whether he be an American cit
Izen or a foreign subject, those incidents
to a criminal prosecution which afford
the best safeguard to personal liberty
and the strongest protection against OPP
preston under the form of law which
might otherwise be practiced through
exec, siYe zeal.
That an accused person shall immedi-
ately upon arrest be informed OF the
Specific crime or offense upon which he
is held. and that he shall be afforded an