The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-11
MR.. BLAINE AND THE IRISH.
How He Protected the Rights of Irish
Americans as Secretary of State.
A Singing Reply to P. II. McNelis-Letter
to Hon. John F. Scanlan-An Irish
Campaign Song.
1nIsH-AMER1cAN RIGHTS.

Mr.. BIaine's Protection of Irish-American
Citizens-A Sharp Reply to z. I'll. McNelis.
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
In a somewhat garbled compilation of current
Democratic campaign literature, contributed to
the New Record" and signed by P. II. McNelis
it should have been ]. j. Bingham, Knight of
the Golden Circle, an attempt is made to BELT
tie the now swelling tide of Irish detection from
the party claiming to represent the principles Of
jefferson, jackson, and Monroe. The writer
says truly that he never saw Ireland" for Mr..
Bingham would much rather steer his bark to
Albions isle He has however, seen great
deal of Irish correspondence, which, intended
only for the national secretary Of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians, was of necessity, brought
to his notice as the amanuensis of a man con
fessedly unable to indite a decent letter.
Now, who is this P. H. McNelis. who, like ''Gen
eral" P. H. Collins, tells US that though his
front name" is decidedly Irish one, that is the
only thing Irish in his compostion9 He is
man, who, acting as a general secretary of a re-
spectacle order, covers up his ignorance by ex-
posing the secret work of that order to one whose
record may best belearned by consulting certain
wellknown citizens of this city In short McNelis
can truthfully say that if he ever had any Irish
in him Bingham has sopped it out of him like
sponge. Some five or six years. ago McNelis sue
ceeded in breaking up the A o. ID. organization
in this city. And, in connection with this, 1t can
be said that after suspension of three divisions
of the order he gave transfer card to former
member emitting that member to admission In
Chicago division. This same man. who never
saw Ireland, has record as an "Amerl-
can" in the case of James Deery
Of Of this city, who, standing g.. good
the police board, found that certain MSS.
from this McNelis to John Frenzelcut him out
of well deserved position. | might also cite
his conduct in the case of John r. Walsh, and
so l could fill column with the very un irish
acts of P. H. McNelis. 1t will suffice, however, to
say that he was dismissed from the Office Of sec
rotary because he had used the A. o, Fl. for
political purposes and as it is well-known he
will not long enjoy his present accidental po-
stion, because of machine" movements at
Cleveland. He never saw Ireland. No, nor he
never will as an Irish revolutioniSt for his name
is now posted as an expelled member of the
leading Irish organization in America. Yet this
is the man who employees the bigoted pen of a
Halter of all things Irish to reply to letter ad-
dressed to him by Alexander Sullivan. This
same letter was sent to every member of the Irish
organization in this country, and out offs fancied
EXPERIMENTATION P. H. McNelis addresses an
open letter to the late honored president Of the
National League
His platitudes in favor of the nonenity called
the Democratic presidential candidate may be
well and easily answered by referring to circu-
lar addressed to the Irish people by General
Richard O. S. Burke, who, by the way, did see
Ireland, and who is far more competent to speak
for Ireland than be who only boasts of an Irish
front name. The General shows that far from
Marcy or the United States government acting
in the Koszta case Captain lngraham acted en-
tirely on his own responsibility, and to shield
him the fuss made by Marcy; for it is we'll
known that this same Ingraham became Chief Of
Ordnance under the Southern Confederacy. The
dispute was really between Austria ana Turkey
and in doing what he did Ingraham acted as a
naval rowdy, in that he exceeded his authority
in matter where the man rescued was not an
American citizen any more than is the King of
Dahomey If the man who never
saw Ireland will look I'D the his
tory of the instruction of 1867, he
will find that not only did the Republican gov
eminent successfully demand trial for those cit
liens known to be such, but it even provided
counsel for them free of expense, and not back
stairs lawyers either, looking for a cheap noto-
riety in defending "Fenians" at Buffalo, McNelis
ought to know-but then what does he knowt-
that the release of Col Maggie secured after
two unsuccessful attempts by England to con-
Wet him. Col. Warren Capt. Costello and
Burke himself were rescued after English law
had doomed them to penal servitude. Col
Burke says in his case that mot one atom
of neglect existed, but on the contrary, the most
kind encouragement and most cordial assist
who, under the name Of Shire, was condemned
to death for his connection with the Manchester
affair, was, through the sustained eff
forts of the Republican administration.
finally restored to liberty, though at the time of
his arrest and for two years after he was not an
American citizen. So With the Boyton case
He was not citizen. insolvency forfeited his
right of American protection yet Mr. Blaine,
writing to President Garfield, said: Il view Mr.
BoytonS case as one of hardship, and no pains
have been spared to release him. Were l in
possession Of proof of the fathers naturalization
during the sons minority, or of the performance
of any loyal act by the son whereby the latters
citizenship would be established, l would not
hesitate to take any steps warrantable by inter
national law and justice in his behalf" Mr.
Blaine then says that if the Senate would move
in the matter something might be done to get
England to loose her grip on Boyton In the
case of the Land League prisoners, Earl Gran
vile had assumed position not to be met by Mr..
Blaine without the sanction of the President and
he, the noble soul, on his death-bed. The
cases of insolvency and Walsh were those of
men who became domciled under English law,
and in the case of the former it is well known to
the friends he took leave of in San Francisco
that he expressed himself as disguised with
America and said he would never return.
SO much for the blatherskite talk about what
Democracy did and Republicans did not do for
Irish Americans Not even the war of 1872,
nor the eternal oath of jackson made Eng
land respect the rights of citizenship until the
Republican government, at the instanceo f James
G. Blaine, caused the British lion to squirm out
of his position, and eoneed- the right of Ameri
cans at home and abroad.
As to the story of Mr.. Blaine's Know nothing
ism, l would ask this man with the front
name to read the last issue of the Patriotic
American. of San Francisco, edited by Col"
George Thistletoe another man who never saw
Ireland and who like the dodO in Australia has