Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-16
r. =. DEL VALE,
Of Los Angeles.
Nero Leather and rrunsI,a.

Nero Leather and PruneIia.
Probably never since the world began
has thore been such rugged example Of
"cheek" as the Republican party and iis
fuglemen delight to display at every
turn. They cannot enjoy their normal
condition Of ease uuless they are playing
off so,ne gross imposition on the masses.
They not only aim 10 use but to cajole
the voters. Their satisfaction would not
be complete unless, in their triumphant
career Of spoliation and bureaucratic
insolence, there were In their programme
some insulting evidence Of the low esti-
mate they put upon the popular intelli.
gencs. The Republican national plat
form contains some glittering genersli.
ties upon ''ouce an American citizen al
ways nn American citizen, or words to
that effect; aud II is thought, by callow
politicians, that such o transparent
fraud can be palmed of upon the Ameri.
can people. As a matter Of fact, the
magnetic man from Maine has always
been callous TO the claims Of naturalized
Americans. and never was there baser
surrender of the essential principles OF
American citizenship than was involved
In Mr.. Blaines treatment Of the cases
OF O'Connor and McSwccney, Irish. Amer.
loan citizens who were mmured In Brit
ish dungeons absolutely without any
warrant of international law.
The Republican party, In this plank
Of lis platform. has simply, rs a party.
tried to borrow little Democratic thun.
der. II was the party Of Jefferson and
jackson. and that party only, which has
ever maintained. with anything ap.
preaching vigor. the doctrine Of "Once
an American citizen always an Amer
lean citizon." 1t was William l..
Marcy, Franklin Pierce's Score
tary Of State, who, In 1853,
laid down the true American doctrine
that. once clothed in the panoply Of
American citizenship. it remained
around man from amy cline a. an
.gis forever. Mr.. Marcy, in 1853, in q
luminous and forcible manner, thus pre-.
ssnted the true American principle:
Whenever, by the operation of the
law OF nations, an individual becomes
clothed with our national character, be
he native born or naturalized citizen,
an exile driven from his early home by
political oppression or an e.nigrant en-
ticed from it by the hopes Of q better
fortune for himself aud his posterity, ho
can claim the protection Of this govern
mcnt, and it may respond to that claim
without being obliged to explain its
conduct to any foreign Power, for 1t is
its duty TO make its nationality respected
by other nations and respectable in every
quarter of the globe. Inter
national law looks only to the national
character in determining what country
has right to protect. II a person goes
from this country abroad with the
nationality of the United States, this
law enjoins upoa other nations to re-
spect him in regard to protection rs nm
American citizen.
In face Of the harlequin antics of Mr..
Blaine, while Gaifisld's Secretary Of
State, how resplendent and patriotic
has been the Democratic attitude at all
times! From the tifty-four forty or fight
stand of Polk towards Great Britain
down to the same Democratic Presi.
dents vigorous sustaining of the Repub-
lie of Texas, which attitude added such
imperial domains to the territory of the
Democratic party has always been
that Of o resolute and virile main.
tsnancs Of the rights Of Ameri-
can citizens, whether born ON the
soil OF the United States or naturalized.
How feeble and imbecile has been the
Republican record, as contrasted with
this consistent and patriotic course of
the only constitutional party in the
United States!
Upon what do Mr.. Blaine's friends
found his claim to vigorous foreign
policys Absolutely upon his pragmati-
cal and foolhardy interference in the
controversy between Chile and Peru,
and at time when Republican jobbipg
and malversation had left the United
States without the semblance of navy.
He thought he could bully Chile, and
there il not wanting colorable demonstra-
tions that this premier political ''con-
nubiator" was influenced in his action
by pecuniary interest in the Cochet-
Landreau claim upon the nitrate de-
posits of Peru.
What, however. Was the course and
attitude of Mr.. Blaine when il came to
standing up to Great Britain, in the
cases Of American citizens who were ar.
rested on landing on British soil, thrown
into British dungeons and left languish-
ing there for months! The question of
how this international Bobadil comport-
ed himself under these circumstances is
one of great interest to those Irishmen
and other foreigners who are being in.
vited to vote for Blaine on account OF
the vigorous foreign and American and
anti-British policy which his administra-
ton. it is assumed, would develop in
case he should be elected President of
the United States?
Every one remembers the cases of
O'Connor and McSweeney, and how
languidly that emaseulated American,
james Russell Lowell presented their
cases to the British foreign office. Here
was an opportunity for the Plumed
Knight Of Maine to show the mettle he
was made Of, and to rush into the immi-
nsnt deadly breach. Then, II ever, we