The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-07-29
CLEVELAND ON CITIZENSHIP.

CLEVELAND ON CITIZENSHIP.
Views Expressed When Mayor of
Buffalo on the Irish Suspects.
| When IL became known 10 this country
that Mr.. Lowell had abandoned the
Americans imprisoned IN Ireland without
formal accusation, trial or conviction, the
public indignation found expression 10
mass meetings to protest against this
course, and about the time that the con.
troversy eliminated such meeting was
called In Buffalo, N. Y. 1t was held
April 8, 1882, in St. James Hotel, and
Gov. Cleveland, who had been three
months Mayor Of Buffalo, presided On
taking the chair be delivered the follow.
ing address, which 10 certsinly as frank
On utterance In regard to the duties of
the American Government TO its citizens
abroad az any one need ask for:
"FELLow CITIZENS: This is the formal
mode Of address on occasions OF this
kind, but l think we seldom realize fully
its meaning or how valuable thing it 10
TO be . citizen. From the earliest civil
iza'ion to be q citizen has been TO he
free man, endowed with certain privileges
and advantages and entitled to :he full
protection Of the State. The defense and
protection OF personal rights of it's citi.
Ems has always been the paramount and
most important duty Of 9 free, enlight
ened government. And perhaps no gov.
eminent has this sacred trust more in its
keeping than this-,he best and freest of
them oil for here the people who are to
be protected are the source Of those
powers which they delegate upon the
express compact that the citizens shall
be protected. For this purpose We
choose those who for the time being
shall manage the machinery which We
have set up for our defense and safety.
"And this protection adheres to Us in
oil lands and places 40 au incident OF cit.
izensbir. Let hut the weight OF Q sacri-
legeous hand be put upon this sacred
thing and . great strong government
springs to its feet TO avenge the wrong
Tins it is that the native born American
citiz,n erj,ys bis birthrights. But when,
10 the westward march Of empire this
nation was founded and took root, We
beckoned to the old world and invited
hither i's immigration aud provided .
mode by Which those who spught home
among 10 might become our feIlow.c
zens. They came by thousands and hun.
dreds OF thousands; they came and
.Hewed the dark old woods away,
And gave the virgin fields to-day
they came with strong sinews and Draw.
ny arms 10 aid In the growth and pre-.
gress OF new country; they came and
upon our altars laid their fealty and sub.
mission they came to our temples OF
justice and under the solemnisy of an
oath renouuced oil allegiance to every
other State, potenta,e and sovereignty.
and surrendered to Us oil the duty per.
tanning to such allegiance. We have
accepted their iealty and invited them to
surrender the protection OF their native
land.
"And what should be given to them In
return2 Mapi:estiy, go,d faith and ev.
cry dictate OF honor demands that We
give them the Same liberty and protec.
tion here snd elsewhere which We vouch.
ssfed TO our native born citizens. And
that this has been accorded to them 10
the cro~ning glory OF American instl
tutions. II needed not the statute which
is now the Law OF the lsod declaring
that all paturalized ci,iz,ns while in
foreign lands ere entitled TO and shall
receive from this Government the same
protection Of person and property which
is accorded to native-born citizens, to
voice the policy OF our nation.
"In oil lands where the semblauce Of
liberty Is preserved. the right OF . per-
son arrested to . speedy accusation and
trial 10, or ought to be, . fundamental
la~ % it 10 Q rule Of civilization. Az
any rate, We bold II 10 be 90, and this is
one Of the rights which We undertake to
guarantee to any native-born or natural.
lied citizen Of ours, whether be be im.
prisoned by order Of the Gear OF Russia
Or under the pretext OF Law admins.
tered for the benefit OF the landed sris.
tocracy OF England. We do not claim
n make laws for other countries, bot We
do insist that whatever those laws may
he they shall, 10 the interests OF human
freedom and the right, OF mankind 90
far as they involve the liberty OF our
citizens, be speedily administered. We
have right to say and do say that mere
suspicion without examination or trial
is not sufficieqt to Justify the long ion
prisonment Of citizen Of America.
O.her natl ,ns may permit their citizens
10 be thus Imprisoned. Ours will not
Aud this 10 effect has been solemnly de.
clared by statute.
ave have met here tonight to consid
er this subject and to inquire into the
cause snd the reasons and the justice ol
the imprisonment Of ce,tsin oi our fel.
low.ci izens now held 10 British prisons
without the semblance Of q trial or legal
exsmination. Oar Law declares that che
Government shall act In such cases. Bot
the people are the creators OF the Gov.
ernment. The undaunted apostle Of the
Christian religion, imprisoned and perse.
cu.ed, appealing centuries ago to the RI.
man law and the rights OF r ,man ciii.
zenship. boldly demanded: is il lawful
for you to scourge man that is o Ro.
man and uncondemued ? So, too,
might We ask, appealing to the Law OF
the 'abd and the laws ot ciyilizatlon, lie
it lawful that these, our fellows, he i'm.
prisoned, who are American citis.ns and
uncondemned ? I deem IL On honor to
be called upon to preside at such meet.
ing, and / thank you for it. What ID
your further pleasure :"
|
| Cholera.
Paris, July % -Fifty.seven cholera
deaths have occurred at Marseilles in the
past twenty -four hours, and forty six st
Toalon drring the same period.
Three deaths from cholera are report.
ed at Brignoles, In the Department OF
War.
| MARsErLLEs, July ga crowd OF
Socialists assembled before the Mayors