Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-17
r. r. DEL VALE.
rurGher Of the Blatno Vigorous
Foreign Peiicy Farce.
Of Los Angeles

ot Los Ahkctoas
rurther Of the Bialns Vigorous
Foreign Psiicy Farce.
Yesterday We contrasted the shamb-
ling and hesitating foreign policy Of
james G.. Blaine. while Mr.. Garfisld's
Secretary Of State. with the manly and
resonant utterances Of WIN. l.. Marcy ON
the same Issues. No fair minded Rspub-
llcan, with tho facts in his possession.
can deny that Mr.. Blaine carried out the
traditional Republican policy Of toad
eating TO England. Ho not only con-
donod the slavishnoss Of James Russell
Lowell but no even surpassed that
namby-pamby individual in the CON-
pletsnsss Of his surrender to the ultra
ipsolence Of Great Britain.
Par parenthese, ho~ remarkably does
any episode Of American diplomacy un-
der Democratic auspices, wherever Eog.
land 10 concerned, contrast with an
equivalent incident under the Republican
ascendsncy! Take the career Of James
Russell Lowell, for instance. o. com.
pared with that Of James Buchanan, in
" relation to the Court Of st. James.
Az . matter of fact Mr.. Buchanan
was the most popular United States
Minister who ever went from the United
States to England, but he did not win
his popularity by the toadyism which
characterized John Lothrop Motley or
James Russell Lowell. When asked to
attend the drawing room OF the q ieesl
In court costume, with sword entangling
itself In the calves Of his legs, he imi-
tatsd tho noble example Of Benjamin
Franklin at the court Of Louis Xvl., and
appeared in plain dress coat. Not
withstanding this robust assertion Of
the Republican idea, neither Motley nor
Lowell. nor both Of them put together
and multiplied by ten. ever secured the
social recognition accorded in England
70 Mr.. Buchanan. His conduct con-
trasted with theirs precisely as the State
papers Of Mr.. Marcy on the question of
American citizenship compared with
those Of MIR. Blaine on the same sub
ieot.
The slavish attitude Of Mr.. Blaine in
the cases Of O'Connor and McSweeney
was not justified by anything in the
past history Of the United States, and
It certainly was not responsive to the
aggressive and resolute action Of Great
Britain In all questions which related
to the rights Of her own subjects
which were called in question
in foreign countries. Mr.. Perry
Belmont, in discussing this question the
other day with Nav York Herald re-
porter, said: "Senator Vest recalled an
instance within his knowledge of an
English citizen who was arrested in st.
Louis and sent 10 Johnson's Island dur
ing the first year of the war. we were
in the throes of a mighty struggle, said
the Senator, "a struggle for national ex.
istence, and there was every excuse for
arbitrary action; yet within twenty.four
hours the British Minister at Washing.
ton had interposed in behalf Of the i'm
prisoned man and he was released before
the end of the second day. We want
this rule applied in the case of any
American citizen whose just rights are
infringed, native or naturalized. Our
nAturalizsd. citizens make up large part
of our population. What affects any one
Of these affects all, whether Of Irish, or
German, or French. or English birth.
Mr.. Lowell failed grievously in assert
ing the rights in the case of American
citizens, imprisoned for months without
trial, and he should be recalled at
once"
This is an exact statement Of the atti.
tude Of Great Britain in equivalent cir
cumstances, and it contrasts, in q very
marked way, with the ignoble stand
taken by Mr.. Blaine.
The Democratic House Of Representa-.
lives did not take the humilating view
of the status OF American citizens made
popular by this Jingo statesman of the
Republican party. On the 2Sth of June,
1882, the following resolutions were in.
troduced aud adopted re-afirming the
traditional American doctrine on this
important international subject:
WHEREAS, This Houss has informa.
ton from the State Department that
American citizens are deprived of their
liberty under the authority Of the gov
ernment of Great Britain, by being I'M.
prisoned in Jail in Ireland; therefore,
Resoiped, That the President be and
10 hereby requested to forthwith demand
of the government of Great Britain the
reasons Of such imprisonment, if he be
not now in possession of such reasons;
and If it shall appear to him that such
imprisonment is wrongful and in viola
tion Of the rights of American citizen
ship that he shall forthwith demand the
release of such citizeus; and If the re.
lease so demanded shall be unreasonably
delayed or refused that he use such
measures that he may think necessary
and proper to obtain or effect such re.
lease, and that he report all the facts
and proceedings relative thereto as soon
rs practicable to Congress.
But, as a matter Of fact, il Mr.. Blaine
had chosen to make himself familiar
with the laws Of his country
he would have found, in the revised
statutes Of the United States. section
2oOl, chapter 25, on Citizenship, .. the
following unqualified assertion of the
genuine American doctrine, which
ought to have guided him in the case,
Of 0Connor, McSweeney and other nat
uraliEed citizens similarly unjustly i'm
prisoned. We quote:
Whenever it is made known to the
President TINT any citizen Of the United
States has been unjustly deprived Of his
liberty by or under the authority of any
government II shall be the duty of the
President forthwith to demand of thai
government the reasons OF such impris
onment; and II it appears to be wrongful
and in violation Of the rights of Amer
lean citizenship the President shal
forthwith demand the release Of sucl
citizen; and IL the release so demanded
ia unreasonably delayed or refused tn