The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-05
BLAINE AND THE IRISH

BLAINE AND THE IRISH
We find in the New York Sun the sub
Joined letter from Baltimore touching Mr..
Blane's attitude upon Irish affairs and his
conduct In the cases of American citizen,
arbitrarily arrested and held by the British
Government while he was Secretary OF
State. Mr.. Blaine, it is sufficient to say, is
the candidate of the party additionally IL
liberal in its dealings with foreign-born
citizens, and especially with the Irish who
have almost uniformly attached themselves
to the Democracy. Jefferson fought their
battles against the Federalists, and the his
tory of Know n othingism is too recent to
require recital But for the Democratic
party Irish Americans would probably have
no votes to cast for Mr.. Blaine or anybody
else, and the extraordinary claim which
this remarkable adventurer nowmakes to
the support of Irish Catholics particularly
and the loud boasts that he is 10 have II
are, therefore, very astonishing. Here is
the letter:
BALTIMORE, June 21.-Mr. James &.
Blaine was invited TO be present at the
great meeting held in Baltimore, April Is,
1882, under the auspices of the Irish Ma
tional Land League of Maryland. He did
not come. Why? He was but an hour
distant. Other gentlemen-honest Demo
Gratis, friends of Ireland, who could not at
tend-sent letters of regret and appreciation.
Mr. Blaine sent none made no sign. He
IA -. Il IJa no Iona ~
Secretary of State He had been Secretary
of State, however, and he had made re-
cord in the cases of the Irish American
prisoners, then imprisoned in the British
tails, which was not understood then, and
is little understood now. This meeting de-
manded the effectual interposition of the
United States in behalf of those American
citizens arbitrarily seized and held without
trial for the offense of sympathy with the
Land League
William Pnckney Whyte presided AT
that meeting and the late jeremiah Sulli-
van Black was the principal speaker. His
speech was carefully reported, published
throughout the Union the next morning,
and has ever since been regarded as the
most powerful defense of the Land League
ever uttered on this side of the water.
Judge Black said Are we not required
TO do something for the relief of Ireland !!
This is question on which, think, no
American citizen has a right to be silent"
But ii was upon that question precisely
that Mr.. Blaine, with a prudent reference
10 his then recent action in the State De-
partment, preferred to remain silent. He
knew Judge Blacks views perfectly, and he
did not care to hear the answer which that
sterling, Outspoken American would make
TO his own question.
Did Mr.. Blaine lift a finger to save the
suspects" Did he not coolly and heart
lessly cOncede the right of British Secre-
tary of State to arrest and treat as that gov
eminent saw fit any American citizen
whom they chose to consider obnoxious?
Frelinghuysens line of conduct was but a
continuation of Blaine's. Will Mr.. Blaines
friends be good enough to publish his in.
structions to the American Minister at
London9 Until the Irish Americans who
imagine themselves enamored of the al
legged virility of Mr.. Blaine's foreign poll
cy come to see this record, they had better
go slow in the way of committals.
Following is the circular in full, word
for word as it issued from Blaine's pen, I'M
der the eye of Gov. Plaisted, a man whose
word no one who knows him will question
in such case:
Do the Protestant democrats of the
Fourth district desire to be represented in
Congress by Roman Catholic? James Q.
Madigan, the democratic candidate for
Congress in the Fourth district, is a very
Jealous Roman Catholic. It's believed by
many that he is lay member of the secret
order of Jesuits, just as the late Senator
Casserly of California was Casserly was
elected to the Senate by Jesuit money
100000 contributed by that order-and the
fact being discovered, Casserly at once re-
signed his seat, rather than stand an inves-
tigatiOn and thus expose the workings of
the order. In Ohio and other states the
Catholics are striving to destroy the only
avenue for education left open to the chill
dren of the poor They say, 1--WE will have
church schools instead" and thus let loose
the worst of theological quarrels all over
the land 1t is great gain to Catholics to
get these prominent men in Congress.
They have now four members of the United
States Senate, one each from the states of
New York, Missouri, Virginia and Florida
The whole energy of the Catholic Church
is now eXerted to increase its power in the
Congress of the United States. The Pap
lists everywhere are watching the result OF
Madigans campaign in this district, and it
will be hailed everywhere as a great tri-
umph for the Catholics if New England
Protestant district sends a Roman Catholic
TO represent ii in Congress Are the Pro
testant Democrats of the Fourth district
willing to aid in building up the Roman
hierarchyg Answer at the polls on the 18th
of September, and if you do not feel will
ling to vote for Gen. Plaisted, at least cut
Madigan's name off your regular Demo
cratic ticket. Remember that you owe
more to religious sentiments than you do
your party; aud the proper rebuke to your
party for asking you to vote for Roman
Catholic is to support Gen. Conner for Gov
ernOr and Gen. Plaisted for Congress.
PROTESTANT DEMOCRAT
CLERGYNEN AGAINST BLAINE.-The assscia-