Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-13
Now ana Then.

Mr.. w. II. Hurlbert il contributing
to the New York Herald very inter.
esting series of letters In which he per.
forms viviseciion upon Mr.. Blaine for
his conduct while Secretary Of State to-
ward 1rish.Ameriean citizens unjustiiia-
bly, deprived Of their liberty by the
British authorities. Mr.. Hurlbert's let.
ters should be re-published as campaign
documents. They show clearly Mr..
Blaine's neglect, founded upon contempt
for men Of Irish birth, toward American
citizens SO unfortunate as 10 be immured
In foreign prisons at time when. having
the right and the power. aud when II
WIS his duty TO shield them and 10 protect
them he did not do 80. The Infamous
Irish Coercion Act was passed by Parlia-
ment on the 2nd Of March, 1881, just
three days before Mr.. Blaine became
Secretary OF State. yet on the 26th OF
May of that year he stated in dispatch
to Minister Lowell that he "bad not seen
or read the Coercion Act" During
this interval Boynton and other Ameri.
can citizens had lain In Jail without be.
ing brought to trial and ignorant of the
charges made against them. He had not
read the act. but he took occasion to
assure MIR. Lowell that be had meriled
"the entire commondation Of the De.
partment," aud that his leaving those
American citizens in jail was discreet
and proper" IL certainly was very un.
statesmanlike in Mr.. Blaine not 10 have
informed bimsclf Of what the Coercion
Act was, and IL was clear failure to do
his sworn duty when Ms an American
Secretary Of State who knew that Amer.
lean citizens were confined in foreign
prisons he did not know whether they
were guilty Of any offense or not. Ev.
cry American OF American birth should
read these remarkable letters. In them
Mr.. Blaine is judged from the record
furnished by himself, aud foreign. born
citizens who think of supporting him
can form an opinion concerning what his
promises are worth. II Mr. Blaine 30
neglected his duty when Secretary of
Stale Of the United States what would
he be apt to do for foreign-born Ameri.
cans demanding protection were he
President of the Unioni The Italian
for example, does not
recognize the right of Italians so to OK.
patriate themselves that they can escape
service in the army. No matter
how long an Italian may have lived In
the United States, no matter whether he
be citizen of this country or not, if he
returns to Italy he is liable under Italian
law to be made TO serve in the army un.
less he shall have rendered such service
Let citizens Of Italian
birth, when they go to the polls In
remember what the probable
conduct Of Mr.. Blaine would be were he
1T the head of this Government at q
time when governmental aid might be
needed for ON American citizen under
luress in Italy. And let all citizens
II foreign birth contrast the conduct of
Blaine with that of William
!. Marcy, that eminent Democrat, who
'rdered the commander Of an American
for We had a navy then, that
wherever its ships ploughed the seas aud
lad won and could keep tue respect of
he world, with shotted guns run out, to
lemand from Austria the freedom Of I'm
AUSTRIAN born American citizen. Secre.
ary Marcy had informed himself con.
erning all alleged laws by virtue of
which Austria sought unjustly to de.
rive an American citizen Of his liberty;
nd, when Martin Koszta was delivered
p to Captain Ingrahau, that officer
ot only merited "the entire commend. !
tion of the department. but the
ratitude and applause of all of his
ountrymen, who deemed his action to q
% discreet and proper" In nineteen
Dng years the Republican party has not
iven to the nation, which Of right ought
0 be the most powerful on the face of
he earth, a Secretary of State with
luck enough to make the demand that N
iarcy male. Not even by the ex.
enditure during that time of more than
our hundred million dollars has it put
he government in possession of naval
'rce sufficient TO back such demand
the way that lngraham, with a single
hip, backed that of Marcy,