The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-15
THE MCSWEENEY CASE.
John Finerty's Explanation of the
Affair.
What Mr.. Blaine Did and Did Not Do for
British Ohiceh older-A Plain
Statement of the Facts.
Worth Reading. 20.

what is called the McSweeney case. We
have refrained 80 far from doing So,
waiting until the campaign orators had
exhausted themselves. Now for the
facts: Jttt ~
Daniel McSweeney was at one time q
resident OF California. and no doubt be-
came q citizen of the United States.
In 1876 he returned to his native place
In ireland, near Cardonagh, Donegal.
He took up residence there, occupied q
farm, and titled it, and after few years
was elected poor-law guardian for his
district of the Dunfanaghy Union. In.
1879, 1880 and 1881 he took very
prominent part in the land league:
movement His American experiences
made him the most aggressive land
Lacquer, perhaps, in all Donegal. He.
was suspected by "Buckshot Forster,
was arrested under the Coercion Act I'M
July. 1881, and claimed American citi-.
zenship. This, it will be remembered
was after Garfield had been shot, and
while he was lying on a bed Of
pain. About a month after he was ar
rested MtSweeney wrote to Mr.. Lowell
claiming American protection. Mr.
Lowell, who is slowgoing person, and
particularly slow when the case Of
1rish-American citizens are concerned,
communicated with;-.Mr Simms, the
American Consul at Belfast, and re-
quested him to investigate the Nc
Sweeney case. Mr.. Simms did as re-
quested, and reported that Mr.. Nc.
Sweeney, though at one time an Ameri-
can either, had apparently returned to
his former allegiance, inasmuch as he
had accepted Office in Ireland, an Of
fee created by the British Government
contrary TO the protest of the Irish peo-
pie, and had taken up his domicile per-
manently under the British crown.
thereby forfeiting his claims TO-
American citizenship. Mr. Simms ad-
vised Mr.. Lowell that Mr.. McSweeney's s.
case was not one for the interference Of
the American Government. While this,
correspondence was going on Mr.. Nc
Sweeney became impatient and wrote
to Mr.. Blaine, then Secretary of State.
Mrs. McSweeney also wrote. Mr.,
Blaine OF course referred their letters
to Mr.. Lowell, who communicated back
TO Mr. Blaine the result of his investi-
cations. Mr.. Blaine advised a further
scrutiny, because of the appeal made by
Mrs. McSweeney.
Before the reply 10 the American min
lister at London was received, Garfield
had died, and Frelinghuysen had taken
his place. The action Of Mr.. Blaine
however, had been productive of good,
and in a few months after Mr.. Nc
Sweeney was released These are the
facts as far as his case Is concerned.
Mr.. McSweeney, to be sure, complains
that Mr.. Blaine did not answer his or
his wife's letters. This Is foolish. II
the Secretary of State replied TO every
complaint made, there would be no sur
plus in the Treasury, that Is certain
Mr.. Blaine did what was meet and
proper under the circumstances. He
referred the case TO Mr.. Lowell, the
American Minister to Great Britain.
MIR. Lowell acted, though tardily, on
Mr.. Blaine,s instructions.
Now, it must be remembered in this
connection, that Mr.. McSweeney had
acted as British subjectIin Ireland, by
holding Office. He has held the same
Office ever since. He is now poor-law
guardian OF the Dunfanaghy Union,
Donegal, Ireland, and only q few
months ago he was defendant in Brit
ish court, at Londonderry, Ireland, at
the suit OF an officer of the Union. He
is also a candidate for Parliament. II
elected, he would have to take an oath
of allegiance TO Queen Victoria, though
when he became an American citizen
he foreswore allegiance to that person
age.
What would American citizens think
OF aman, an Irishman, or an Englishman,
or Scotchman, Tor instance, who after
accepting the Office OF alderman, county
commissioner. or supervisor. should.
when arrested under American law,
claim British protectionP McSweeney,
the Donegal poor-law guardian, claim
ing American protection, is parallel
case, Is 1t notP
And now word as to Mr.. Blaine'sf
acction In the case Of American citizens.
On the s4th of May, 1881, before the
Coercion act had come into his posses-l
sion, he wrote 10 MIR. Lowell TO use all;
care and diligence in protecting Ameri-
can citizens, and on the I'd OF June iol-i
lowing wrote 10 Mr.. Lowell letter,
from which we extract the following
instructions In reference to the case oil
Joseph b. Walsh. of Castlebar. Mayo:,
whatever the necessity may be in the esti-
nation OF Her Najestys Government for tho
existence and endorsement in Ireland OF the
exceptional legislative measures recently
enacted in respect to that country this Gov.