The Evening critic., 1884-06-27
BLAINE AND THE IRISH.
How Gnrheld's Secretary of State
Twice Interfcred TO Take an
Irfshmen Out OF an English Jail.

How Gnrheld's Secretary of State
Twice Interfcred TO Take an
Irfshman Out OF an English JAIL.
E. p. Brooks, in tho Peoria EUenin0 Cal, re-
lates important facts In the record OF Mr..
Blaine while Secretary of State, showing how
he defended o'Mahoney and other 1rIshmen
from the English. Says Mr.. Brooks:
Under Mr.. Secretary Eyarts went abroad
as Consul nc Cork, ireland, the most turbulent
and disaffected antt.Britien consular jurls1ic-
tion in that unfortunate country. In due
course Mr.. Blaine succeeded Mr.. Evarts as
secretary OF State, and during the entire Pc
Rod OF his service In that Department., aud
until after Mr.. Frelinghuysen had In turn
succeeded him, Iremained In that Official ca.
head OF affsirs In Washington that the parnell
movement reached Its victorious cul-
s minaiGn o,,s and was ,oIlowed by
ana there oil over the island. those attempts p
opened and closed the doors or British prisons
upon hundreds OF brave and perhaps fool.
hardy and misguided men, known In newspa-
dozen or more naturalized American citizens,
some or whom Instantly appealed TO the near
est consular ofiicer for relief, release or pro-
lection. The first case OF this Kind was that
OF Michael Boyton, brother OF the swimmer, nj
Dublin. The second was that OF Henry o'Ma-
honey, OF Balhydebob, County Cork. Boytons
to by Coneul Burrows, at Dublin. o'Mahoney's
fell TO my lot. O'Mahoney's wife wrote to me
In his behalf, and l went very soon
Limerick Jail, to investigate his claims.
found he had beon an American citizen, had
served In the Union Army, and had returned
TO ireland, whore he had been elected to and
exercised the functions OF the office of poor
law guardian. II struck me that he had for
feited by the latter act all right to claim
American protection. But 1 wrote to Consul
General Badeau, then in London, and to Min
ieter Lowell, making out as strong a case for
O'Mahoney as possible. Some time passed,
and ] received no answer to my dispatch.
Department., asking for instructions In the
premises, and complaining that Minister
Lowell had neglected to take notice OF
my official communications to him. Long
before ! heard anything from Mr.. Lowell,
and quickly as the ocean steamers could
bring II, received dispatch from the De-
pnrtmenf, sent directly by Secretary Blaine,
approving all had done for OMahoney, and
ordering me TO pursue the same course In
other similar cases which had then arisen.
What Instructions, IL any, the Secretary sent
to Minister Lowell do not pretend to know;
but from that moment there was difference
In the treatment my communications re.
ceived ct the legation In London. MIR. Lowell
issued circular letter liable to be construed
ae making a distinction between native aud
naturalized Americana, and giving general in-
structions to his subordinates regarding the
questions at Issue In those suspect cases.
Right on the heels OF this circular, aud OF Soc
rotary Blaine's dispatch to me, OMabonoy
was released. The Inference Is too plain TO re-
quire any calculation. Protection TO Amori-
can citizens, OF whatever nativity, In the
land OF their birth, was then for once asserted,
despite Minister Lowelrs subservient expla.
nations OF the local supremacy OF British
laws in that region. But, alasl o'Mshoney re
fused to stay released. Instead OF quietly at
tending to his personal affairs aBi abstaining
from interfering In tho politics OF n "friendly
power" he at once returned 10 tho stump as
The most violent agitator in the south OF Ire
land. He denounced the British Government
and blackguarded Queen Victoria from the
steps OF public buildings in Cork, and In con.
sequence was rearrested, sent back to the
Limerick Jail, and incarcorated as before. For
the second time, as the result OF Secretary
Blaine's vigorous policy OF protection, he was
freed from his dungeon, although his actual
release was not effected until after Mr.. Ere.
linghuysen came into office.