The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-10-10


ship eenld neutrality-suspicious. ask thaa ii enun-
ciated here?
Mr.. Blaine acted on it throughout, though
Guiteau's bullet sped soon after the receipt Of
the Instructions by Mr.. Lowell, sadly ~interfer-
ing with his course.
We have been asked several times in the past
three or -four weeks to explain what is called
the McSweeney case. We have refrained SO
far from doing so, waiting until the campaign
orators had exhausted themselves. Now for the
facts:
Daniel MeSweeney was ut one time a resident
of California, and no doubt became q citizen Of
of the United States. In 1876 he returned to his
native place in Ireland, near Cardonagh, Don
egaL He took up his residence there, occupieda
farm, and titled it, and after a few years WAS
elected a poor-law guardian for his district OF
the Dunfanaghy union. In 1879, 1880, and
1881 he took q very prominent part in the land
league movement His American experiences
made him the most aggressive land Lacquer,
perhaps, IN all Donegal DE was suspected
by 'Buckshot" Forster, was arrested under
the coercion act in July, 1881, and claimed
American citizenship. This, il will be remem-
bered, was after Garfield had been shot, and
while he was lying on a bed of
pain. About q month after he was arrested
McSweeney wrote to Mr.. Lowell claiming
American protection Mr.. Lowell, who is q
slow going person, and particularly slow when
the case of Irish-American citizens are con-
cerned, communicated with Mr.. Simms, the
American consul at Belfast end requested him
to investigate the McSweeney case. Mr..
Simms did as requested, and reported that
MI. Insolvency., though at one time an Ameri-
can citizen, had apparently returned TO his
former allegiance, inasmuch as he had &C
cepted Office In Ireland, an Office created by
the British government contrary to the pro-
fpat of fba Trial 4naDYla and had fALan
up his domicile permanently under the British
crown thereby FORGETTING his claims to Ameri-
can citizenship. Mr.. Simms advised Mr.. Low
ell that Mr.. McSweeney's case was not for
the interference of the American government
While this correspondence was going ON Mr..
McSweeney became impatient and wroteto Mr..
Blaine, then Secretary Of State Mrs. Nc
Sweeney also wrote. Mr.. Blaine Of course re-
ferred their letters to Mr., lowell, who commu-
nicated back to Mr.. Blaine the result Of his i'm
vestigations. Mr.. Blaine advised q further
scrutiny, because of the appeal made by sMrs.
McSweeney.
Before the reply to the American min
lister at LeRAen was received, Garfield
had died, and F~relinghuysen has taken
his place. The action of Mr.. Blaine,
however had been productive of good, and in
a few months after Mr.. McSweeney was re-
leased These are the facts as far as his case
is concerned.
Mr.. McSweeney, to be sure, complains that
Mr.. Blame did not answer his or his wires LETT
ters. This is foolish. If the Secretary Of
State replied to every complaint made, there
would be no surplus in the treasury, that is
certain. MI. Blaine Gid what was meet and
proper under the circumstances. He referred
the case to Mr.. Lowell, the American minister
to Great Britain. Mr.. Lowell acted, though
tardily, on Mr.. Blaine's instructions.
Now, it must be remembered in this
connection, that Mr.. McSweeney had acted
as a British subject in Ireland, by
holding Office. He has held the same Office
ever since. He is now a poor-law guardian of
the Dunfanaghy union, Donegal, Ireland, and
only a few months ago ho was a defendant in a
British court, at Londonderry, Ireland, at the
suit of an officer of the union. He is also a
candidate for parliament If electod, he would
have to take an oath of allegiance to Queen
Victoria, though when he became an American
citizen he foreswore allegiance to that per-
sonage.
What would American citizens think of q
man, an freshman, or an Englishman, or a
s~cotchman, for instance, who, after accepting
the Office OF alderman, county commissioner
or supervisor, should, when arrested unde&
American law, claim British protection? Nc
Sweeney, the Donegal poor-law guardian, claim
ing American protection, isa parallel case, isit
not?