St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-12
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 11-Mr Blaines counec-
ton in early life with the Know Nothing organ
OF the STATE of Maine, and his more recent con-
(, necton with the Infamous Madigan circular in
which religions prejudice against the Catholics
was attempted by him to be utilized for party
purposes, Is in perfect accord with his own gen
eral record, and the sentiments of
New England Republicans who have
constantly asserted that the Irish and
Germans were on lower plane of civilization
than the negroes. This has been their usual
reply to the Democrats from the south, who
complained Of the evils of negro suffrage and
negro rule in the southern states.
The of Patrick Woods, an Irish citizen of
Richmond, Va, in May, 1870, illustrates perfectly
the terror of Blaine's feelings and those of his
present ally, Ben Butler. The
Richmond district was then represented in
congress by Chas X Porter, one of the horde Of
carpet bag miscreants who infested the south in
those days Porter in public speech prior to
to his election said that the negroes were supe-
ror to the dirty Irish and Dutch. This led
Woods 10 make attack on Porter on the
streets of Richmond at time when he was alb
sent from congress on leave. However
richly merited the punishment for
the vile language may have been, Woods
terry, for which he was promptly arrested and
held for punishment by the Virginia tribunals of
justice. This, however, did not suit the Repub-
lican majority of the house of representatives of
which Blaine, Butler and Bingham were the types.
They took the extraordinary position that an or
binary ARRAY assault in the city Of Richmond
was violation of the privileges of the house of
representatives. So Pat Woods was arrested
by virtue of a telegram of the sergeant at arms
The writ OF habeas corpus of the Virginia court
was set at naught and this Irishman of muscle
and hot blood was brought to Washington city
and to the bar of the house. for the speaker,
James @. Blaine, Of Maine, TO ''flx him with his
gIitteting eye. Randall and Kerr in vain tried to
interpose. Woods ordered off not to a trial
| by jury, but 10 a sort of star chamber inquest
before the house Judiciary committee OF which
Bingham was the ruling spirit. This committee
reported a resolution to imprison Woods for
three months.
The whole proceeding was simply g piece of
Republican hostility to Irish Democrats There
was nothing to show that Woods
ever intended the slightest disrespect
to the house interference with its sessions
duties or prerogatives. He did not even know,
as he testified on oath, that Porter was member
of the house. lie did know however. that Por-
ter had toully sandered his race and nationality
and he tried to get even by giving him a good
drubbing. Woods was sent 10 Jail for three
months under the order of Mr.. Speaker Blaine
not once did JAS. G. Blaine show the slightest
evidence that he recoiled from the folly aud RAGE
OF his party associates for this poor ignorant
Irishmun. His bias in the chair was against the
prisoner. As matter OF fact, there is no doubt
that Blaine and his party were really in full sym
pathy with the derogatory and offensive remark
that Porter made about the Dutch and
Irish being inferior to negroes. II Blaine had
been opposed TO his high handed proceeding he
would have broken it up a. easily Us he did the
effort to interfere with the land grant of the
Little Rock railroad.
Il was only following out the old line and tenor
OF his political life when, as secretary OF state.
he allowed McSweeny and other Irishmen
to rot in a British jail without trial or even
statement Of the ofTense with which they were
charged. Indeed, IL he had protested against
these proceedings of the British government. Il
would have been an easy matter for that govern
meut to reply to him by referring him to the
case OF Patrick Woods, who had been tried and
punished without a jury trial and the
writ Of habeas corpus contemporary
set al naaght and violated by Mr. Blaine and his
party friends in the teeth of the constitution
which they swore TO support
Ben Buterwss one Of the most bitter OF those
who bounded on this proceeding against the
Irish citizen Of the United States, and he knew
well the whole time he violating the consti-
tuition 20 punish Woods for resentinc an insult
10 the Irish rAcp