The record-union., 1892-10-25
EGAN SCORES MACVEkGH.
HE REPLIES TO THE LATTER's
ATTACKS UPON HIM.
Refers to the Ex-Attorney-G General as
the Last straggler of the
Know-NothIng Party.
Special to the REcoRD-UN1ox.

Special 70 the REcoRD-UNIoS.
NEW York, Oct. 24.-Patrick Egan,
Minister to Chile, to-day made public his
reply to the recent speech of Wayne Mac
Veagh, rejecting on Egan's character
and official fitness. In it Egan says in
part: 81 perceive by the daily press that
ct meeting in Cooper Union under the
auspices of the Democratic Club of New
York, you, a renegade from your party,
as you are said to be from your people and
creed, attempt to palliate your apostacy
by undertaking to do that which the Lon
don Times failed to accomplish, to be-
smfrch my good name. With the adroit-
ness of a Police Court pettifogger, you,
under the preteXt of referring to some-
thing that somebody else said, assail me-
tirst as a 'SWindler,' who failed to ac-
count for a large league trust fund placed
in my CHARGE Second, you say it
was well known at Washington when
was appointed what the charges were,
and that L fled the country to avoid ar
rest and trial on very serious criminal
CHARGE Third, you describe me as a
sham patriot and fugitive from criminal
JUSTICE to which yoU are pleased to add
that you were greatly surprised and dis
gusted to find such a man selected to
represent the country IN high, diplo-
matte post, and that you not only reas-
serted your statement, that my appoint
ment was an insult to Chile but that you
also considered 1t AN insult to every self
respecting Irishmen in the United States
Il should treat those coarse and cow
ardly insults, coming as they do from
one of the last stragglers of the retreating
Know-nothing party, who find there is
no place for them in the Republican
party, with the same contempt that l
ha VI Sbexxrr1 fo II afforlrS in ha Ennlic n
and American pro- British press, were it
not that they were spoken at a meeting at
which figured as Nice-Presidents such
names as T. f. Gilroy. William r. Grace,
j. j. O'Donoghue, John ID. Crimmins
and others, and that it is reported that
your words were received with loud
cheering.
Il am convinced that in the entire
ranks of the Republican party there
could not be found a single man who
would make upon the character fany
Irish-American so wantOn, foul and un-
founded an attack as you have made
upon me, but If such one could be found,
and he should, under similar circum-
stances, assail in like manner in my pres
ence and of the gentlemen | have named
above will simply say there would not
be in New York City any hall sutii-
ciently large to contain him and me. /
would publicly bring him to order, and
I'm your great desire to assail me, you
have been forced, l perceive, to fall back
entirely upon my connection with the
Irish movement in Ireland. To the
Irish race here and in the old land my
course of conduct in that connection
needs no Vindication."
Egan then goes on to say that for the in
formation of his American friends he
quotes from the report of the Auditors of
the Land League kund at the time of his
resignation as Treasurer, in which they
certify that every item was fully and sat
isfactorily vouched for, and bear testi-
mony to the systematic and business
like manner in which the accounts were
kept by Egan. Secondly, there was never
formal charge made against him by the
English Government, the only criminal
charges" being those made by a hostile
press, based upon the Pigott forgeres.
These were fully investigated by the Par
nell Times Committee in 1SSS-9, with a
well-known result. "The London Times
lost by this transaction" says Egan, Sin
damages and costs, the enormous sum of
two hundred and sixty thousand pounds
sterling. Three months later Mcdonald,
principal of the Times, died from worry
tng, and for two years the 'Thunderer'
paid no dividend"
With regard to being a sham patriot and
fugitive from criminal justice, Mr. Egan
leaves the first part of the charge to his
Irish-American ellow-citizens, and to
the second part pleads guilty, being a
fugitive in the same way as were Thomas
Adds Emmett, Richard O'Gorman and
many others, and is sincerely proud Of
having done so. He calls attention to the
fact that within short time after his ar
rival in this country he was elected Pres
ident of the Irish National League of
America, which during his term of office
sent to Ireland S550,000, and that from
Ireland was forwarded to him in 1888 a
present of a costly service of silver, ac-
companied by a tlattering address signed
by Parnell, Mccarthy, Davitt, Dillon and
others.
I'm contradistinction to your mug
wump opinions" says Mr.. Egan, permit
me in conclusion to quote the sentiments
expressed by President Harrison upon
the 1rishman's love of his native land,
which you consider such grave offense
against criminal JUSTICE In addressing
a delegation of Irish-Americans, he said:
You are Americans, Irish-A mericans,
and though you have given the concen-
trated loyalty of your honest hearts to
the starry flag and your adopted country,
you have not forgotten, and you ought
not forget to revere and venerate the land
OF your birth. What if a sprig of green
was found upon the bloody jacket of a
Union soldier who lay dead on Mission
Ridge, the lag he died for was his flag,
and the green only a memory and an in
spiration.'"