The Irish standard., 1916-08-12

sl - MANIFEST, ana Ill tnat COnneCtlOn
desire to call the attention of the Sen
i ate to the opinion of a man great in
authority. Mr.. Seward, Secretary of
State, addressing Mr.. Adams, the min
lister to England. December 9, 1867.
said:
The Judgment of mankind is that
In revolutionary movements which are
carried on by large masses and which
appeal to popular sympathy capital
executions of individuals who fall with
in the power of the Government are
nnwise and often unjust. Such Sc
verify, when practiced upon a citizen
of foreign State, excites a new SYM
pathy by enlisting feelings of nation
ality and patriotism. The
soundness of this principle is quite
easily understood after the revolutions
ary movement is ended.
Mr.. President, we are in the midst
of revolutionary days, if you please.
We are considering something with
out perspective that is very close to
us; and Mr. Stewards observation,
the principle is quite easily recog-
nized after the revolutionary move
ment is ended, is quite true.
He goes on to say:
1t is difficult to accept the truth in
the midst of revolutionary terror or
violence. When the President of the
tions in the United States courts of
the so-called Fenians who attempted
an unlawful and forbidden invasion of
Canada. and returned them to their
homes at the expense of the Govern
ment and at the same time obtained.
through the wise counsels OF Sir Fred
erick Bruce and the Governor.General
of Canada, a mitigation of the capital
punishments adjudged against those
who were convicted in the Canadian
courts, the President adopted proceed
ings which have practically assured
the continuance of peace upon the Ca
madam border.
Hence / am disposed to believe, Mr.
President, that England. if indeed she
did intimate to this Government that
she would regard as an ungracious
act any interposition in favor of Sir
Roger Easement or other Irish
prisoners of war has acted unwisely
i'll her own interest: and. on the other
hand, it does not appear to me of any
particular Importance if that intima-
tion were veritied-somethng which
sdoubt-that England did make to our
ambassador in London an intimatiOn
that such an act on the part of this
Government would be Objectionable
/ doubt it because the President has
already relating to Irish prisoners,
made plea for clemency; and | doubt
if the President. charged under the
Constitution with the duty of direct
ing our foreign affairs, would so trans
.gress if there were clear intimation
from England.
It appears, according to the philoso.
ply of Seward and the facts of his
tory, that carrying out the extreme
penalty Of the law in political cases
ultimately operates to the detriment of
the government engaging in such a bus
mess. do not know that we con
suit any foreign government when we
desire to make protest, believing
that our protest. however, is based
upon. sound judgment, patriotic con.
siderations, and ample precedents. /
do not know that this Government has
fallen away from the virtues of the
earlier days; but it does seem to me
very strange that there has not been
more spontaneous demand for an
expression of sympathy and a request
for mitigation of sentence in these
cases.
i do not refer alone, in order to EN-.
phasize this matter. to the case of Sir
Roger Easement He is but one of
the Irish prisoners of war: and | do
not believe. although his fate is i'm
minent, In making at this time dis
elimination in his favor. If we pass
the resolution which has been present
ed by the minority of the Foreign Re-
lattons Committee, it will be entirely
agreeable to me, because l believe it
Will affect not only Sir Roger Case
ment but all the other patriotic men
who were willing to give up their lives
for cause which is dear to us as
Americans.
want to emphasize las Americans"
because this is not plea we are max
ing for Ireland. 1t might be Poland
or it might be Hungary or 1t might be
Greece. 1t might. as in other days,
be Cuba. We are pleading for the
cause of liberty, expressing sympathy
with the aspirations of a brave peo.
pie; and when men are willing to die
for a cause 1t is cause worthy of
our consideration. Those men went
against the power of England, whose
morning drumbeat," in the language of
Daniel Webster, following the sun
y and keeping company with the hours,