Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-25
DEATH ENDS
Continued from page |

| hearts Of the Iriah people with VOL lone
| and the Manchester martyrs would be q
more valuable asset 10 the Sim Fein than
! MacSwiney alive and, even hought a free
pass 10 freedom for MacSwiney might
weaken the governments hand, why helr
| the separafist cause by giving ita martyr!
were the arguments put forward even by
| British unionists
| STAND by the law and do not create a
precedent which would make the will
Of convicted rebel the decisive factor
in determining whether he shal! be pun
ished," was Yhe argument Of the stand
fast faction A majority Of the British
papers including the London Times and
the liberal press, the labor unionists, and
many members Of both parties in Paria-
| ment joined in the agitation for Mac
Swiney's release.
Two notable controversies, one con-
stitutional and the other theological, have
arisen from the case The FIRST was
whether King George could properly
exercise his pardoning prcrogative indie
pendently Of or against the advice Of his
ministers. The second was whether tho
Catholic clergy, representing church
whi ch holds suicide To be n crime, could
consistently administer the sacraments 20
hunger strikers. The Kings reply through
the Secretary Of State for War, 10 the
petition Of members Of parliament was
generally interpreted TO mean that the
King personal leaning was toward grant
ing pardon. But, since Premier Lloyd
George and the Foreign Minister, A J.
Bonar Law, were ut the same time lsglIing
arguments against clemency for the Lord
Mayor, il was evident that any action in
that direction by the King would be
against the advice Of his ministers
The newspapers published many edi-
torinls and letters setting forth, on one
hand, that King George should not be en-
barrassed by direct appeals To him and,
on the other hand, that he should and
had the right 70 exercise his nominal con-
stitutional power Of pardon
The " eekly Nation, which is one of tho
most advanced liberal organs and not
generally rnted AZ n supporter Of mon
nrchy, argued that this was an occasion
for the King IN yindicate his constitu-
tionals right and protect the country
against the growing autOcraey Of the
cabinet.
There were many other arguments N
the same effect, one historical writer, com
batting the theory that the King always
had been a cipher in such matters, ex-
hurned a new story IN the annals Of British
monarchy, telling how George IV de-
scribed by Thackeray MS the weakest and
last admirable character IN the line II
British Kings, used n pace the council
chamber with tears pleading for the pardon
OF criminals and sometimes carry his
point, although once when he wrote 70
the Eiceroy Of Ireland granting pardon
to murderer he was compelled by his
abInet To cancel his ediet
One Of the chief reasons put forward by
MacSwiney's advocates, although advO-
Gated from anti-Sinn Fein quarters was
that the offenses Of which MacSwlney
was convicted were 20 comparatively light
they did not justify his suffering even
though voluntarily. Premier Lloyd
Georges reply was that MacSwiney un-
doubtoslly vas high officer Of the Irish
Republican army which decreed and exc
ctited murders Of officials and police In
Ireland The Republican army, unlike
the Sinn Fein, is purely secret organiza-
ton. The identity Of IT'S officers and per
sonnel II kept from the public and there
Is doubt even whether the Sinn Fein con
trols II or officially knows it's workings.
The theological argument over the course
Of Bishop Colahan and MacSwIney's
as critics say, encouraging him To commit
suicide, was largely biblical The Rev
Father Bernard Vaughn, was the only
priest who publicly criticized them. A
lecture which he WAS 20 deliver in Glas-
gov, 8 center of labor unionisn, had 10 be
cancelled on account of the unpopuiarity
his words brought upon him.
The human sspect OF the Lord Mayors
tF4ra frflr. rha hzf Oh +l-r
interested British people and compelled
the sympathy of even his hardest political
enemies. Mrs. MaoSwiney and his
brothers and sisters were treated every
where with respect and on their side had
nothing but good 10 say of the ialers and
police with whom thew had TO deal
Any way out of MacSwineys imprison-
ment except his death would have been
welcomed by the whole public but his
family were as firm SIS MacSwIney IN 10
fusing to listen TO any end except release
or death. There can be no doubt the
Irish republicans believed MacSBiney
had given their cause the most valuable
service IN his power and that, ike John
Brown he viii trouble you more than
ever when you have nailed his coffin
down"
MacSwiney's hunger strike was begun
on August IL when, with ten Of his asso-
ciates, he was arrested by soldiers IN Cork
while attending session OF Sim FeIn
court. After trial by courtmartIal
under the regulations Of the Defense Of the
Realm Act, he was found guilty of sedi-
ton and sentenced to two years imprison-
ment, which he WAS serving n Brixton
Prison in London.
MacSwincy, then an Alderman Of Cork,
was elected Lord Mayor of the city at a
special session of the Cork Corporation on
March 30 Of this year. He was a we'll
known Sim Fem leader and, prior to his
had been deported and i'm
prisoned several times, one of the latest
notable instances of his confinement hav-
ing been in 1916 in connection with the
Irish Easter revolt.
When arrested on August u, Mac
Swiney managed to escape to the street
from the back of the City Hall, which sol
diers had surrounded, but was captured
He was taken to the military
barracks and came up for trial on August
l6. The courtmartial found him guilty
of having control of the secret police
cipher, of having in his possession docu-
ment likely to cause disaffeotion, namely,
a copy of resolution of tie Cork Cor
poration pledging allegiance to the Daily
Ereann, the Irish Republican Parliament,
and of having made a seditious speech
on the occasion of his election,
Already weak at the trial because of his
refusal to take food, MacSwiney, dis
puted the jurisdiction of the court, say
ing: 81 am the lord mayor of this city and