Daniel Sweeney to P. S.—Through courtesy to an American gentlemen, premising that it was possible there was some mistake about your signature, I refrain from giving this correspondence to the press for a few days, September 27, 1881

Mr. Sweeney to Mr. Lowell.

Sir: A letter bearing your signature, dated from the legation of the United States, London, of the 22d instant, is received by me in my prison cell in Dundalk. I am unwilling to believe that this letter is the production of an American gentleman, much less the American gentleman representing the United States Government at the court of St. James. I cannot believe that an American gentleman would treat the appeal of an American citizen in prison with contempt, therefore permit me to presume that you signed the letter in question by mistake, but as your signature is attached to it I may be permitted to analyze it and if possible ascertain your meaning.

The reasons which you say influence you in not making an application for my release are not, in my opinion, good and sufficient reasons. But I will quote your own words and leave the public on both sides of the Atlantic to judge.

“The coercion act, however exceptional and arbitrary, and contrary to the spirit and fundamental principles of English jurisprudence, is the law of the land.”

That the coercion act is the law of the land no one will dispute, but many will be inclined to the belief that the absence of coercive measures would be exceptional.

“It would be manifestly futile to claim that naturalized citizens of the United States should be excepted from its operation.”

Here we learn for the first time that there is a distinction between naturalized and native-born American citizens regarding their right to claim protection abroad; but. it is evident that you are laboring under a misapprehension with regard to my claim. I did not claim to be excepted from its operations; my claim is based on the fact that I did not violate any law.

“The only case, in my opinion, in which I ought to interfere would be when an Americas, citizen who is in Ireland attending exclusively to his own business and taking no part whatever in public meetings or political discussions should be arrested, it would be proper to appeal to the courtesy of the British Government for the release of the prisoner.”

So that, in your opinion, the only right which an American citizen could claim abroad would be an appeal to the courtesy of the government who might deprive him of his liberty. Bat should an American be so imprudent as to take part in a public meeting, say a prayer-meeting, or engage in any political discussion with a Frenchman, a German, or even a Zulu, according to your opinion, he would forfeit ail claim not only to protection, but even to an appeal to courtesy. This throws new light on the question of American citizenship.

“I have communicated these views to the Department of State, and I have received no instructions in a contrary spirit.”

Of course not; I can now understand why I and other American citizens are suffering imprisonment for five or six months. But, sir, instead of communicating your views to the Department of State, of my case, why not communicate its facts, viz: That the British Government seized and cast an American citizen into prison and sentenced him to sixteen months’ imprisonment, without trial by judge or jury; they refused to give any reason for his arrest; that the said American had committed no crime; that the fact of his having taken part in public meetings and political discussions did not involve any crime, as there was no law known in England at present, or until another coercion act was passed, which prohibited or declared it criminal to attend and engage in such public meetings; that the American dared the British Government to show that he was guilty of any crime; that he demanded his release from prison and claimed damages from the British Government for false imprisonment.

These, sir, are the facts in my case. I placed you in the possession of these facts immediately after my arrest, and had you communicated these facts to the authorities at Washington, and had they ignored my claim and decided that I forfeited my right to even an appeal to the courtesy of the British Government, the question of American citizenship was settled once for all.

Please return my naturalization papers and copy of the warrant under which I was arrested. I intend to preserve both as heir-looms, as, according to your views, one is about as valuable as the other.

Yours, truly,