Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1882 — The Rights of American Citizens Abroad. [ARTICLE]

The Rights of American Citizens Abroad.

The Republican newspapers, whioli have frothed so furiously over the complaints of ill-treatment accorded American citizens in Irish prisons, may loarn something by reading the following, from an English paper, the St. James Gazette: “No foreign Government can be expected to suffer any of its subjects to lie kept in prison for a political or any other offense (or because it is thought that they intend to commit crime) for a long and indefinite period without trial. If with the sanction of the Legislature our own Government ohooses to keep any of her Majesty’s subjects in this condition, there is an end of it, so far as they are concerned. But we really do not seo how a foreign Government can be resisted when it says to us, ‘ Considering your difficulties, we do not object to your keeping in jail for a month or two, on suspicion, A and B, subjects of this state, but they must not be imprisoned untried for a quite indefinite time, and after six mouths of it we must ask you either to put them to trial or release them.’ It might be kinder, it might be more considerate not to prefer such a request. But we cannot regard it as unreasonable, and no people are entitled to resent such a demand less than the English, and, we should hope, none are less disposed to do so. As for our Government, we hope they may be relied upon to deal with these American remonstrances without anger or irritation. ”