Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1884 — A Changed World. [ARTICLE]

A Changed World.

The Irish World supports Blaine. Two years ago the Irish World did not support Blaine. On the contrary, it said of Blaine: Kx-Secretary Blaine is announced to speak in St. Louis at a banquet given by the Knights of St. Patrick on the evening of March 17. A more unfit selection could hardly be made, as it is an insult to the intelligence of self-respecting Irish-Americans to ask them to listen on Bt. Patrick’s day to a man who refused to Btir a finger to release from British dungeons American citizens of Irish descent illegally arrested, although at the time it was his duty to see that these citizens were either accorded a trial by jury or released from prison. Mr. Blaine is reported as having Presidential aspirations. He sees no chance of getting a nomination from the Republican party, and it is said that he is determined to run on an independent ticket. As Mr. Blaine is a thorough demagogue he thinks, perhaps, that he may succeed in winning some Irish-American votes by figuring as one of the orators at a St. Patrick’s night banquet. He forgets that his presence at such a meeting after what he has done is an insult to ev.ery intelligent Irishman present. Does he for a moment suppose that American citizens with Irish blood in their veins will ever forget that when he was Secretary of State he allowed American citizens residing in Ireland to be arrested and imprisoned on mere suspicion, without his calling the British Government tb account for this violation of international law, as he was in duty bound to do? We can understand how this conduct wonld entitle him to a hearty reception at a gathering of Anglo-Americans-as, for instance, at a meeting of the Society of St. George —but what claims it has upon the admiration of the Knights of St. Patrick passes our understanding. ■