414
AN GAOḊAL.
ASSESSORS' OFFICE, 114 Pearl st.
Hartford, Conn.
Sept. 19, 1884.
M. J. Logan, Esq.
814 Pacific st., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Sir.
Some two years since at the request of Mr. Nor¬
ris I subscribed for the Gael — I then supposed it to
be published in the interest of the Irish race. I
now find that to the long list of Traitors to Ireland
and the Irish must be added the name of M. J.
Logan.
There is one consolation we have and that is —
that your circulation is so small that it can have
no effect on the Presidential Election — You will
please make it smaller by taking my name off the
list, and oblige
Respectfully,
G. B. Preston.
It is a fact that the majority of Irishmen in this
country are mechanics and laborers. The general
price of labor in Ireland is about twelve shillings
a week — $3.00. Should Free Trade become the
law of the land, American labor twelve months
thence would be as low as European labor. Is it
"treason to Ireland and the Irish race" to oppose
that state of things ?
The action of the Democratic representatives in
the last session of Congress, on the Morrison bill
shows plainly what they will do if a free Trade
President should occupy the White House. They
wanted only forty votes to carry the measure and
if a president were in the White House who would
sign the bill the leaders and supporters of the meas¬
ure could get £40,000,000 Sterling from London to
buy up the necessary number of votes to carry it,
aye, even from the Republican side of the House!
Is it treason to oppose a presidential candidate
who endorses the action of that Congress?
The united labor element of the country oppos¬
ed the nomination of Cleveland, but the managers
snapped their fingers at them, and at the solicita¬
tion of the Free Trade Republicans nominated him
and bragged that they loved him more because of
the enemies he had made. These supposed ene¬
mies were the Irish laboring men of New York
State, and if Cleveland should get elected in spite
of their protestations, labor will receive a check
which generations cannot recall: — Is it treason to
try to avert such a far-reaching catastrophy ?
"When the Fox preaches let the Geese be aware."
The Harpers, the Pucks, the Heralds, the Times,
the Beechers (of Bread and Water notoriety) — all
the Foxes of Republicanism, and of hatred to Irish¬
men are now preaching. Is it treason to put the
"geese" on their guard ?
What makes those intolerant bigots, who repre¬
sented the Pope of Rome as a crowned ass in their
caricatures, oppose Mr. Blaine ? Ah, it is because
they think him too closely allied to Catholicism.
His mother being an Irish Catholic, his father dy¬
ing a Catholic, his daughter's husband being a
Catholic, his sister being a Catholic — in fact, his
affiliations being Catholic. That is the cause. d
because he had the courage of his convictions to
pronounce to them and to the world in the follow¬
ing letter eight years ago what he would and would
not do. —
"I agree with you that the charge of my being a
Catholic is very provoking, considering the motives
that inspire it, * * First, because I abhor the in¬
troduction of anything that looks like a religious
test or qualification for office in a republic, where
perfect freedom of conscience is the
birthright of every citizen: and second,
because my mother was, as you well
know, a devoted Catholic, I would not for a
thousand Presidencies speak a disrespectful word
of my mother's religion, and no pressure will draw
me into any avowal of hostility or unfriendliness to
Catholics, though I have never received and do not
expect any political support from them."
JAS. G. BLAINE.
Here are the manly avowals which turned the
Harpers &c. against him, and no mistake about it.
As Mr. Blaine goes to no church they put him
down as a Catholic in disguise. Were the tone of
the above manly letter opposite to what it is he
would have no opposition from the Harpers. He
must know that the penning of those sentiments
would alienate from him the support of the know-
nothing element of his party, but, like a man, he
scorned to be whipped into their traces or to be in¬
duced under any consideration to act unfriendly to
his fellow man. Is it treason to support such a
man? No, and the Irish will support him!
The Celtic Race, of which the Irish is the prin¬
cipal branch, have left their mark in the
world: From the time they left Scythia, crossed
the Caspian Sea, traversed the borders of the Black
Sea, Egypt, Greece, Sicily, Spain, &c. until they
arrived in Ireland they left the traces of civiliza¬
tion after them, and will continue in their course
until they circumambulate the earth and shape its
destinies.
To Irishmen are placed in nomination to rule
this great country, — the greatest and finest in the
world — for the next four years. Is it treason in
another Irishman to support them in preference
to the brutish Englishman, the hereditory enemy
of his race and Nation ? If it be we assume the
role.
The greatest enemy and traitor to Ireland and
the Irish race in this country, is the professional
politician of that race who succeeds in approaching
the public crib.
Which is the greater "traitor to Ireland and
the Irish race" ? the officeholder who supports
Free Trade and thereby labors to bring the Irish¬
man's wages to a level with the pauper wages of
