Boyton was one of the fourteen men tried in Dublin by a jury of twelve subjects of Great Britain, prosecuted by the government's attorney-general, assisted by the ablest legal talent of the English and Irish bars, and by a verdict of 10 to 2 of that same jury declared not guilty of any illegal act or word in the agitation for a reform of the land laws of the country, and discharged in accordance with said verdict. To-day the British Government seeks by force to do that which the constitutional tribunals of the land declare it has no right under existing law to do. The arrest of Boyton is a matter that demands the attention of the American people and the action of the Government of the United States. In the person of Mr. Boyton the rights of American citizenship have been violated. The injustice of this act is so plain and barefaced as to need no other argument than the mere statement to make it apparent, and every man with a sense of justice in his heart must second the demand: "Give Boyton a fair trial or release him at once." Believing this a matter calling for prompt public pronouncement from every representative American, we respectfully ask that you send forth your voice upon the subject, and will be very happy to hear from you by return mail if possible. PATRICK FORD. Hon. JAS. G. BLAINE, No. 2. Address of the Saint Louis, Mo., Land League, Central Council. ROOMS CENTRAL COUNCIL, LAND LEAGUE, Saint Louis, Mo., April 2, 1881. SIR: In common with a large number of our citizens in the various States, the Central Council of the Saint Louis Land League ask that our minister in England be requested to cause inquiry to be made in the cases of M. P. Boyton and other American citizens now in prison in Ireland, charged with a violation of British law in connection with the Land League, so that they may have the benefit of the international law applicable to their cases. By so doing you will confer a favor not only on our body and its numerous branches, but likewise on a vast number of your fellow-citizens who take a deep interest in their fate as well as in the principles involved. The provisions of the law alluded to above are as follows: By 6 George 4, c. 50, sec. 47, it is provided that nothing herein contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to deprive any alien indicted or impeached of any felony or misdemeanor of the right of being tried by a jury de medietate linguæ. But on the prayer of every alien so indicted or impeached, the sheriff or other proper minister shall, by command of the court, return for one-half of the jury a competent number of aliens, if so many there be in the place or town where the trial is had; and if not there, so many aliens as shall be found in the same town or place, if any, and no such alien juror shall be liable to be challenged for want of freehold, or of any other qualification required by the act. GEO. KYLER, President. Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State. No. 3. Address of the Bradford, Pa., branch of the Land League. [Telegram.] BRADFORD, PA., April 7, 1881. (Received at Washington 5 p. m.) Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State, Washington: At a regular meeting of the Bradford branch of the National Land League, April 6, it was unanimously resolved that it is the sense of this branch that Secretary Blaine be requested to give immediate attention to the case of M. P. Boyton, now in Kilmainham jail, Dublin, accused of a transgression of English law in Ireland, and that our Secretary of State be requested to take early action to secure his immediate trial or release, that the honor of the American flag be maintained, and our laws providing for the protection of American citizens abroad be vindicated. C. J. LANE, President. A. J. CARR, Secretary. No. 4. Address of the Spread the Light Club, of Brooklyn, N. Y. . 173 FRONT STREET, BROOKLYN, N. Y., April 12, 1881. DEAR SIR: I have the honor to transmit, by order of Spread the Light Club, the following copy of resolutions in the case of M. P. Boyton. Yours truly, MATHEW MAGUIRE, Secretary. Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE: BROOKLYN, N. Y., April 6, 1881. At the regular meeting of the Spread the Light Club, held at their hall, 365 Fulton street, last evening, the following resolutions were adopted unanimously: Whereas it having come to our knowledge that the British Government has wickedly, cruelly, and in defiance of every sense of honor and justice, cast into prison Mr. Michael P. Boyton, a citizen of this republic; and Whereas the only crime alleged against this man was that he sought to rescue, in a manner recognized by the law of England as legal and right, the Irish people from the blight of the most inhuman and despotic system-landlordism-that ever cursed this earth: Therefore, be it Resolved, That we, the members of the Spread the Light Club, of the city of Brooklyn, composed of men of all nationalities, denounce Mr. Boyton's arrest as a direct and deliberate insult to the American Government, and, as such, should be resented by every true citizen. Resolved, That being unconvicted of any crime, we demand his unconditional and immediate release. Resolved, That our National Legislature and the Cabinet be requested to take immediate action in the matter. Resolved, That all land, labor, trade, and representative American organizations be respectfully requested to adopt similar resolutions. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the Secretary of State, the Hon. James G. Blaine, to the United States Senate, and to Mr. Gladstone. MATHEW MAGUIRE, JAMES E. MCDONNELL, JOHN MCCAFFERTY, No. 5. Committee. Address of the Bowling Green, Ky., branch of the Land League. To J. G. BLAINE, [Telegram.] BOWLING GREEN, KY., April 13. (Received at 2 a. m.) Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. : The Bowling Green Land League have instructed me to respectfully urge you to demand the release of Captain Boyton, an American citizen, imprisoned by the British Government, or that he be tried in the manner prescribed by law. JOHN GALVIN, President. No. 6. Address of the Parnell branch of the Land League, Vicksburg, Miss. VICKSBURG, MISS., April 14, 1881. HON. SIR: Inclosed with this you will find resolutions passed by the Parnell branch of the Irish Land League of this city, at their meeting on 12th instant. Hoping that the justice of our demand as expressed in them will meet your approval and gain for their consideration a part of your valuable time, I am, respectfuliy, your obedient servant, Hon. JAS. G. BLAINE, M. J. MULVIHILL, Secretary. Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Resolutions passed by the Parnell branch of the Irish Land League of Vicksburg. MISSISSIPPI, April 12, 1881. Whereas it has come to the knowledge of this league that the Government of England has, in willful violation of all law, human and Divine, again added to her catalogue of crimes the arrest and imprisonment in her dungeon of M. P. Boyton, who is unconvicted of any crime known to the laws of God and man: wherefore be it Resolved, That this league, composed of all nationalities and creeds, regard the action of the English Government in the arrest and imprisonment of M. P. Boyton, an American citizen, not only infamous and outrageous, but a willful and direct violation of national law, and an insult to this republic, who declares that all her citizens shall be secured in their lives and liberties, and therefore calls for prompt and decisive action on the part of our Chief Executive and National Legislature. Further Resolved, That we demand now, and at once, the unconditional surrender of M. P. Boyton from the English Government, or a fair trial for him. Further Resolved, That we call upon the land leagues of Mississippi and elsewhere to pass resolutions to this effect; let us swear by the bones of our sires, and the immortal heroes of 1776, that we will never rest satisfied until this insult is wiped out, and the stain obliterated from the star-spangled banner which was handed down to us sanctified by the blood of heroes; let our watchword be those of the immortal Andrew Jackson, "By the Eternal our laws must and shall be respected." Further Resolved, That we request our Senators now in Washington to urge upon the President and his cabinet the necessity of prompt and decisive action for the release of our fellow-citizen, M. P. Boyton. Further Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to Senators L. Q. C. Lamar, J. Z. George, the Hon. James G. Blaine, Secretary of State, and to the Irish World, with the request that it publish the same; and that our city papers be requested to publish the same. D. WALSH, President. No. 7. Resolutions adopted at a meeting in New York City. NEW YORK, April 16, 1881. DEAR SIR: I forward to you, as Secretary of State of the United States, in compliance therewith, a copy of resolutions adopted at a meeting of citizens of New York, held at the Cooper Institute in this city on the night of the 12th instant, called, among other things, to protest against the imprisonment without trial of American citizens in Ireland. Very respectfully, Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Washington, D. C. M. J. COSTELLO, Chairman Committee of Arrangements. Whereas American citizenship, either by birth or adoption, is, or ought to be, a franchise of such high import as to protect its possessor against any exercise of arbitrary power by a foreign government. And whereas in all criminal prosecutions the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury is guaranteed by the Constitution to citizens of the United States; Resolved, That it is the duty of our government to insist upon the extension of this right of trial by jury to its citizens wherever sojourning, and to see that no foreign government be permitted to imprison American citizens without first awarding to them a fair and impartial trial. And resolved, That the imprisonment without trial of Mr. Michael P. Boyton, an American citizen, by the British Government, is such an innovation of the rights of citizenship, as calls for immediate redress, and imperatively demands action on the part of our government. And resolved, That we call the attention of the Secretary of State and the United States Senate to the case of Mr. Boyton, and urge on his behalf an early demand for a fair trial or an immediate release from imprisonment; and Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the President, to the Secretary of State, and to the presiding officer of the Senate of the United States. At a meeting of the Ladies' Land League, an organization of four hundred members, held in this city Tuesday evening, April 12, the following petition was unanimously adopted: Whereas Michael Boyton, an American citizen, and a loyal soldier in the late civil war, has been arrested by the British Government, and without trial incarcerated, and without hope of trial held as a political prisoner on a charge of which he was publicly acquitted at Dublin, January 25, 1881; Therefore, we, the members of the Ladies' Land League of Worcester, Mass., request you to bring his case before the State Department, asking governmental interference in his behalf. April 28, 1881. We, the committee appointed at our last meeting of the land league, beg leave to submit the following report, demanding Mr. Boyton's immediate and unconditional re lease: Whereas it having come to our knowledge that the British Government has wickedly, cruelly, and in defiance of every sense of justice, cast into one of her dungeons Mr. Michael Boyton, a citizen of this republic; and whereas, the only charge alleged against this man was that he sought to rescue, in a manner recognized by the law of England as legal and right, the Irish people from the blight of the most inhuman and despotic system of landlordism that ever cursed the earth; therefore, be it Resolved, That we, the members of the Michael Davitt Land League Club, of Castroville, Monterey County, Cal., composed of men of different nationalities, denounce Mr. Boyton's arrest as a direct insult to the American Government, and as such should be resented by every true citizen. Resolved, That our national legislature and the cabinet be requested to take immediate action in the matter. Resolved, That being unconvicted of any crime, we demand Mr. M. Boyton's unconditional and immediate release. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the Secretary of State, the Hon. James G. Blaine, to the United States Senate, and to Mr. Gladstone. J. M POMBER, Chairman. J. B. CASTRO, J. H. MCDONOUGH, Committee. No. 10. Address of the Michael Davitt branch of the Land League of Watertown, Mass. WATERTOWN, MASS., May 2, 1881. SIR: The inclosed resolutions are herewith respectfully transmitted, with the remark that, deeming it presumptuous and needless to point out to you, sir, your duty in the premises, we have only to remind you that two millions of citizens of native and Irish birth are to-day anxiously watching what steps are taken by the Government of the United States to secure justice to their fellow-citizen, M. P. Boyton. We have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servants, ROBERT P. STARK, President. M. HUNNIFF. Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Whereas England, in the exercise of her unjust, cruel, and tyrannical power over Ireland, with the determination to crush out the freedom of speech and a peaceable agitation, has seen fit to arrest and imprison an American citizen, Michael P. Boyton; and whereas the arrest and imprisonment of Michael P. Boyton, without examination or trial, is contrary to the letter and spirit of all international law and comity, and an insult to the American nation: Therefore, be it Resolved, That we, the members of the Michael Davitt branch of the Irish National Land League, of Watertown, Massachusetts, as American citizens in public meeting assembled, protest against the incarceration of our fellow-citizen in a British bastile, and request and urge the Secretary of State, Hon. James G. Blaine, to demand, without any equivocation, the facts connected with the arrest of M. P. Boyton, and in the event of charges being brought against him, a speedy and impartial trial, or in the absence of such charges, his immediate and unconditional release. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the Secretary of State, Hon. James G. Blaine. No. 11. Address of the St. Mary's Land League, of Paterson, N. J. Hon. JAMES G. BLAINE, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.: MAY 4, 1881. At a meeting held at Paterson, N. J., April 24, under the auspices of the Saint Mary's Land League, the following resolutions were adopted: Whereas England, in the arrest of Michael P. Boyton, an American citizen, has been guilty of a violation of all natural rights, and of those guaranteed under its so-called constitution, and with an entire disregard of all international law and all forms of international comity: Resolved, That we request the Secretary of State, Hon. James G. Blaine, to use his |