American Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 13, 20 July 1888, Page 3

American Notes.

Mb. Phelps has undertaken a mission to Washington with the hope of inducing the B«nnte to adopt the Extradition Treaty, consideration of which has been postponed until December. It is said that the President and Mr. Bayard base their hopes of success in this matter on Mr. Phelps's influence. Thesa two worthies are most anxious for tbe success of this Treaty which would strip the United States of their character as a place of refuge for Irishmen making themselves obnoxious to the British Government in the cause of their country. There is, indeed, a great deal for British influence in the States now to attempt. There is, for example, likewise the Fisheries Treaty, which has lately been summed up even by a prominent Democrat as to result in the destruction of the American fisheries, in a death blow to all prospects of an American n-wy, and in a British monopoly of American markets. It is doubtless partly to advance these particular British interests, as well as that chief one of freetrade, whose great advocate is Mr. Cleveland, that so much talk is being made about the effects to be produced by the naturalisation of British residents. — By exaggerating the influence to be thus brought to bear, through the British vofe, on public affairs, it is endeavoured to secure some advantage in advance, and to free public men from that wholesome fear of the Irish vote with which they are accredited. But of all the objects sought for, — freetrade, the ratification of the Fisheries Treaty, or any other— the most shamefnl to the Kepublic would be the adoption of the Extradition Treaty — which, besides all its other base features would have that of casting a reproach on the memory of the men to whom America owes her own freedom. The honour of tho country, therefore, is in many ways bound up with the failure of Mr. Phelps's mission.

It is announced that St. Paul has been erected into a Metropolitan See, with Dr. Ireland as Archbishop. The new provimce, which iB the thirteenth in the United States, includes Minnesota and Dakota, in which at present there are but two suffragan bishopa. tho Vicars Apostolic respectively of the Northern dihtricts of th«se States. Archbishop Ireland was born in Kilkenny, in 1838, and was ordained for tbe diocese of St. Paul in 1861, being appointed aB coadjutor to the Bishop, Dr. Grace, in 1875, and himself succeeding to the bishopric in 1884. He is an ecclesiastic of great distinction — known as the Father Mathew of the North- West, from his labours in the cause of temperance, the promoter besides of tbe flourishing Catholic settlements in Minnesota, and a chief mover in the establishment of the Catholic University. lie is also like every true boh of Ireland devoted to the national cause.

A meeting of the friends aDd supporters of Mayor Hewitt, sustained by the efforts of a German band playing patriotic British airs, has been held in the Cooper Institute, New York, for the purpose of upholding the action of the Mayor in refusing to hoist the Irish lag on St. Patrick's day. The meeting was a very noisy and disorderly one, and it is acknowledged freely that many of the sentiments expressed were extremely un-American. Some of tho arguments used were ridiculous, and some as false as they were insulting. It was, in fact, never contemplated, as suggested, that the American flag should give way to that of any other nation, and a wild imagination only could represent the American flag as being in danger, which wai likewise affirmed. But, as was also done, to stigmatise the Irish flag as having no national character is only excusable by the ignorance it shows of history, and almost of everything else as well. It has, meantime, been recalled that Mayor Hewitt as a member of Congress in 1883 had first iutioluced a resolution of inquiry into the iegality of the trial of an American citizen in London, that is the late Patrick O'Donnell, executed for the murder of James Carey, and had then gone privately to the British Minister at Washington, and

so explained his conduct and apologised for it, as to embolden the British Government to proceed in the matter without paying regard to the request m ade by tbe President of the United States for a delay. On the bringing forward of this accusation the other day in the House, a scene took place through a denial given to it by a relative of Mayor Hewitt's, and some very lively demonstrations were made. Members were finally restored to their right mind by Mr. Hopkins of Illinois. who exclaimed in a tone of astonishment, " la this the Senate of the United States ?" There is no doubt, however, that the accusation is perfectly true, and on the whole, Mayor Hewitt's anti-Iriah capers hare not brought him into any enviable notoriety.

In the world of labour agitation is going on ■with respect to the approaching Presidential election. The world in questi >n, however, is divided on many important particulars, so that its influence is seriously compromised. The strongesb seclioa is that known as the Union Labour party, which may probnbly make itself felt. Another canse of activity has been the attempt of the prison authorities of New York to obtain from the State Legislature an appropriation of a million dollars for the expansion of the factory system. This is opposed on the part of the workingmen who support the county system by which prisoners would be separated and kept at work in the counties where their offences were committed, co as to lessen the competition of their labour with that of honest mechanics. A technical point was brought forward in the Assembly to defeat tha workingmen's Bill but, as the demand of the prison ring failed, the results are considered as encouraging.

A Canadian Senator named Poirier has caused some sensation though generally of a dsiisory nature, by a threat made by him that, if the Fisheries Treaty is Dot racified by the United States, the voice of British cannon will be called in to decide the matter. The report, meantime, of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has been adverse to the Treaty. It's provisions are declared by them to exclude American fiihermen from all the great bays on the Northern coast which are of any value, and to give up a right which the United States should never surrender for the vessels of the Republic to visit and carry on businees in any part of the public seas. The only oon-i, cession, adds the Committee, that England yields in return is tba of acting towards American vessels and fishermen as the ordinary laws of any civilised country must lead it to act. But the Canadian authorities still show themselves hopeful as to the result, and the anxiety with which they insist on the necessity of a favourable issue, and the carrying out in the interim of all the rigid measures of repression against the American fishermen, would serve of themselves to show that the Treaty gives Canada the best of the bargain.

Mr. Patrick Forde, of the Irish World, is to the fore in the advocacy of Mr. Elaine's nomination as President. Mr. Forde supports Mr. Blame on purely American grounds, and more especially as opposed to Freetrade, " which," says Mr. Forde, "would reduce the United States to the level of a British province." Ho desires to ■cc Irishmen vote, in this and all other political matters, as Americans, and hopes that there will be a breaking up of the solid support ao far given by them to the Democrats, he being on principle opposed to such votes as a danger to the Republic. Mr. Forde looks upon Mr. Blame's refbsal to stand, as arising from a desire to leave his party perfectly free, but not as placing an impedimsnt in the way of his acceptance of a nomination carried without his personal candidature.

One of the great events of the season has been the presentation performed by Governor Hill, at the Mfldison Square garden New York, of the fbg sent from Ireland by Archbishop Croke to the Irish regiment, the " fighting GOth" as they are called. The regiment Bhowed to great advantage as they marched through the city towards their destination, their band playing merrily aid accompanied by crowds of spectators. It was remarked that the Gardf n was thronged in a way hardly ever seen btf. ire. Governor Hill, in presenting the flag, the stars and stripes, made in Ireland by Irish nuns «nd of Irish iilk, bore eloquent testimony to the noble character of the great Archbishop from whom it came. He also made a commemoration of the glories of the American flag, which, he paid,' was most fittingly presented to a regiment so associated with the great achievements of thecountiy. Colonel Cavanagh, who received the flag on behalf of the reßiment, in their name and his own, pledged them to protect the gift thus bestowed upon them, and common consent acknowledges that they are the boys to do so.

The. Most Rev. Dr. Lynch Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, died in the city of his fee on May 12. The Archbishop, who was born at Clones, in February 1816, bad an eventful career, and has left arecord full of good woiks. He was ordained in Dublin by Archbishop Murray in 1813, and, a few years afterwards, when Professor at St. Ticeent's College, Castleknock, volunteered for the mißsien in Texas. His life in ihut wild and ur settled country was ona of hardship and adventure, and a malignant fever caught in the discharge of his duties obliged him to remove to a more Northern climhte. "Various missions of religion and charity filled up the interval until his appointment as coadjutor to Bishop de Cbarbonr.el of Toronto, in August 1859, his succession to the see taking place in April, 1860. In 1870 during a visit to Ireland, Archbißbop Lynch endeavoured personally to win over the Duke of Mailborough, then Lord Lieutenant, to Home Rule. On visiting London, at this time also, he was presented at court by the Canadian High Commissioner, being tho first Catholic bishop so honoured since the time of King James 11. Catholic affairs in tho diocese of Toronto prospered marvellously under Dr. Lynch. He was especially a zealous promoter of Catholic education, and his lait pastoral letter was written en tho beatification cf Blessed de la Bftlle, the founder of the Order of the Christian Brothers. The remains of the Archbiehop lay in state in tfee cathedral from Monday Jith, until Wednesday 16th, when the funeral took place.— M.l.P.