Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Captain Fanning to Mr. Seward.
Dublin
,
November 11, 1805.
Sir: I have the honor to represent that I am a citizen of the United
States by adoption. I had the honor to hold a commission as captain
of company A, tenth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served for three
years and two months in that capacity during the late rebellion. I
had also the honor to serve five years in the second United States
cavalry, previous to the rebellion.
[Page 30]
After settling my accounts with the departments at Washington, I
desired to visit my friends in Ireland, of which country I am a
native, and where nearly all my relatives reside. For that purpose I
left New York on the first of September ultimo, and reached Dublin
on the sixteenth of the same month. I remained in Dublin until the
second of October, when I left to visit my relatives at Ballinamore,
county Leitrim. I reached the town of Killeshandra on the third of
October, and, while waiting to change horses, was arrested by
Sub-Inspector Valentine, of the constabulary or rural police, my
baggage searched, my pistol, one round of ammunition for the same,
With a few caps, taken from me, and myself and Lieutenant McNeff, of
the same regiment, hand-cuffed and thrown into jail at Cavan,
regardless of our solemn protest against such an indignity being
offered to an American citizen journeying through this place. I was
incarcerated for seventeen days without trial at the instance of the
police, at the expiration of which time I was discharged on bail to
stand my trial at the ensuing March assizes for having a pistol in
my possession. I am thus constrained to remain in the county nolens volens or forfeit my bail. Lieutenant
McNeff, my fellow-traveller, after an absence of many years from the
home of his childhood, over three spent in the service of his
country, is yet in jail for the same crime, and, as I have been
informed by the jail authorities, is obliged to wear a prison garb,
and is kept breaking stone in the jail-yard; this too, without any
trial or conviction. I therefore respectfully and solemnly protest
that the great United States should not recognize the precedent
established by England in tolerating the summary and reckless arrest
and imprisonment of British subjects by the king of Abyssinia.
This is a plain statement of my case, and I refer it, as also that of
Lieutenant McNeff, to you for adjudication.
Time was when no power on earth dared molest the Roman citizen
untainted with crime; when the name alone was a sufficient passport
through the nations of the earth. When I threw off my allegiance to
Victoria, the Queen of England, and put myself under the aegis of
the United States, I felt such a thrill of exultation on changing
the degrading status of a mere subject to that proud one of
citizenship, as could not have been known to even the Roman of old.
The evidence of my devotion and sincerity is the eight years spent
in the service of my adopted country.
Now, sir, I place myself under your protection, and respectfully
claim all the immunities of a citizen of the United States I am
satisfied that the honor of every citizen away from his own country
is safe in your hands, and I trust you will not deem me obtrusive if
I claim from my government ample reparation for the outrage and
indignity offered to the United States in the person of your
obedient servant,
JOHN FANNING, Ex-captain Tenth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, United States of
America.
