Letter from John Quinn to George Gavan Duffy, 9 September 1916 Letters 1916-1923 John Quinn

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This is a copy of a letter from American lawyer John Quinn (1870-1924) to George Gavan Duffy (1882-1951). The letter concerns an article published by Quinn in the 'New York Times' on 9 September 1916, a month after Casement's execution. He informs Duffy that he dictated notes about Casement which were published by the New York Times a few weeks previously and states that he spoke frankly but would like Gavan Duffy to confirm his statement about Germany. He also notes that the English have been circulating reports on Casement's degeneracy and admits that he was shown what's purported to be photographic copies of his diary and the handwriting looked like his. Declares that it was a dirty piece of business to circulate such reports, that even if the statements were true his private life had nothing to do with his public acts.Quinn was a successful lawyer and friend and patron of many of the leading Irish literary and political figures of the twentieth century. George Gavan Duffy was an Irish politician, barrister and judge. He unsuccessfully defended Roger Casement at his trial for high treason after the Easter Rising.

 University College Dublin Archives George Gavan Duffy Papers, P152/14 https://letters1916.ie/item/698 English John Quinn 1916-09-09 George Gavan Duffy Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 September 9, 1916 G. Gavan Duffy, Esq., 4 Raymond Buildings, Gray's Inn, London. W.C. Dear Mr Duffy: I have just returned from Washington and find your letter of August 3rd received at my office on August 28th. I I am very sorry that my cable arrived too late. I dictated some notes about Casement and they were published in the New York Times of a few Sundays ago. I sent you a copy two or three weeks ago. I hope you will receive it. I shall be glad if will you will let me know what you think of it. I spoke frankly. If you can give me a word of confirmation regarding the statements in the last paragraph against Germany, I should much value it and would promise not to quote you directly, but I should like to be fortified by a statement from you in that respect. Kuno Meyer has threatened to 'show me up' and prove the falsity of that statement, which I made on the very best direct evidence. Shane Leslie told me of your courageous act in defending Casement. You did a fine courageous thing. It was an act that I would expect of a man of your name and blood. The English have been circulating reports on Casement's degeneracy. They came to me from all quarters. I was finally shown what was purported to be photographic copies of his diary and the handwriting looked like his. But I wrote to the Ambassador and to the Naval Attachee stating that I thought it was a dirty piece of business to circulate such reports, that even if the statements were true his private life had nothing to do with his public acts, and that if this stuff or semi—official Scotland Yard business were continued , I would open up again, would re-tell the whole story of the Piggott forgeries, would point out the fact that they had this diary for months, that if they had used it when he was in Germany it would have prevented his return to Ireland, and would have made him literally a man without a country, but that they held it until they had him within their power, until he could not fight back or take any action or vindicate his name, and that I would let the American people judge as to its genuineness and authenticity and as to the baseness of the motives of those who were circulating it. A few days went by and the Naval Attachee told me that he had received a peremptory cable from Gray under no circumstances to show the diary. I think that my word of warning worked. Sincerely yours, George Gavan Duffy Letter from Fr. E.F. Murnane to George Gavan Duffy, 2 August 1916.Letter from J.T. Burns to George Gavan Duffy, 16 October 1916.Letter from Ernest Blythe to George Gavan Duffy, 18 April 1916Telegram from P.S. O' Hegarty to George Gavan Duffy, 18 April 1916Telegram from George Gavan Duffy to P.S. O' Hegarty, 18 April, 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to P.S. O'Hegarty, 20 April 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Eoin MacNeill, 20 April 1916Letter from P.S. O'Hegarty to George Gavan Duffy, 24 April 1916Letter from Ernest Blythe to George Gavan Duffy, 12 May 1916.Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Ernest Blythe, 14 May 1916.Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Miss Helen Blythe, 22 May 1916.Letter from George Gavan Duffy to the Manager, 'Irish Independent', 22 May 1916.Letter from Ernest Blythe, Brixton Prison, to George Gavan Duffy, 29 May 1916.Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Messrs Corrigan & Corrigan, 31 July 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Messrs Corrigan & Corrigan, 4 October 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to John O'Connell Esq., LLD, 9 August 1916Letter from Roger Casement to George Gavan Duffy, 30 June 1916Copy of letter from F. O'Donnell to George Gavan Duffy, 4 July 1916Copy of a letter from Serjeant Alex Sullivan to George Gavan Duffy, 4 August 1916Copy of a letter from George Gavan Duffy to Michael F. Doyle, 7 August 1916Letter from John Quinn to George Gavan Duffy, 9 September 1916Letter from Fr F.M. Ryan O.P. to George Gavan Duffy, 12 July 1916Letter from Fr F.M. Ryan O.P. to George Gavan Duffy, 12 July 1916Letter From E. Blackwell to George Gavan Duffy, 2 August 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to E. Blackwell, 3 August 1916Letter from E. Blackwell to George Gavan Duffy, 3 August 1916Letter from G. Gavan Duffy to E. Blackwell, 4 August 1916Letter from Father Edward Murnane to George Gavan Duffy, 24 July 1916Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Ernest Blythe, 21 April 1916.Letter from George Gavin Duffy to Joseph Cyrillus Walsh, 6 July 1920 Letter from George Gavan Duffy to Joseph Cyrillus Walsh, 6 July 1920 John Quinn Letter from John Quinn to George Gavan Duffy, 9 September 1916Letter from Oscar Underwood to John Quinn, 14 August 1916Letter from Richard W. Hale to John Quinn, 18 August 1916Letter from Michael Monahan to John Quinn, 21 August 1916Letter from Padraic Colum to John Quinn, August 1916Letter from Alice Stopford Green to John Quinn, 27 August 1916Letter from James Joseph Walsh to John Quinn, 29 June 1923