The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-04-12
'TEc Irish amd the War.
"A Second Letter From: John
Mitchell.

Letter TO the Surrirors Of the Irish AZ
Ireland under Forty Years Of Age.
believe it is safe enough. to assume
tna,, in the war now imminent, En-
gland being at one side and Russia at
another, all your symyathies, my coun.
trymen, are with Russia.
The sole reason and ground Of this
is, Of course, that Russia is the enemy
of England.
If, in the course Of tho war, the ca
giles of Austria and Prussia shall hap
pen to range themselves against the
Red Cross of England, presume that
from ten thousand Irish firesides will
rise up prayers and blessings for the
eagles Of Austria and Prussia.
If the present trcachcrous and unna-
tural league between France and En-
gland should, happily, burst asunder
on some early day-it is altogether a
matter OF course that thousands Of our
countrymen will be eagerly soliciting
service in the French armies, that SO
they may have chance of dealing En-:
gland. tsain e.iipa and any ywhere, /. NOR
Enls'blow. 90 -
The state of feeling in Irishmen may
us we'll be avowed and understood. |
should like to see the I.ishmen who is
enough &C on :d:o: :.;.d d beast 10 nc.
lieve that Ireland has any interest at
all in the present confessions of Eu,
ropo; save in SO far rs they may bring
about the destruction of orr ancient
fbc-and may bless us with the chance
Of bearing hand in that destruction.
But t'any OF you be SO foolish as to
suppose that England, in commcnc-
ing this war, has any regard to right
orjustice, any friendship for Turkey,
Or any sympathy with the manifestly y
righteous cause Of Turkey, let him at
tend to some of the considerations here
following:
First.-Therc is no such thing in all
history, since history began, as one
nation undertaking war for the hon
or or benefit Of another nation. The
interest Of England i'll preventing Con.
stantinople from falling into the hands
Of Russia, or any other iirst-ratc power,
is expressed in the well known words
of Lord Chatham" that the mainten,
nnce Of the Ottoman Empire is qucs
tion Of life and death to England
And it is for that interest in the irs,
place, that she has armed now.
Second. England is the same pow.
er that, thirty years ago, nt'ivcd q
pretext for burning and destroying, in
time Of peace. the Turkish fleet in tho
harbor Of Navarino, which has had the
effect Of leaving Russia in foil posses
sion Of the Black Sea ever since. Sc
that you see if England be Turkeys
friend, it would be better for Turkey
to have England for an enemy.
1hird-But England has another
powerful interest in arming again
Russia-it is to prevent an Europca,
war, to prevent the consequent upris
ing Of the crushed nationaIities Of tht
Continent, and, Irishmen, especial,
your nationality, which is the mos
heavily crushed Of all. With all th'
despotisms of Europe the British aris
tocracy stands or falls, lives, or els,
ulcS duu BoeS W pcIuilioil. hHu II
can hardly be ncedful to remind yo'
that during the European struggle
against Napoleon l., it was the Engisl
Government that paid the monarch
Of Europe to fight for their own capi
tails and crowns-bribcd them witt
borrowed money, on which you pa,
the interest yet out Of every meal yol
eat, out Of every rag you wear. Yes
not an Austrian etlirassier fell on tn
field Of Ulm or Wagram, but you ar
this moment paying interest on th
price of his brea-tplate and sabre
No bearded yager, not whiskeret
ppndour, or fierce hussar, of all wh'
tfooped to Jena, or Austerlitz, lik,
sheep Tor rather like goats)to tn,
slaughter, but every hair in the crca
ures beard is dear to you asa thrcat
offihest gold. All this to uphold .
legitimate sovereignty"-to bring
about the Vienna treaty-to ffnt
Italy under the heels Of her paltry ~
rants--to insure hopeless abolition o
RoIand--to impose tho brood of Dour
bous upon France and Srain-in short