Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1855-12-22
The Late Irfsh Cow entiOn I'm New York

4 world cancefuay have led, or tate naVedrlVen
| them From this publication we learn that it
! wasa meeting of Lhet' American Irish Aid So
ciety, society whose existence we presume,
I was not known to great portion Of the Ameri-
can people before. We az least, were not
aware that there was snch aa association in
/ the country. -
We have read the address and resolutions
and confess ourselves unable to entirely com
prehend their import, or to fathorn their pur-
l. poses. We will also confess, shat we were un-
fsvorably impressed by the circumstances
| which surrounded its meeting, and shrouded
! its proceedings in secrecy. We were, however,
not hasty to PREJUDICE and condemn the move
ment, without fall and fair hearing. We
I have read through the address and resolutions
! perhaps with mind too watchfully jealous,
! and too willing to find something which our
judgment could not approve. But be this as it
4 may, we have risen from their perusal con
vinced that such movement should lind no
favor in the eyes of the American public. One
of the most noticeable features we observed,
. =
intend DO violation of international laws; that
they contemplate no action at variance with
the spirit of our laws in regard to entanglng
interferences, or alliances or combinations of
citizens of this government with foreign ma
tons, or against other governments. The adj
dress is profuse in protestations that such is
not their intention. They solemuly declare
that it is the first duty of citizen to obey in
spirit and in letter, the laws of his country.
No opportunity is omitted to incorporate this
idea into every sentence 1t is made to per-
wade every paragraph. it plays part in the
turning of every period. In fact, it occurs so
frequently, that it is calculated to excite suspi-
cion. We think they have overdone the thing.
We fear they were too conscious of a want of
this very spirit they laud so highly, and would
appear to prize SO dearly. 1t is wise policy to
suspect insincerity when we are met with such
persistent promises of good faith. The truly
honest do not deem it necessary to bazon on
their foreheads behold an honest mani"
When we place this in connection with their
great care to exclude all but participants from
their sessions, our suspicious are heightened.
They met and sat four days in secret, and adj
journed, giving the world nothing but this spe-
cious and high-soundng manifesto, from which
to form an opinion Of their acts and intentions.
If this address be true summing up of their
proceedings, if they be sincere and honest in
the sentiments it contains if they have salts
fed their consciences they have done nothing
and contemplated nothing which, to use their
own language, "cannot be justified as well by
the soundest national policy, as by the hottest
sentiments of humanity" there was no need
TO be ashamed to avOw these opinions, or let
the world see the steps they were taking to
advance them. There was no necessity for
secrecy, and by that measure they have injured
their cause, whatever are its merits. And
they must have known that such would be its
effect, for being foreigners, and sympaShizers
with foreigners, we take it they are members
of that political party who have, in the last
year, denounced secret organizations for pO-
litical purposes, as foul hot beds of treachery,
and marked all who are known to have been
In them as conspirators and thieves, who come
in the night to steal away the country's liber-
ties Taking these premises to be true, they
are self-cOnvicted traitors. For, having de-
nounced all who used secrecy AS guilty of
treachery, they now use it themselves TO cover
their own designs They leave the world but
one inference, that is, that they knew their in
tents were not justiiable to the government,
and they have resorted to the traitors mode
of concealing them. Their objects must be
intensely evil, or they could never have con-
sented TO shoulder such a mountain of obloquy
as they had piled upon the American Party
simply and solely on account of the secret
feature 10 their organization. These things
have made us deeply dstrustful of this meeting
The address sets forth, as indeed the So
ciety's name imports, that they wish TO aid
their native land in her struggle for indepen-
dence. 1t does not specify what means they
have taken if any TO accomplish this object.
The second resolution, however, evidently
means more than it says, and lays down
principle which we cannot sanction. Its Ian
guage is carefully selected and guarded, but its
Interpretation is, that Sin certain contingent
ciesn there is nothing in the laws Of the
United States which prevents any portion of
the American people from endeavoring by
combination or action 10 induce this nation
"to do some great act of moral or historical
justice"-which being more literally interpe-
ted means, that this Society is a combination
either for the purpose of interfering them
! selves or inducing this Government to inter
I fere In behalf of an Irish rebellion against the
! English Government The address calls at
! teution to highlands condition-her war with
! Russia and other circumstances which makes
! this an opportune moment for Irishmen 10
strike for their freedom. John Mitohell's
watchword for the mslcontents, that " Eng
lands necessity is Ireland's opportunity" is re
peated in substance, and stirring appeal is
made 10 the Irish TO embrace this occasion "a
assist their brethren in driving their despotic
masters from the green sod Of their birth
We cannot refuse a share of our sympathies
with Irishmen when we reflect on what Ire
land Is We deeply comniserate her deplora
bic condition, aud would rejoice to see the
sun of more suspicious day rise upon Tho
dark night OF her tribulation. But We thinl
she has a master more powerful aud despoti'
than Englsnd--one who has pushed his con
quests farther than her lands, her labor, OF
the bodies OF her sons-who wields his tyran
meal sceptre over their souls, and conscience
who has riyeted the chains of slavery Oi