Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-11-27

kIIlAhNkH, OtloDfA ApF A'N-s
Nv Dear Smylh-G perceive that our friend
T. F. Meagher, not satisfied with having
made. in America n series of brilliant ora.
t;ons in favor of a continuance of the civil |
war that has ragged during nearly three years
in the United States, has sent despatch 10
Ireland which is evidently intended to induce
Irish emiprants to enlist under the Federal
banpers anon their arrival in America. /
perceiye also that you have endorsed the
opintons contained in that dispatch with your
approval n;..,,;oo,;o,
IN vou in full confidence that you will give to |
the public an opportunity OF considering
ideas that are totally at variance with those
which have been put forward by you and by
General Meagher.
Two years ago, ! ventured to address 10
such of the politicians of America as nave
shown a disposition to pay respect to my oplh
ions. au earnest prayer that they would sub
nit to amicable adjustment the questions
which haa rent in twain the United States
rather than that they should continue to mas
sacre each other
Nv suggestions were received with defer
ence, but can scarcely complain that they
we're not adopted when the mediation oil the
Emperor of the French was declined by Con
gress in terms which Indicated that any otier
of this would be considered intrusive
Whilst such spirit is evinced by the FEEDER
ais those friends of America who desire to
witness the termination of this war are siene-
ed Il should not have broken this silence II
General Meagher had not made an appeal to
his fellow -countrymen, which, 1t lett unan-
swered, might induce many thousands oil
Irishmen to sacrifice themselves in contest
for which their Intervention is not demanded
by any obligations OF duty.
cannot calculate at less thantwo hundred
thousand the number of lrishmen who have
already fallen in this horrible warfare These
men have fallen in the prime OF life-ln the
yigor of youth ana strength. Had theJ iallen
in contending for the freedom OF their couh-
ary, their memory would have been consecra-
ted in the annals of patriotism. Their hero
ism won ID have been admired even by those
Who hate our nation-but truth compels me tc
say that these brave men are now regarded
as mere mercenaries, who, for the sake OF .
handful Of dollars enlist themselves IN {
strife the sole object Of which Is to determine
whether one-thrd of the citizens OF the State
aha Il be governed according TO their own ire'
choice, or shall be coerced by force to submit
10 u connection and TO Il government whlcl
shey repudiate and abhor.
/ shall not inquire how many Of these lrlsL
men have been induced by the eloqusnee G
General Meagher to fling themselves into
premature grave, but | feel convinced now, a
in 1861, that il the Irish population of Amei
ica had thrown the weight of their inlluenc
into the scale in favor Of peace, the miserie
of war, which have devastated d region tina
ten years since enjoyed a greater amount O
material prosperity than any other portion c
the globe, might have been avertsd.
felt it to be my duty to take issue wit
General Meagher on this point immediatel
after his first oratioR at Boston in favor OF tn
war. My remonstranees were at that TIM
unsvniling. He raised his brigades Wher
are they now2 Yet / feel conginced that th
time will arrive when all Irishmen will regrt
that my advice did not prevail over the e.
hortations OF our eloquent and popular lrien'
Nothing but sense of duty could place m
ia antagonism to a eomrade who shared mar
of my hopes and disappointmentsi but
there are some in ireland, and in Americ
too, who pay attention to what say, feel
to be incumbent upon me, at . tiale whe
thousands upon thousands of lrishmen ~
quitting our shores, to declare that 1t woul
be infinitely better for them to remain at hon
earning a shilling a day than TO be seduee
BY the glitter of military trappings-~by Il
solicitations of crimps and mRn-brokers--'
by the invocation of the most splendid or
tory--to perish AS mercenaries IN the unho
strife which nov desolates tho States
America.
General MeagheF complains that the lri
peope have identified themselves with II
Orangemen and Tories of England in the
sympa'hy with the rebels of the Sonth. Th
charge proceeds from misconeeption OF II
state of feeling that prevails in this countF
There are few Englishmen or Anglicised Iris
men who do not rejoice in the separate
which has taken place between the Southe
and Northern States, because they were a
customed to feel that the growth of Americ,
power under the Union was so rapid as to
come extremely formidable to England. {
the other hand the patriotic party in irelai
deeply regret the severance OF these Stat'
because they found the increasing strength
the United States guarantee against EnglI
opDressiOn, which, under various cOntinge
cies, might be useful for the protection Of Il
land But after this war had unhappiy brok
out--when from the course of events it
came manifest 10 all mankind that there is
tween South and North an alienation of ie
ing which cannot be reeonciled-when
became evident that the South, even if co
auered could be retained ia connection wi
the North only by eoercion-then the love
of human freedom-;hs upholders Of the rig
of selfgovsrnment- to feel that thou
the dissolution of the Union might be gre
calamity It's maintenance by such means
are employed by Russia in order TO retain
land under subjecton would be greater ey
Instead therefore, Of honnding on the co
batants to mutual destruction, we earnes
pray that the Americans may settle their
iereneea by amieable adjustment, even thou