Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-09-19
WASHINGTON, D. g.. Sept. Is. 1866.

nm. oOllU IL. OONHSOH, L FStCttHt Cut%et 40
socio,tion. A!erondrja .,.
SRI have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your invitation, extended 10 pur
suance of resolution, to address the Mass
Meeting, to be held tonight, for the purpose
of endorsing President Johnson's plan OF I'M
mediate Restoration. shall not be able TO at
tend on the occasion, but | heartily sympathlze
with the purpose, and trust some of the speak
ers will treat the subqueston OF lrlsh-Amerl-
can interests, North and South, in connection
with the Presidents policy, in a manner
worthy of its intrinsic and daily increasing i'm
portance. Were | present | would confne
myself to that topic, feeling assured that
North ern- Irish American could chose no filter
subject, in addressing Virginia audience,
composed, in part, of his disfranchised fellow
foreigners. T.
The right of sell: government is race claim
everywhere and the race is bound, 10 honor,
to uphold it everywhere. We exercise self
government at the North, because We partici-
pate in the w-maklng and taxing processes:
Our fellow foreigners at the South are not self
governing, whilst they are restrained from like
participation They must be heard. We are
under obligations to make them heard. If
we omit the attempt we disgrace our Origin
by sharing in the oppression Of our kin. "
Besides the Irish Americans of the South
ern States have special claims on our gratitude
and support. They have borne their full
share of the labors and sacrifices consequent on
the misgovernment of their common mother
land In the famine years in the repeal agi
tation; in the 4S movement; in the founding
of the sole Celtic University ino the rehabili-
tation of the Primatial dignity Of Armagh in
present national efforts, they can urge honor
able and effective participation. Sharers in
every pat1iotic enterprise Of the race, they
should not be governed without law, OF taxed
without representation, with our consent
If the feelings of kindred were weak between
us, elf-intcrests would require us to oppose
every party perssting in their. disfranchise-
ment. Their power is our power. Their
weakness is our weakness. If we detest Eng
lsh influence, they dislike it no less. If we
favor anti An lican policies, they favor them
no less. In fact they live in an atmosphere
bitterly anti-English and their hostility is, ifpos
sible, more intense than ours desire to add
their feelings to our own their Influence TO
ouL own; their sense of recent wrong to our
historic quarrel and l should just as soon
consent to the exclusion of an equal number of
my countrymen from the councils of the nation
at the North as consent to the exclusion of my
countrymen, By their representatives at the
South. .
Common origin and race interests anart, the
Southern celts are an honor to us. Whatever
other flag they carried, they never disgraced
the green of our ancestors Show me nober
incident than that of the Celt, WHO seen
the Sunburst fall from the hands ofits stricken
bearer in the Union line, rushed fearful of its
dishonoring capture, from the opposing ranks,
raised it up, and presented it to an enemy, but
countryman Show NE tenderer herraism
than that at Lexington, Mo-, where the Irish
soldiers in the Confederate service asked that
Mulligan's green flag should be furled before
delivering fire Who would be party to the
political depreciation of these men may be any
thing else; but
Our old Island Mother
He ne er drew his white blood from you ~
No the Northern Irish contributed to the de-
feat which closed withLee surrender their war
records is stained neither by cowardice nor
brutality; and they are not disposed to lose
their we'll won prestige by act Of deliberate in
justice, now that war is over
Above all, theywill not be parties to national
breach Of faith. One Limerick treaty, broken
before the seal was dry, is enough in the history
of the home, or eSiled lrishman AS to per-