Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-08-02
The Irfshmcn Of the United
SfnfPS it'

The Irfshmcn Of the United
states.
To the Editor Of the Chicago Republican.
In justice to the Fcnian Brotherhood
and the Irish people of this city who suS-
tain them in their efforts to redeem their
coun'rymen at home from oppression and
misrulc. am reluctantly obliged to come
before the public and contradict the false
hoods propaga,cd by the Chicago Times.
"lriShman," Irish American" and Car
low. in relation 10 the line of policy re-
Gently adopted by the Fcnian Brotherhood
of this city and elsewhere.
Indeed. sir. | should not have noticed
the attack of the Chicago Times. or Irish
man of this city. had not the burg of
Woodstock sent i'm her protest through Mr..
''lrish-Amcrican'' and Carlow" These
gentlemen, with more brains than man is
usually bleSt with repeat the falschoods of
The Times and ''Irishman." that the rcso-
lutions adopted by the F.. Il. never came
before that body; that only chosen few
were present when the resolutions passed.
etc.
Now. sir for the benefit of those anti
/ Irish lriSllmen, The Chicago Times inclu-
died.. | would say that a committee was
/ properly appointed at n regular meeting of
the District To draft the resolutions: that
/ the committee received instructions To re-
/ port at the next regular meeting: that the
committee reported accordingly: that the
report was accepted and laid over until the
next meeting for the purpose of giving the
members an opportunity of fully dctcrmin-
ing the proposed line of policy they were
about 10 adopt: that. when the report was
brought up for final action. every Circle oi
+ the Brotherhood in this District was fully
represented: that the meeting was open Ia
everyone who chose to take part i'm the pro-
cecdin"S: that. when the ayes and noes
were called. not one vote WAS cast against
/ the resolutions as originally drafted. Such
are the facts concerning the sale of the
''lrish--Ameriean people otthis great Re
public by the ''presumptive leaders of the
/ r. b.: and such being the facts. can with
( proprietv brand the assertions of The Chi
cago Times and its correspondents As false.
I This may he ''presiImp;ive" on my part:
but havin. the truth before me- and TWEEN
I ty-fiye hundred FenianS and Fcnian SYM
/ paihiscrs 10 sustain me. have no reason
To- apprehend any serious trouble with the
responsible editor" of The Times. Irish
man. lri>a-Amcrican, or ...77,;'~.
/ Now. sir, as To the line ofpolicy adopted
by the +. b.. iS there anything. wrong i'm
+ .i'i-. tirv uiITrIrrnti, ,,n,urr for the only
I Irish national organization in existence tn
declare that hcilcci6iIiI AMI forever they
! and the Irish people (whom They have n
/ right To speak for are in favor of univcr-
, sal libcrly: that tle,- ere willing to give to
others what they claim for their own pco-
pie: Why. sir. this has been the doctrine
Ofevery MARTYR tn Irish liberty; the doc
trine of Burke. Gratian. Shicl. Sheridan.
OConnell, and every Irish statesman from
the DAYS of Strongbow down To the present
time: the doctrine of Moore. Carrolan. Da-
Wis. and the gentle Griffin, and every poet
whose name has been identified with the
songs and poetry of the Green Isle; the
doctrine ofthe people of every age in Ire
land: the doctrine of the cmiyrant when
he bids farewell TO all that is dear TO him
on earth and steps on board the cmigrant
ship that brings him TO the land of his
adoption. There Is not a people on this
earth that loves liberty and hates tyranny
with such intensity as the Irish people
And vet we are accused Of selling our Irish
American friends. because we have the
honesty. i'm this are of enlightenment. to
adopt for our people platform of equal
! rights to- all mankind: because we have the
honesty to give to others what we claim
for ourselves: because we have cr1t our
selves loose from all party ties. so that. in
future. we can vote for the men who will
befriend us
Now. sir. as to the right Of the +. i. TO
speak for the Irish people. allow me to say
To The Chicago Times and its corresspOn-
dents hat the Fenian Brotherhood are the
Irish people: that we have the right not only
To speak for them. bat ourselves. No 9th
or organization claims or receives the I'M
divided support of the Irish people. 1t Is
not so with the +. IL. Why. sir, it has be-
come so common nowadays to acknowl-
edge yourself a Fenian, that we scarcely
know the real members.
We claim the right to speak for the Irish
people for the following reasons:
LIST. The sole object OF the organization
is the liberation OF Ireland from British ty-
ranny.
I'd. Our organization is thoroughly ma
tional, and the only one that can ever effect
any good for Ireland.
sd. The Irish people at home and abroad
sustain Us. Except Oilice-holders and petty
politicians. not only with their generous
sympathy. but with their hard earnings
For proof of this. behold the amount of
arms. ammunition and transportation sup
piled by the Irish people. Tor war purposes
in the invasion of Canada. Why, sir, it
took this powerful Government six months
to accomplish as much as we performed in
half the time.
4th Our lives. our fortunes, and all that
we possess are devoted to the regeneration
of the race.
might 30 on and give further proof to
! sustain me in asserting that the r. b. are
the Irish people: that they have right to
speak for the Irish people upon all ques-
lions touching their interests in this great
Republic. and the welfare OF their race the
world over.
Now. sir. as a citizen of Chicago for ten
years, presume can answer the follow
ing inquiries from the sage OF Woodstock.
Irish American Can you, sir or any OF
your citizens. tell the Instantaneous oil
these States who those three gentlemen are
who presume to speak for the Irish people:
Were they ever heard OF before:' 1es, sir,
as citizens of Chicago they stand above re-
proach. would say for Mr. Kearney that
he holds a responsible position in jewel
nv store. that he never ran for an Office;
| that he supports his family respectfully,
goes to church occasionally, considers him
self capable of taking care of his own bust
ness. was born of an honest Irish father and
mother, and is thorough Irish nationalist
would say the same for Mr.. Seaman, ex-
cept that he is manufacturer OF candy
balls and sweet things generally. The
same may be said of Mr.. Moore, except
that he Is mechanic and soldier; is not
ashamed of either profession; was Major
of the 23d Illinois Irish Brigade); fought
at Lexington and every battle the regiment
was engaged in during the war, while
you, Mr.. ''Irisli-American," were villifying
the Government and the flag that he upheld.
He never disobeyed an order on the field,
never was shot in the back, and, when the