The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-12
Ireland The Fenians Declare War
upon the English FIag-PrOclama.
ton OF the Irish Republic.

After seven centuries of outrage and
misery unequalled in the history of hui
mauity; after having seen our laws, our
rights, our liberty trodden under foot by
.he foreigner; OR lands pass from the
Irish farmer 10 the Irish or foreign usurper,
and the rightful owners of hundreds of
years supplanted by cattle destined to sup
py the markets of England; after having
seen our skilled workmen driven into ex-
He. our men of thought and action to i'm
yr.sOnment and the scaffold having no
longer either lands to cultivate, laws or
acknowledged rights to invoke in word,
having nothing pertaining to man, save the
faculty Of suffering or the determination TO
fight, we cheerfully choose this last resort.
All men have right to liberty and hap
pjDesS. Believing that there can be no
durable liberty or happiness except upon
the basis of free labor, and that there can
be 10 free labor when the means of labor
is not free considering, besides, the first
means of labor is the soil, and that the
Irish soil, instead of being in the hands of
the Irish working men, is held by selfish
aud despotic oligarchy, we declare 1t to be
our determination TO repossess ourselves
Of that soil by force.
Considering that all men are born with
equal natural rights, and that by assocla-
ting themselves together to protect one
another and share public burdens, justice
demands that such association should rest
upon an equitable basis-such as maintains
equality instead of destroying tive de-
clare that we aim at founding republic
upon universal suffrage, securing TO all the
intrinsic value of their labor.
We declare that we wish absolute liberty
Of conscience, and the complete separa-
ton Of Church and State.
The public expenses will be paid by n
progressive capitatiOn Qabor being free
from any inpOst).
Calling upon God and mankind to wit
ness the justice of our cause and the in
teusity Of our sufierings, we declare in the
face Of the world, in order TO succeed IN
reconquering the inalienable rights that all
leu receive at their birth, we take up arms
10 combat the dominant oligarchy; and as
its strength dwells in its credit, based upon
lis property, we will employ TO destroy IL
every means that science, or even despair,
shall place within our reach. Wherever
the English flag waves over English pro-
perty il shall be torn down, if it be posi-
Die. without fear or truce; and We swear
in the sacred name of our country, by the
SuHerings Of those who now endure the tor
lures of living tombs for the cause, by the
dear and revered names Of those who have
died for the freedom Of Ireland, by our
honor and that Of our children, that this
war shall cease only when the Irish Re
public shall be recognized, or when the
last man Of our race shall lie in his grave.
Republicans of the entire world, our
cause is yours Our enemy is your enemy.
Let your hearts be with US. AS for you,
workmen Of England, it is not only your
hearts that we wish, but your arms. Re-
member the starvation and degradation
brought to your fresides by oppressed
laoor. Remember the past, look well to
lhe future, and avenge yourselves by giving
liberty to your children In the coming strug-
gle for human freedom
Herewith is proclaimed the Irish Repub-
by order Of the Provisional Government
Df Ireland.