Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-07

Grand Demonstration at the Caption
t-eH Last Might " p
Addresses by Prof Brophy and Gen.
OsNcill

Addresses by Prof BrOphy and Gen
O'Neill.
! Gen. John ONeill, the Fenian leader
and Prof. Brophy, of Washington, met with
an enthusiastic reception al the Capitol last
night. Representative Hall was crowded
above and below, and the feeling eyinced
showed that Fenian sentiment has By no
means been slumbering here. -rA
F.S. Richards was called to the chair,
and NJ. Mccormack, Thos. Common, Daniel
Dougheny, Arthur Allen, D. s. Mundy,
T. Mckinley, Pat. Walsh, NJ J. Dolin, B.
Hines and P. dwell we're chosen Vice
Presidents. Col. ]. W. Lawless, j. ].
Mclaughlin, j. +. Smith and F. Hyber-
ger were chosen Secretaries. ~,
Prof, Brophy was the first speaker. His
free, flowing, true Irish style was ex-
tremely captivating, and the almost
breathless silence, which was frequently
broken by loud bursts of applause, told
how we'll he was appreciated.
We were told, he said, that II Ireland
were free tomorrow she could not govern
herself; but any man who knew history
knew that ireland was free, christiail
and an independent nation before England
merged from barbarism; they knew the
daughters of Erin we're as beautiful as the
maids of Sparta itself; that the Irish spear
and battle ak were as potent then az thearms
Of Roman story. Any man who knew the
facts Of history knew that for period of
two hundred years Ireland was the intel
lectual seminary Of the whole world, and
that young men from every cline Aocked
there to get that education they could get
nowhere else; they knew that the Irish
people at that time were the greatest navi-
gators Of Europe. Ireland was then the
sparkling fountain from whence the nations
of the earth drank refreshing draughts.
These were the people who we were told
to-day were not fit for selfgovernment.
But ireland would yet be free and indie
pendent as she was. The cause of the Irish
was one Of the hottest that ever warmed
the heart Of man. There was no deliver
snce but by force of arms. Ireland had
been held in snbjection for hundreds of
years, and only by force of arms would her
liberty be restored In the sight of God
and in the sight of man they were justified
in striking down that that rnleth by the
sword. .=
1t was said that in this movement for
Irish liberty the Church was against them I;
that the Church condemned the struggle
they were engaged in. This was false. The
voice Of those men in the Church who
condemned the movement was not the voice
Of the Church. What was the doctrine Of
the Church on this point2 There were no
recognized dogmas Ofthe Church in regard
to this movement. The Church did not
teach that power came directly from God
to a King or a President. The Church
taught that no ruler or rulers had any right
to rule over people unless that people had
delegated that power to whomsoever they
chose. There was nothing in the movement
that the church could condemn. Itmattered
not what a man might say in or out of She
church; that was only his individual
opinion.
The Irish people had received no con
cessions save through fear. Upon their
bare knees they had duplicated at the
foot Of the throne, and had been spurned
away. Resistance to oppression was their
glory and their pride. Hot lead and
bristling steel we're the only things that
would bring England to her senses. 1t
had been said the American people we're
not with the Irish. This was not so. The
great heart of America beat warmly for the
Irish in their struggle, as we'll as for the
oppressed in all countries. .t
He closed by calling upon the Irishmen
of Nashville, in the name of all the suffer
iHgs of Ireland and her people, to show
their love for Ireland by loving one
another, and uniting in one solid phalanx
that should some day sweep the tyrant from
his throne
Gen. John O'NeiIl was then announced,
and was received with tremendous APP
plause. --
He wished it to be distinctly understood
that though the Irish people had suffered
as 90 other people had suffered, he held
that unless there was a hope of success
they had no right to shake of the shackles
that had bound them for seven centuries.
He would consider himself a criminal be-
fore God and men to urge them on under
the standard OF revolt were there not a
reasonable hope Of success. He had been
surprised to see that some men had written
TO certain papers that he had entered the
Fenian cause for selfaggrandizement. This
was damnably false, and would not be be-
lieved by any who knew him. He had
sacrificed an excellent business and offered
his life for his countrymen, and did not fear
the vile caluminator.
The men who would faiter to-day be-
cause of the iIl-success of 1866, we're not
fit to fight for liberty. They we're towards
in heart and soul, and not fit to be free,
even were they given their freedom. They
did not deserve TO live in a land the free
dom of which had been won by the blood
Of the American people. Had he not hope
of success he would not go an inch in the
Fenian movement. He had been travel
ing for four months, had been from one
end of the land TO the other, and could say
that ireland was to-day in better condi-
ton to achieve her independence than she
had been before in three hundred years.
There never was people more united than
the Irish to-day, and the only difference
existing was as to the manner of securing
the desired object. The fight would go
on, and if there were any who would not
fight, the fight would go on without them.
At the conclusion of the speech Of Gen.
ONeill, which was loudly applauded
throuuhout the meetino adiournpd