New-York tribune., 1871-10-10
THE NEED OF PROTECTION
AN ADDRESS TO THE RIsHMEN OF
AMERICA.


FELLOW CouNrRYAxEN AND FRIENDS: number
Of citizens who are all Irishmen. either by birth or
descent have lately formed the nucleus OF what 10
intended to become national organization the OBJ
ieots of which ere to dusa among those most deeply
interested correct information respecting that PRO
rnorToa TO AMERICAN INDUSTRY which has Lately
enSrossed 90 large share Of public attention, and
also to take such practical measures a. may be avail
able to bring their influence to bear on the natonai
logsAtion 90 ~ to be secure ind promote their own
best interests % well as those of the community OF
which they are part The distinctive name by wnicn
this movement s to be known and recognlSeo 70
THE IRrH CITIZENS UNION FOR THE PROTECTION
OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY"
The governing power is lodged In CenuA
Club" which st the present time meets nom "eoA
to week in the Plympton Bmldings near tne o0opoI
Institute, in the City Of New-York. All members
must be of Irsb birth or descent and legal citizens
Of the American Republic Men Of other Dationan.
ries who arc approved friends Of the principles Oh
the Union, may become honorary members. All Sr0
required TO afx, IN public meeting, their signatures
IN the Conetitution In testimony OF their ooruASA
appreciation and support.
We hold that it is the duty Of the National Leg
iaIAture md Government to enact and execute suon
ws-ss 1t Is the duty of every loyal citizen TO sup
port them In the doing Of the same-as viii secure
to the American workman and the American manu-
factirer adequate compensation for their labor ana
capital and to effect this by such protective tarln
a will prevent American markets from being gut-
ted by those productions which are wrung by mil
ionAires and ArStocrats out OF the enforced to ot
the sorf of European monarchies."
1t will for. indeed. it cannot be denied that En-
rish capitalists and monopolists, with their legionS
Of interested siders and abettors, are the original
inventors as they ere the unweared propagstors Of
thoae 6ne-ooking theories which are palmed OF on
tho public under the exceedingly delusive title Of
Free Trade" Their orators and journalists almost
exhaust the capacities of human language In the
utteranoe of their endless pattudes about 1.-The good
of society" about "ths elevation Of the human
race" and about "the best Gnterests Of mankind"
All this is mere bramble and brentwood to conceal
the weapons and persons Of the advancing marauo-
ers. Their own individual and national interests
are tho real objects which they put themselves to 10
much trouble TO accomplish. These constitute the
kernel The rest are mere worthless shell This N
strikingly illustrated by the history Of the English
Free Trade crusade in France The tyrant who did
90 much TO destroy 10 well disgrace that unhappy
country WaS lately dethrcned In the case to which
We Hre referrinR he deliberately sacrificed the In
terests Of the people by whose wiI rs well as the
graoe of God1 he proteSsed to rule by the admission
ON the easiest possible terms Of those English manu-
factures with which the French were least able to
compete That is, he robbed his own people to en-
rioh their ancient enemy. This was the bribe which
was TO keep that enemy from doing anything to dis
turb him in the possession of that imperial power to
which he ascended BY tho psth which monarchs are
40 much accustomed to tread-that Of perjury and
murder. But he defod fate and fell And one Of
tho Rrst acts OF tho liberated people of France was
to iye notice through their Government to the En-
Ush monopolists hGI for tie future they pOuld protect
thr naRonGl iNdsstrJ. few days since the English
Premier-a great apostle of the Free Trade farce |
delivered an address In which, after the usual |
quantity of hypocriticA blather about "the
progress Of mankind" he growled at his
neighbo1 across the Channel for their
folly" in protecting their own pockets and their
childrens bread and then dwindled down to the
naked truth when he made the rueful admission
that "os~ EngshI interests would no doubt suffer"
Just SO Here, in Mr.. GladstOnes own words, is the
key that unlocks the entire difficulty. When the
Frenoh people protect French industry English in
terests suffer. When the American people protect
American industry English interests suffer. There
fore the philosophers and monopolists Of England
lift up their united voice like huge brszen trumpet
and blare out to the very ends Of the earth that PRO
lection II all wrong" that I'VE must have Free
Trade" because they wish it Ro and that the money
of the entire world must be poured into their purses
That is the real meaning Of this everlasting cacke
about enlightenment" and philanthropy" and
progress" There is Q sharp claw concealed under
the smooth coating OF fur by which the paw of the
feline animal 10 covered. The words are sweet, but
the grip is iron. 1.-The voice is the voice Of Jacob
but the hand Is the hand of Esau."
Is it not time that we should make up our minds
to settle, once for al with those who are forever
pestoring us with these dishonest pretensest The
very men who put them forward do not themselves
act them out Nor indeed is it possible for them to
do So They utterly unfit for the world as it is
at present constituted state Of millennial per-
fection il something for which good men in all ages
have longed hut il Ia something to which mankind
have never yet attained. We 60 further, and affirm
that 90 long as this human nature of QUIZ Is what it
is to such state Of perfection men, in this life
never can attain II from China 70 Peru, and from
Britain to Japan, they were all true, and pure and
Just. and innocent; there were neither Out-thrOat
kngs nor robber MOBILES, nor blOod-Sucking monopO
lists among the Nations we might find
it possible to have Q fair and free inter-
change of productions over the entire world,
But not Is it IL now, where the wolf is everywhere
trying to entrap the lamb and the spider to cnmesh
the y Not while the father has to protect his chill
dren from the fury of the elements from the beast
of the forest and oftentimes from the far more |
dangerous and merciless cruelty of man. Not while
the citizen Is compelled to protect his property by
bolts and bars and armed guards, from the burglar
and the thief Not while the nation s obliged to |
protect itS liberty and independence its very life,
by those costly appliances which the armies
and navies Of the earth; by the muscle and blood,
and bone, the tolls. and suerngs and blood Of its
best and brsvest We then to those foreign
who contend 50 persstently for |
their right to plunder under false pretense Your
so-called Free-Trade may promote your interests, |
and it dOes and, therefore you have riRht-if you