Daily globe., 1879-03-21
IRISH. COLONIZATION.

IRISH. COLONIZATION.
important Meeting Of Irishmen in Chicago
The Minnesota Delegation In Charge
Bishop Ireland's Address.
The Irish national colonization conference,
which has been in session at Chicago during
the entire week, closed on Wednesday night,
after very interesting session. The Min
nesota delegation was the largest from any
State, and it is no flatt.ry to say that by their
superior abilities they became the leaders of
the movement. The only pnpleasantness
during the session arose on Tuesday over the
report of the committee on credentials,
recommending the admission of Charles
Collins, of Dakota, as delegate. Father
Butler, OF st. Louis, protested against the
admission of the delegate on the ground
that he was not Catholic, and the report
was recommitted.
The committee on credentials returned,
and Mr.. Doran, as chairman, reported that
they had decided to exclude the representa-
tive from Dakota, in accordance with the
recommendation of the Rev. Father Butler,
whose objection was that he had no creden-
tials.
The latter gentleman arose and said that
he had not desired that. Mr.. Doran should
mention any names, but since he had done
SO he (Butler) would assume the response
bility.
Mr.. Onahan moved that the report, as re-
vised, be adopted.
delegate explained how Mr.. Collins, who
had been one of the chief promoters of
colonization III Dakota, had been invited to
seat in the convention, and he hoped he
would not be excluded on merely technical
grounds.
Mr.. P. b. Kelly, of st. Paul, asked if it
| was necessary for a man to be Catholic in
order to take part in the convention. Even
| If the gentleman was Protestant or an
Orangeman he should be taken in, and the
lines of sectarianism blotted out in the more
important national question before the con-
vention. He moved that the report of the
committee as originally presented be adopted.
Mr.. Charles Collins, one of the secretaries,
and proprietor of the Black Hills Champion,
said that he did not wish to appear in the
convention as the representative of an an
tagonistic element, and he would withdraw
from it. He accordingly picked up his hat
and coat and started out, but several gen.
tlemen insisted upon his remaining. He re-
fused, however, and walked out of the room.
The Rev. Father Butler said he did not
wish to appear bigoted, nor opposed to the
gentleman because he did not happen to be
of his religious belief.
MI. Onahan's motion was put to vote
and lost, and Mr.. Kelly's (St. PauD to adopt
the original report, admitting Mr.. Collins,
was carried.
BISHOP 1RELAND's ADDRESS.
Bishop Ireland, who was requested by a
special committee to attend and address the
gathering, was present during the latter part
of the credential dispute. AS soon as the
report was disposed of he was called upon to
speak, and complied in the following TERMS:
Mn. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE
CONVENTION: I am pleased with the honor
you have conferred upon me by asking me to
make a few remarks. I assure you that I
feel the deep Importance of the convention.
look upon it as most solemn occasion,
and will have obtained all wish from my
present remarks if can bring you all to look
upon it with the same interest that do at
this present moment. We are assembled to-
gether for the purpose of Irish Catholic col
onization-a most solemn object. We GER
tainly have q deep interest in our race, and
| should do what we can to assist it. With
| the race is connected most intimately the
church, for the race is Catholic. We are
free to admit that many of our people do not
in the country at large occupy the positions
to which we would wish to elevate them-to
which their titles of Irish Catholics should
lift them up. The fact that they do not oc-
cupy these positions arises from thousand
unfortunate circumstances. They arise
from the venal laws of centuries
Of duration at home. can we'll listen to
men talking to me of the few de-
fects of the Irish race, for Imay say that the
great miracle on Gods earth to-day is that
we have an Irish race. Applause.] We
have few little defects, but the vitality
i which has preserved our race should inspire
US to full confidence that all the defects
can be easily remedied. The duty, then, of
Irishmen and Catholics who are in posi-
tion to assist their countrynen is to come
is their duty, their solemn duty, to take
part in any movement which they have any
reason to believe will benefit their people.
Colonization has been proposed as one of
these movements for the purpose of encour-
aging our people in the large cities, from
large industrial centers where they are now
suffering from the depression of trade, to
emigrate to our fertile prairies of the West.
need not speak at length to tell you that
this movement is positively one of the wisest
that could be devised for the benefit of our
people. In the large cities they have
NO OPPORTUNITIES,
however willing they may be, to rise. Com
petition is too strong, and they are the poor
and the weak. They themselves and their
children are exposed to many temptations.
Take the same class away from the cities,
put them on farms, either on timber lands
or the prairies, and am proud at any time
to recognize myself as one of them. Loud
applause. Put them there, with church
and school in their midst and some friends
to advise them, and the defects which were
| the results of circumstances disappear, and
they have temporal prosperity and all their
| innate instincts of manhood are developed,
and their children are safe against all pos
sible dangers which accrue in those large
centers of population. [Applause]. For
some time during the last few years this
question has been agitated in the papers. A
great many local efforts have been made
throughout the Western States. Some jealous
parties in other States have also organized
lIeHorts for the purpose of encouraging this
colonization. TIE Catholic press deserves
eulogy at DUR hands for the encouragement
1t has given at all times during the last few
years to this movement. But it is becoming
such an important one that we do not wish
to rest it any more on local efforts. We
| want to make it more general or national,
and hence our fellow -countrymen of Chicago
| have invited us from other States to come to-