The daily gazette., 1880-02-20
FIRST EDITION.
Ireland's cause.

OPERA HoUsE-ADDREssEs By
MEssRs. WHITLEY, MURDOCH AND
DILLoN-IRELAND's WOE AND THE
HEMEDY-sUBsTANTI AID FROM
OUR CITIZENS.
Wilmington turned out with right
good will last night to the Opera House
to listen to the story of Ireland's wrongs,
aud TO freely give that which would tend
TO remove the evils. The meeting was
surely not what had been expected in
the matter Of attendance, but 1t was very
enthusiastic, and, TO q considerable ex-
tent liberal. Seven hundred people In
the Opera House, ut fifty cents head,
means three hundred and fifty dollars.
Two hundred and sixty-six dollars sub
scribed, and an equal sum to be forth
coming In few days, will double that
amount, and increase the Whole sum to
p, handsome .Agure. This = mas. s-the
pecuiiary result Of the meeting.
~ Mr.. Murdoch arrived from Washing
ton At $50 O'Clock, and Mr.. Dillon and
DR.. Carroll arrived from Philadelphia
via the p, w. d B.. r. r. at 6:2O
o'clock. They were met At the depot by
the reception committee, who welcomed
the visitors 10 the city, and escorting
them 10 carriages, took them to the Clay
ton House. Here they were pre-
sented 70 many OF our citizens, who bade
them hearty welcome TO Wilmington,
and expressed the warInest sympathy In
their labor Of love. After partaking Of
supper ct the Clayton House, Messrs.
Murdoch, aud Dillon and DR.. Carroll
were driven to the Opera House, few
minutes before the opening Of the meet
ing. -. '-ra.n-t
The stage was devoid OF any decora-
tion, except two American flags, one Of
which extended from either OF the upper
boxes, aud back upon the scenery hung
several banners and emblems. Seas
were arranged ON the stage for the VICE
presidents. Those who occupied seats
upon the stage were those whose lanes
~ vice-presideDts have alread, been pub
lished. bon. William @. Whiteley pre-
sided, and William T. Croasdale actt d
~ Secretary. Messrs. Murdoch and
Dillon sat 10 the left Of Mr.. Whileley.
1t is thought that about seven hundred
were present. Members of CITY Coun-
Gil occupied seats In the audience.
The meeting was called to order ut 8
o'clock by Hon. Wtlllam G. Whitel-y,
who delivered short but very eloquent
address. He said:
FELLOW CITIZENS, Ladies and Gen.
| tleaIen: l have been much honored by
having been asked by the committee
having this matter In charge to preside
at this meeting, 10 give some expression
Of American sympathy 10 suffering Ire
land. America owes that to ireland
which neither bread nor money can re-
pay. American sympathy, however, Is
not confined TO any land or TO any peo-
pie.
Whenever we see country, as Ireland
| has been In the past year, with her crops
rlghted, with her grain rotted in the
| kround, with gaunt famine stalking
around, the " hole world Is ours In the
name Of charity. (Applause.) II is not
| for US my fellow citizens to look further
for the causes Of this famine, and of this
suffering. In my reading of Irish his
tory there has loOmed up the dark shad-
ow OF confiscation, which, in my judg-
ment, has as much TO do with the suf-
fering OF ireland 10 day as the blighting
OF her crops, the rotting Of her grain and
the stalking OF gaunt famine. But that
was away back in the past, and let by
| cones be by cones. They have suffered
i
suits Of civil war; but II is not for us TO
say more than whether that confiscation
was wrong or right. We have nothing
TO do with the laws Of other lands but
when their people suffer, when they ap-
peal TO America, America never fails to
respond. And that response has been
In other parts Of this land nObly, mag
nifcently done. (Applause.) hope that
Delaware, and particularly Wilmington,
will not be behind them In proportion
TO our population. (Applause.) 1t is not
necessary, fellow citizens, as you will be
addressed by gentlemen who have come,
one from Ireland, and .he other from
Scotland, TO detain you longer. l, there
fore, have the pleasure of introducing TO
you, Hon. John b. Dillon, (applause)
formerly Of Mayo county, now Of Dub
lin, and, although stranger among US,
every lrishman will know him when i
tell you he Is son Of John Dillon Of
the memory Of 40. (Applause.)
MR.. DILLoN's Address.
Mr.. Dillon arose, and was greeted
with l0ng-continued applause. He is
young man, rather tall aud slender; his
appearance is intelligent, and his man-
ner Of speaking slow and deliberate.
at is my duty 70 lay before you, as far
as i am able, the condition Of my coun-
try" said he in opening, "and that duty,
though . painful one, has It's pleasant
aspect. IL has been the glad task of
America to stop the progress of famine,
and death and starvation have ceased In
Ireland for the moment"
Mr.. Dillon then went on to explain
the statements made in the papers that
the famine was at an end and that the
land agitation had died. The cause of
these statements was that the progress
Of the famine had been checked for the
moment through American charity. 1t
is at An end, only so long as American
money is flowing across the Atlantic TO
Ireland. II the work of charity is stop
ped the land will be In deplorable con-
dition In very short time. The histo-
~ Of this famine Is very exsraordina-
ry history. Here we have q people
starving under a constitution said to be
the best in Europe, q nation living close
10 the gates Of land that within the
past year have not stopped to spend
money In unholy and unjust wars, that
have spent $30,000,000 In the Afghan
war and $l0,OO0, 600 to beat down the
Zulu king. Eight months ago, seeing
the condition of the country, we prophe.
sled . famine, and told the exact date
at which 1t would come on. The condl-