The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-01-03
AN IRISH HERO
VISITS AMERICA FOX succoR.
Parneii Received BY Delegates from
Chicago and Eastern Cities His
Response TO Address OF
welcome /


New York, Jan. 1.-MeIlyille E.
Stone, John e. Finnerty and J. J. Fitz-
gibbon, of Chicago, united with the
local committee this morning, and
boarding United States revenue cut
ter, steamed to the steamer Scythia,
and gave welcome to Charles Stewart
Parnell, the Irish reform agitator, in
the name of the northwestern states,
which represent in great measure the
farming and producing interests of our
country. The New York committee
also presented an address of welcome.
Mr. Parnell iu replying to the addresses
spoke as follows:
: Eregret that my power of language
is not sufficient to convey to you my
appreciation of the kindness and honor
that you have done me in meeting me
this morning. 1 feel indebted to you
Individually and collectively. 1t has
always been a great pleasure to me to
come to the United States of America.
l could have wished that the circum-
stances attending. our native.f hand were
of a;more happy and prosperous char
acter, but we must hope and believe
that the time is approaching when we
may be. able to speak of Ireland as
other men speak of this country, and
that we may be able to speak of her as
really and truly among the nations of
the earth as you have very well ex-
pressed in your addresses. Our task is
of double character. We have to aim
against the system which causes the
discomfort and suffering in our coun-
try, and we have to endeavor to break
down that system, and with Gods help
We are determined to break it down.
We have also to see that the victims of
that system are not suffered to perish
meanwhile. We are to take care that
the united strength of our people is not
broken, and that now, when an oppor-
tunity has really come for a solution Of
one of the leading questions in Ireland,
that the opportunity may not be lost.
The physical suffering and misery
and starvation of large portions of our
population in Ireland has not been ex-
aggerated. We have been calling on
the government for eight months to re-
lieve that distress, but it has only been
within the last few days the iIrish gov
ernment has agreed to admit there is
any distress. This was brought to
their notice by a letter from the Ouch
ess of Marlborough, wife of the Lord
Lieutenant, which stated that there
was going to be famine and dire dis
tress during the coming winter. 1t is
what we have warned the government
and our people at home and abroad for
some time, and now that it is too well
spread for almost any effectual remedy,
do those rulers in England appear to
understand at all their responsibility?
We, who have been working at this
great land question and have taken the
responsibility off the shoulders of the
government, have not up to the present
made any appeal to the government for
relief of the destitution of Ireland, but
we feel that we cannot longer shut our
eyes to the terrible peril that is ap-
preaching, and we think that we ought
to put the case before our own country
men both at home and here in America
and endeavor to enlist sympathy with
our efforts. We believe that in this
country sympathy accorded will be gen..
erous and noble despite the efforts of,
the English press to depreciate the
merits of the American nation. We
know full well that our countfymen in
America will do their duty as they have
in every cline to their suffering lbreth-
ren at home. In brief confidently an
ticipate the result of our mission. |
believe the result will be of such ma
ture as to give pleasure to us and also
give help to our people at home, and l.
can only conclude by again asking you
to believe that thank you most heartily
for your great kindness in meeting US
on the Threshold of Americ.a "A Again l
thank you. Applause.