Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-27
UNITING TOFREEIREL
THE IRISH AMERICANS AT
PHILADELPHIA.

Representative FOran Chosen Chair
| man-The Proceedings Harmonious
PHILADELPHIA, April 26.-There was a
large attendance at the Irish National
! Convention to-day, all the delegates seats
and the seats in the galleries being filled.
Shortly before Il O'Clock, noon, ex-Mayor
t. V. Powderly, of Scranton, Pa, a noted
labor leader, stated that as soon as the
committee of seven arrived the conven-
tlon would be called to order.
\ few minutes later Mrs. Della Parnell
entered the hall, escorted by Alexander
sullivan, of Chicago, who introduced her,
| amid tremendous applause, as ga greater
than the mother of GTacchi."
At II O'Clock Mr.. Sullivan, who is a
| brilliant young lawyer of Chicago, at the
/ request of the committee of seven, and
in pursuance of the official call, called the
| convention to order and made an address.
His speech was most warmly received.
After invoking Him in whose hands are
the destlnies of nations that the proceed
| lngS may be characterized by wisdom,
| liberation and prudence, that they NAV
! result in that actual unity which alone
Will insure substantial progress in secur-
| ing justice for orr ''mother land.' he
said: 1--WE hold the anomamous po-
! sition of being the only fairly and
may assemble to consider the welfare of
a wretchedly oppressed, plundered and
misgOverned people, and we are restrained
at the same time from stepping outside of
| the functions of auXiliaries Of the patri-
OTIS who are herOically struggling at home
and in an alien and hostile legisla-
! ture, III the vain hope of awaken
ing the long suspended conscience
| of powerful and brutal foe.
| How great are the possibilities.
how great the responsibilities of this con-
/ Yention. We have met neither on the one
hand to dictate to our brethren in Ireland
In anything, nor on the other hand to
apologize to their common enemy for any
! thing. We have met to organize and
! concentrate all the force of our race, that
their united strength shall be made pOten-
tial in our national struggle. We have
met to solidify all the elements of our
national sympathy, that hereafter
there shall be an authorized
body to speak, not for party, not for
man, but for Ireland, We have met to
tell our brethren in Ireland that ii IS
theirs to choose the road which leads to
! liberty, and ours to march with them upon
it. The racial blood that flows in our
veins shall feel the pulse beat as theirs,
and that beat shall be as firm
and as steady as the tap of the
drum on the morning of battle.
/ IL 10 pIODeI budI We SuUulu ds-
! scmble around the cradle of American in
| dependence, for in its achievements the
| Irish race won the first enduring triumph
| against tyranny, which it shall continue
to resist until its clutch is lOosed from civ
| iliZation. In these precincts it is just that
we should declare i'll the words of the
| organic instrument of this Republic, that
''all men are created free and equal,"
and that the political liberty which we
| enjoy belongs equally to our kindred in
| Ireland. In these precincts the fathers
of this Republic entered upon
the discussion of grave questions
with a wide diversity Of
| contemplated many methods, but all
tended to a common purpose. Their de.
bates were prOtracted and free, but they
| were conducted with dignity and deco
| rum. BY neither their silence nor their
| speech did they afford aid or comfort to
the enemy. Grateful for their example,
| let us enter upon our duty with an over
mastering sense of high and holy re-
sponsibility. 1t was the noble boast Of a
young patriot as he was about to ascend
| the scatfold that he had wished to
| procure for his country the guarantee that
Washington had procured for America.
In the spirit in which Robert Emmett died
| we live in his words. We are determined
| in relieving our native country from the
| woke of foreign and unrelenting tyranny,
and to place her independence beyond the
| reach Of any power on earth. That we
may have upon our deliberations the ap-
prOval of Almighty God and of all just
men who love liberty, we must show in
! this parliament of our race, assembled in
the City of BrOtherly Love, that every party
is less than the cause, that every indiyid-
ual is esteemed below our country, and
/ every Irishman is a brother"
] The official call was read by Rev. DIR.
/ Belts. who presided over the last National
/ Convention i'll Chicago. Mr.. Sullivan
arose and said that nominations for tenn
! porary Chairman were in order.
Mr.. Mooney being recognized by the
! Chair, nominated Rev. Morris J. Dorney,
/ of Chicago, as patriot priest whose name
was known to all lrishmen.
| Col. Michael Boland, of the committee
| of seven, seconded the nomination.
/ Rev. Father Belts, from the platform,
| said that the character of the gentlemen
who had nominated and seconded Father
| Dorney seemed sufficient to insure his
| election. The mention of his name by
the merest child would suffice.
A man in the rear of the hall arose amid
misses, and said: 1T is not fair that
| things should be set up and nobody else
/ allowed an opportunity to say anything"
The Chairman said that an opportunity
would now be offered for further nomina-
| tions.
The man then nominated Mr.. Finerty,
| of Chicago, but that gentleman arose and
! declined the nomination. Father Dorney
was then elected without dissenting
| vote.
| On being conducted to the chair Father
| Dorney said that he was free to say that
| he would have preferred to be on the floor.
| He thanked the newspapers for the
| kindness they had accorded to the Irish
in their reports of this convention. This
was n parliament held by people who
ought to have another method of choosing
| a parliament. The Irish needed place in
! the estimation of the world, which had
hitherto been denied them. They
were exiled from their fatherland
/ for the highest purpose ever
| placed before the people
as free men. Let them take advantage
of them all. Let there be cherished
GOOD. hearty brOtherly feeling towards
| those who differ as to the methods. Old
Captain Jack Barry started the American
| navy here. Let the Irish here start their
ship of state. united throughout all this
great land. All would recognize the
| power of the Irish.
| The rules of yesterdays convention
| were adopted, limiting speeches to hVe
| minutes, except by unanimous consent,
| resolutions to be referred unread to the
committee on resolutions, no debate to be
in order on any subject not included III
| the call for the convention. The delegates
| to Yesterdays Land League Convention
were declared delegates to the present
convention upon yesterdays credentials.
Messrs. Feelev of New York, Roach of
| Troy, Brown of st. Louis, Hynes of Buff
| faIO, and Gleason of Cleveland, were made
| Secretaries. A Committee on Credentials,
| of one delegate from each State and Ter
ritory, was appointed. Two priests from
| Australia were accorded the privileges OF
| the floor and made brief speeches.
| The convention then took recess until
half-past four O'Clock.
There was larger attendance OF spec
| tatOrs at the afternoon session than at any
| time previous. The galleries were crowd
| ed sometime before the body was recon-
yened. There were forty ladies, delegates
| from various sections, on the stage dur
| ing the afternoon. When Mr.. Parnell en-
| tered the entire .assemblage arose and
| cheercd.
The Committee on Credentials was
made the Committee on Permanent Organ
| izatiOn.
A motion was adopted providing for
committees on resolutions, and on rules
and a platform.
ON motion of Mr.. Wallace a recess of
fifteen minutes was taken. The fact that
there were at that time 1,150 delegates in
the hall. made the recess decidedly noisy.
The report of the Committee on Creden-
| tials was not read to the convention, but
il was announced that the committee
! found that the delegates were accredited
as follows: Connecticut "A delegates, with
thirty-nine societies represented; Colora-