Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-04

. sacred persons Of venerable priests it ht
stretched upon the rack or suspended frol
!. the gibbet pulling babes have been impalc
on the points of Its bayonets because /
. their own words, Its emissaries ''liked tls
u sport" Its gold has been folded in the ham
of the assassin and has rewarded the imam
1 of the pcrjured traitor. Its trcacherou
Z ialsehood has lured patriots to unsuspectc
death. As II the sword, cannon, torch
: scaifold, dagger and explosive were no
enough, ii enjoys the unique infamy of be
lug the only government known TO ancicn
or modern times which has employed famiu
for the destruction of those from whom
it has claimed allegiance, forcibly rob
bling the Irish people OF the fruits of thei
own toll Produced by their own labor. II
has buried not Il hundred, not a thousand
but more than a million OF the Irish race un
shrouded, uncofllned, In the grave of hun
ger. 1t has mcrcilessly compelled othe
, millions in compulsory poverty TO seek in an
alien land the bread they were entitled to il
their own. There is no form of cruelt,
: known to the lowest savage which it La.
not prac,ced on the Irish people In the name
Of the highest civilization. There IS no de-
vice of fiendish ingenuity 1t has not adopted
to reduce their numbers. Within two years
it has massacred children, and woman's
body has been the victim Of its licensed ruff.
attack however insidious or violent, ancient
or modern, rude or scientific, whether direct
ed against life or matter in any portion of
the globe, for which its balbarities in Ireland
have not furnished example. There is no
form of retaliation to which despair or mad
ness may resort for which English cruelty in
Ireland is not exclusively responsible.
Second We declare that the English
government in ireland has not defended the
liberty If the people but bas annihlated it,.
Since the beginning of the present century
when the Irish parliament was abolished
laws for Ireland have been made in England
and during that time the habcas corpus and
right Of trial by Jury have been suspended
more than so times. Hordes Of soldiers have
been loosed npon people forbidden to lear
arms and u state of war with all its attend
ant horrors, with occasionally those of retail
alton, has been. maintained. Without war
rant citizen may be thrown into prison
without counsel he may be put on mock trial
before prejudiced judge and packed jury.
On the lying of purchased wretchcs his lbcr-
| ty may be sacrificed or his life taken in the
name of law.
Third: In her beautiful harbors are few
ships except those of her enemy English
law for the protection of property in Ireland
has been the lance TO make Ireland bleed at
| every pore for the benefit of the heartess
| landlord and English manufactures.
Fourth English government in Ireland
has not maintained peace and order, but has
for seven hundred years broken her peace
and destroyed her order.
Fifth; English government in Ireland
does not allow that portion of the empire an
equitable efficient voice in legislature. In
England oue-tweifth Of the population votes
for members of Parliament. In Ireland one
nf ttl lot
bcis OF Parliament Trials almost equiva-
lent to death sentences are of daily occur
renee in Ireland and have nearly doubled in
five years in spite of the boosted benefits
OF the Gladstone land laws Thus it is that
although according to the government re-
turns the criminals are 81 in 10000 of the
English population and only lG in TO- 900 of
The ltish population in spite of the eXaspera-
ton 10 which they are subjected, yet Eng.
land enjoys constitutional liberty and Ire
and is under worse than martial law.
Now, therefore, in view of these facts be-
it resolved by the lrish-American people in
convention assembled that English govern
ment in ireland, originating in usurpation
and pcrpe t,iated iy force, having failed to
discharge any of the duties of government,
never having acquired the consent of the gov
crned, has no moral right whatever to exist
in iceland, and il is the duty of the Irish race
| throughout the world to sustain the Irish
people in the employment Of all legitimate
means to substitute for il national self gov-
crnment.
Resolved, That We pledge our unqualified
ana constant support, moral and material, to
our countrymen in Ireland in their efforts to
recover self government comply with the
| conditions OF admission and be organized into
| the Irish National League of America for the
| purpose of supporting the Irish National
League of Ireland of which Charles Stewart
Parneli is president.
Resolved, That we sympathize with the
| laborers OF Ireland in their Efforts TO improve
their condition, and, as We have sus aimed
| the farmers in their assault upon the land.
lord garrison, we now urge upon the farmers
justice. We demand that farmers allow
laOorcrs fair days wages for fair days
work"
Resolved, That the convention thanks
their co-laborcrs for their efficient efforts in
provi'iing homes for Irish immigrants into
the United States. The people of Ireland are
| by the laws OF God and nature entitled to live
| by their labor in their native land, whose
| fertile soil is abundantly able to nourish
them, but, since brutal government COM
pels large numbers to emigrate, it is the duty
OF their countrymen to warn them against
the snares of poverty in large cities and assist
them in agricultural regions.
Resolved, that the policy of the English
government In first reducing the Irish peas
anlry to abject poverty and then sending
them pcnnlless to the United States, depend
ants upon American charity, is unnatural,
nhuman and an outrage upon the American
government and people. Wer, spectfully di-
rect the attention of the United States gov
ernment TO this iniquity, protest against its
continuance and instruct the officials who
shall be chosen by this conventiJ IN to present
our protest to the President of the United
States and respectfully, but firmly, urge
upon the President that it is the duty of the
Government of the United States to decline
to support paupcrs whose paupersm began
under and is the result of English misgovern-
ment, aud to demand of England that she
send no more of her paupers to these shores
to become q burden upon the American peO-
pie.
Resolved, That this convention welcomes
the sturdy, undaunted patriot and prudent
custodian, Patrick Egan, who to protect the
Land-League funds from the robber hands of
the English government, Voluntarily aban-
doned his private business and accepted Q
long exile in o foreign land the integrity of
whose guardianship has been certified after a
minute examination of his books by The dis.
tinguished Independent patriots, John Dillon
Rev, Eugene Sheehy and Matthew Harris.
Grateful for his invaluable services, his
counrymcn rejoice that they possess on this
important occasion the advantage of his wise,
} experienced counsel, aud are proud to well
come him to their hearts and homes.
Whereas in the opinion Of citizens Of
America and Canada, Irish and of Irish des-
cent, it is needful for the purposes herein
after set forth that there 10 a sinking of all
! private prejudice and creed distinction, they
do unite to secure this common end and do
. band themselves together under the name
and title of the Irish National League of
= America.
n Objects of the League,