The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-23
THREE IRISH MARTYRS.
The Meeting to Commemorate the Death of
Allen, Larkin and O'Brien.

The meeting of Irish citizens at Masonic Hall.
last night, to celebrate the eighteenth anniver-
sary of the death of the Manchester martyrs
Allen, Larkin and O'Brien, was largely attended
and was very enthusiastic The Emmet Guards
and the members of tho A. o. H. were present
in body, and a number of prominent Irish
cltlzens occupied seats on the speakers plat
form. Mr.. James H. Deery presided, and Mr..
L. NJ OConnor was selected as secretary The
meeting was opened with the singing of God
Save Old Ireland" by the Emmett Guards
quartet
The principal speaker Of the evening was
Matthew ODougherty, of Louisville who said,
in coming before the audience that the size of
the assembly indicated that the patriotism of
the Irish American citizens of indianapolis was
not OF the kind that could be regulated by the
weather. He spoke briefly of the three martyrs
to Irish liberty whose lives were sacrificed in the
manchester 1ail-yard. eighteen years ago.
degoting his address chiefly 10 review
ing ing and discussing the wrongs of
the nobility of their souls, he said. had won i'm
mortality In their country's history. Their
heroism on the scaffold, where, when brought
face to face with death-they prayed, not for
was one of the most sublime scenes that had been
witnessed during the last century This prayer
which assembled to heaven with the souls of the
martyrs, is now being answered. "And if there
be God in heaven" said Mr.. Dougherty, He
must avenge the blood thus needlessly she'd"
There had been no more comprehensive state
ment of the wrongs Of Ireland given in this coun-
try, the speaker said, than that by the Vice
president of the United States. in his recent
speech in this city. The right to make their own
laws and work out their political destiny by
their own methods is what the people of Ireland
demand. The British government IN Ireland, as
the people, but is against their will. This
is the sole element of discord
and disturbance in the social and political life of
the Irish people. The 'crimes act by Glad
stone, was unwarranted, was unjust, was bar
barous. 1t was an act of brutal oppression, and
had been the means of needlessly shedding
much blood. In all the talk about the dynamite
fends it could not be shown that they had yet
sacrificed single human life Under the leader
ship of Mr.. Parnell, the people of Ireland are now
fighting for liberty and enlightenment against
oppression and barbarism. The loyal
supporters of the cause united and are now
nearing their reward. The people of Ireland
have survived the malignant oppression of the
English government only because men have
ever been ready to shed their ifes blood in the
cause of the their country, and this cause has
been bathed ia the best blood of the Irish race
for more than seven hundred years. 'Let US
flow in the future it shall not flow from the chill
dren of our race alone. England has done the
blood letting heretofore, and l am opposed to
allowing them to have a monopoly
of that kind If the Irish people cannot make
their own lives happy, they at least make
the lives of their oppressors intolerable. Whether
or not this is good policy, is moral or immoral,
am not here to discuss We all have our own
private opinions on the question / would
rather see a dozen Irishmen die as martyrs such
as those whose anniversaries we are now
celebrating, than one die unressting the brutal
oppression Of the British government"
The second speaker was Congressman Bynum,
who said he had found in searching for informa
ton regarding the real condition of affairs in
Ireland, that more than one-half of the lands of
in England. These landlords, with the aid of
the most arbitrary laws ever enacted by any
government, had kept the people of Ireland re-
duced to state of poverty. He believed the
friends of Ireland were wholly in the right, and
his sympathies would always be their side
The following resolution was offered by Capt.
John Maloney, and was adopted by unanimous
vote:
Resolved, That we citizens of Indianapolis in
meeting assembled, this 22d day of November re-
specially and earnestly request his Excellency,
Grover Cleveland President of the United States to
his good Offices with the Ministry of England in bring
and fellow citizens now held in prisons for po
litical ofenses.
The meeting was enlivened with the singing of
Killarney" and Little Mountain Lad" by Miss
Annie L. Abromet, and "The Harp" and 1.-THE
Shamrock" by Miss Maggie Maglinn, closing
with the audience joining in the chorus of "God
Save Ireland"