Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-05-07
THE IRISH QUESTION.
SEN. RIDDLEBERGER'S SPEECH
ON THE GLADSTONE
MEASURE.
A CLEAR AND CONCISE REVIEW OF
THE ISSUE NOW STIRRING
GREAT BRITAIN.
from the Washington Hatchct

From the Washington Hatchot
At the mass meeting of Irish sym
pathizers in this city on Wednesday
evening at Masonic Temple Senator
Riddleberger delivered the follow
ing speech
1t has fallen TO me to be in an
humble way on recent occasions an
exponent of American sympathy
with Ireland. thank You for your
cordial welcome and am grateful
for the opportunity you give me of
again asserting my desire for the
nationality OF Ireland, which for
seven hundred years has rebelled
against atrOciouS tyranny, outrage
and wrong. Thank the God of Ma
tons, the Irish are still rebels
against organized crime and tyran-
ny. There is still a race to furnish
the world with steadfast cOnvic-
tons and undylng devotion. When
Henry II, Pembroke, and CrOm-
well, in consecutive invaSlOnS, con
fiscatiOns and other crimes against
the rights Of Ireland thought their
work was done, the struggle had
only begun for human liberty
They had only accomplished the re-
suit Of showing the world where the
nursery of genius, valor, and self
conservation to principle was to be
found. 1t was on that "gem of the
ocean which has been for centur-
les the prey OF the spOilsmen, the
victim of the rObber nations of the
universe.
As Americans applaud our grand
National anthem of "The Star
spangled Banner" let them treas
ure the memories of the orators,
statesmen and soldiers whose de-
scendants have enriched Ameri-
can history and helped to letter the
banner of the Republic with glory.
lnseparably with the struggle Of
this country for liberty from British
domination has been the fight under
the green flag. The cruel red uni.
form of England has been the SYM
Dol of oppression with us as 1t is in
Ireland to-day. Can VIC forget it's
associations with Indian Massa-
ores? Our history is brief enough
to let us remember the savagery
perpetrated under its sanctiOn.-
Speaking for myself only, can not
separate the cause of Ireland from
the cause Of liberty.
When | see those grand lines
The Star-spangled banner,
oh long may 1t wave
Der the land of the free
And the home Of the brave,
feel that they should always be
accompanied with
Erin mavourneen, Erin 90 braugh.
| am not here to tell you of Irish
genius as Illustrated by Burke and
Sheridan and Grattan. History
has taken care of Irish genius which
has so well asserted itself. | am
not here to counsel IIishmen to
unity. think they have arrived
at that point. Certainly | am not
here to encourage their bravery
Without going to the records of
Fontenoy, the Yellow Ford or Lon
donderry, | could give you what
history has long since told Of what
Irishmen can do where their faith
is plighted. (Perbaps the story of
Donnybrook Fair might help to
illustrate) The world knows Ire
lands history 1t was expressed
by Curran when he said, "liberty
in its last analysis is the blood OF
the brave" An Irishmen, Robert
Emmett, condemned by a packed
court. refused to ask for clemency
and despised apology for his patrl-
otism, when in words that will live
as long as the English language
shall survice he declared that he
wanted no epitaph until the free
dom of his country should be as
sured. Protestant Wellington said
it was Irish and Catholic valOr that
built his reputation as a soldier,
and that lrshmen had fought the
battles of England for fifty years.
Two illustrious lrishmen, John
Mitchell and Thomas Francis
Meahger Il make no mistake, !
think, in calling their names where
Irishmen are present. were figures
in our late war. They were friends
and common sufferers from British
tyranny. Mitchell took the Con-
iederate side, the side | was on;
Meahger was on the Union side
Who has not heard OF his gallantry
and of his melancholy death Who
fails TO remember Mitchell going
back to Ireland, defying British
authority, which had 0utlawed hun,
and there being elected to Parlia-
ment ! Such men give us memen-
toes Of herOism, as much so as Fat
rick Henry or Thomas Jefferson.-
Liberty or DEATH" said Patrick
Henry, man Of Irish origin. Seven
years later Henry Grattan urged a
declaration of right, denying the
right of the British Parliament to
make laws for Ireland. That Is
where the Irish are to-day. am
with the Irish sentiment that Grat-
tan expressed for his countrymen.
1t is liberty as against bondage.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:
The history of Ireland for the last
twenty years has been more re-
markable, if possible, than that OF
hundred years previous. Steph-
ems, the Fenian, is justly called the |
precursor of ParnelI. Plnndered |
to the verge of poverty and desola'
ton, Irish agitation, as it has been
called in vicious derision, has COM
PEELED the greatest of England's pre-
miers of a century to confess from
his seat in the Commons that "the
history of Ireland is one long in
dictment against its landowners
that "agrarian crime has originated
and increased under the absentee
ism Of landlords and raising of
rents as their expenses while away
from Ireland increased" that OPP
preston married to misery had a
hideous progeny" that England
was not clear of responsibility, for
the deeds of Irish landlords were