The Irish standard., 1886-08-21
English statesmen has made Home
Rule a cabinet question. and while Mr..

Rule a cabinet question, and while Mr.
Gladstone has for the moment gone
down before the force of English pre-
JUDGE and English ignorance, the ban
ner Of Home Rule for Ireland will, in
| his own words, ''be borne with the firm
hand Of the united people, perhaps not
to an easy but to a certain and not far
| ofvjctory.' I think our friends from
the old land will tell you that in the
achievement of this great progress, the
aid, material and moral of the Irish
National League in America, has been
an important factor. Since the Boston
convention, the national treasurer,
Father O;Rellly, has forwarded to the
National league at home, and to the
trustees of the parliamentary fund,
OVER $4,000.
Of that $4,000 reached the hands of
Mr.. Parnell on the eve ct the election
| of last fall, and we had the great graft
dcation Of receiving Mr.. Parnell's as
surance that it enabled him.to win vic
tories he could not otherwise have So
cured. Your executive adopted var
ious methods to enlighten the Ameri-
can public On the Irish cause, and the
warm and vigorous outbursts Of purely
American Endorsement which from one
end TO the other Of this great country
greeted the introduction by Mr.. Glad
stone of his Home Rule ard land bills
aJtests the success OF our efforts. Not
only has this league done its part in
aiding and supporting the struggle at
home, but is has made the cause OF Ire
land respected amongst Americans and
through that means has helped largely
to elevate our people OH this continent.
Our action at this convention will be
watched from across the Atlantic with
the very closest interest; from Ireland
with hope and pride and joy; from Eng
land-~or large section OF it's people
with hatred the most intense, and with
the bitter hope that our elaboration
may end in dissensionS and disaster.
Differences there may exist among us,
as among all other organizations, but
they must and shall be settled by the
vote OF this convention. Ireian0's
cause is too sacred {. trust to be made
the shuttlecock Of politicians, the sport
of any mans vanity, or a weapon for
the qualification of any mans personal
malice. Ireland is passing through
terrible crisis. Our people look to US
fox aid. comfort and encouragement in
their desperate struggle. Their hopes
are in great measure conferred on the
outcome OF this convention.
VICTORY SEEMS CLOSE AT HAND,
and feel that there IS enough common
sense, manhood and dignity in this
convention to see to it that it be not
dashed away, that Ireland's hopes be
not shattered. Unity, caution, perse-
verance and determination are the ne
cessity Of the hour--unitv among all
honest, manly element Of Irish nation
alism on this continent under the ban
ner OF the Irish National League of
America and unity Of purpose and of
action between the league in America !
and the league al home: caution, that
no word or act Of ours will compromise
Cur friends beyond the water, but at |
tho same time caution that must never |
degenerate into cowaydice; persever-
ance--cool, steady perseverance--on
the lines and under the leadership of !
Charles Stewart Parneil, and deternlin.
alton, such determination rs that Shown
by the fathers of American hberty-to
win back Our plundered rights at all
hazards. [ see enblazolled on these
walls the motto, eve are for Irish lib
erty. Peacefully if we can, otherwise
if we must.'' This is the true national
position, This is the true position
which every true born American can
the only position which
England can respect, and maintain it
is the position and spirit which has
placed the cause of Irish nationally
where it stands to-day.
President Egan announced that at a
meeting of the national committee last
night Judge James II. Fitzgerald, OF
Cincinnati, had been selected for tenn
porary chairman Of the convention and
John P. Sutton for temporary secretary.