The Irish standard., 1886-10-02
Mr.. DAVITT IN NEBRASKA.
A Great Speech Delivered at Lrcoln, Neb.
by the Irish Orator in Response to the
Toast Of His Health.
is TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,

HIS TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,
For Her Substantial Aid to ireland in the
Latter's Great Effort to Secure
Self-Government.
The following is the speech Of Mr..
Davitt, in response to the toast of his
health, at a banquet rendered him at
Lincoln, Nebraska, recently:
The warm expression OF hearty SYM
pathy voiced here this evening for the
Home Rule cause, by such a represen-
tative gathering of American citizens,
are as gratifying to me personally as
they will be encouraging to the people
Of Ireland in the struggle which they
are carrying on for the right Of national
elf-government. 1t cannot be too often
repeated By representatives Of the Irish
movemen in this country that the
good will Oh he American people con-
stitutes ml4, ty moral force i'll this
Anglo-Irish COZ st. Our English Tory
adyersaries, with i,,,eir habitual blind
ness, have tried to discount it's value by
endeavoring to attribute it to political
Or party motives. In this they are
blunder1ng egregiously; for this impu-
tation upon your sincerity is an injus-
tice to the public sentiment of this re-
public that is calculated to deepen the
sympathy which righteous cause has
already won, upon it's own intrin c
merits, from a liberty-loving people #
the American sympathizes with le
Home Rule movement were conf. ed
to one party, or to one state, or to one
paper in the Union, there might be
some appearance of political motive in
such a limited evidence Of moral sup
port; but when every party and every
state, and every journal ON your CONT
nent send greetings to William Ewart
Gladstone upon his conversion to the
Justice of Home Rule for Ireland, it is
only the bourbon mind Of a Tory that
could cali in question the sincerity and
universally of American friendly feel
ing towards the movement of the Irish
National League which has wrought
such a remarkable change in the fu-
lures Of the Irish cause. Gentlemen, ]
maintain that your sympathy is inspired
and directed in this matter by convic-
tions which will make it impossible for
YOU to maintain even passive lndiffer-
ence ON this Anglo-Irish question. Ihe
letter and spirit of your own constitu~
tion-the inestimable privileges con-
ferred upon you and your children by
such glorious heritage OF freedom as
you possess, compel You as right minded
and Christian men, to wish success to
every nation rightly struggling to he
free" The people Of ireland have
as much right to an assurance
of your good will in their ef-
forts for Home Rule as the founders
of this great commonwealth had to che
Irish nation during the war Of indepen-
dence. In the infancy of your republic
the continental congress twice thanked
the Irish parliament of that time for
the cordial support extended to this
country by Ireland in her hour of trial,
and the return sympathy which is now
manifested for us in our endeavor to
win back that parliament, is but an act
of grateful recognition on your part.
The right of national self-government
is one Of which no people can be de-
priYed without the violation OF a. prin-
ciple as sacred as that which surrounds
the institution OF the family with in
yiolable prerogatives. To invade such
a national right-to suppress or tram
ple upon it, is an act of political sacri-
lege which no term can condone, no
plea of expediency can rescue from
being a contraction OF that great law
by which nature and nations are alike
made the Instruments OF divine lnten-
tion. Ireland has never willingly or by
misdemeanor forfeited this right. Pat
iently, but preseryeringly, have our
people striven to recover what has
fraudulently taken from them eighty
six years ago by means which MIR.
Gladstone has mildly designated 1.-THE
baseness and blackguardism OF the act
of union.'' Not only this. We are
struggling to regain our parliament by.
movement which endeavors to exclude
the employment of violent methods.
We are educating our people to remem-
her that ours is radical heritage OF
something better, nobler, and truer
than one Of revenge for past wrongs
that the history of our fatherland is
that Of nation which has suffered per-
secution. but has never learned the
way to persecute. Nay, more: We can
boast. not only Of the suppression OF
reyengeful feeling for atrocious treat
.ment at England's hands; but, that the
PRINCIPLES which we have inculcated in
this land league movement, and the
nlans by which our leaders ars seeking
The triumph of the Home Rule cause,
must inevitably benefit the industrial
masses Of Great Britain. Our attacks