The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-16
MICHAEL DAvTrT AT CHICAGO.
An Able Review of the Situation in Ireland
and the Prospects of Home Rule.

and the Prospects OF Home Rule.
CHICAGO, Aug. 14.-Thers was tremendous
concourse Of sympathizers with the home rule
movement in Ireland at Ogden's grove, in this
city, this afternoon. The meeting was presided
over by ex- Congressman John F. Finerty. who
introduced Michael Davitt as the first speaker.
whose appearance was greeted with tremendous
cheering. On the platform were Alexander Sui
Ivan, ex president of the Irish National League;
Patrick Egan, president of the league, and Mat
thew p. Brady, John Boyle O'Reilly, and others
The Clan-na-Gael Guards and the Hibernian
Rifles served as an escort to the speakers to the
park. It is estimated that Is, 900 people were on
the grounds.
Michael Davitt mmenced q very able speech
by remarking that the defeat. of the home rule
bill had placed in power the greatest enemies of
Irish national sentiment
The methods which were resorted to in ac
complishing the defeat of Gladstone's efforts
were as mean and as unscrupulous as the tri-
umph would be fruitless and feeting. Gladstone
appealed to the heads and hearts of the British
people to right mighty wrong, which had in
nieted untold miseries upon Ireland. Nations,
like men, were made up of good and bad quail
ties. The appeal for justice to Ireland was ad-
dressed to what was good in English nature.
eeounter-appeal was made by the Tories and
Unionists to the prejudice, bgotry and fear of
their countrymen, with the result that the
meaner traits in English character have tri-
umphed for time over the better. But the vic
tory was only q Pyrrnic one. and the same
weapons could never be used again.
There were, however associated with this de-
feat OF Gladstone many circumstances which
went to prove that the victory of his opponents
%as but q Pyrrhic one The weapons with which
y ~@~~c1 III 4->.-
be of tho same service to the enemies
of home rule. Division and disorganiza-
sion in the Liberal party made the task
undertaken doubly difficult for its leader Yet,
Notwithstanding the superior organization Of the
Tories, the frantic cries of ''the Empire and
Protestanism in danger" the boiling of Cham
berlain and Harrington, the proposal to grant
30 Ireland Parliament of her own was indorsed
by Scotland and Wales, and supported by over
million English voters. The figures would have
looked better for home rulc had not Gladstone
weighted his measure with the landpurchase
bill, which alarmed the British taxpayer, and
was milestone round the neck of the greater
measure. This opposition to buying out the
Irish landlords was in itself a significant sign of
the times and victory for Irish land reformers
rs we'll as tribute to the movement of the Land
League which began the assault upon the cita-
del Of Irish landordism. If England would not
Ibuy out its territorial garrison In Ireland, the
landlords must ultimately surrender or make
terms with the Irish nation.
He was aware that there was feeling widely
prevalent in American that the defeat of Glad
stones home rule proposals was not an unmixed
evil. A similar sentiment largely prevails among
NatioHalists at home. In many respects the
constitution provided by the bill was undemo-
cratic. The Limitations of power, curtailment of
privilege, and amount of tribute were justly un-'
satisfactory and irritating. The safeguards pro-
7idsd for the interests Of the British empire
were ridiculously unnecessary, but they paid an
unconscious tribute to the determination Of the
Irish race in their struggle for liberty. Those
blots III the bill being undeniable, many men in
America charged US with weakness in consent
ing to accept such q solution of the Irish ques-
tion. He did not dispute their right or impugn
their motives in thus criticising, but he would
remind them OF the immense disparity between
the two contesting parties, and also that the his
tories OF triumphant natonalites seldom re-
corded 9 bound from subsection to freedom.
Mr. Davitt went on to recapitulate at some
length the leading incidents in the history of the
struggle and referred to the immense strides
made towards the establishment of home rule
Referring to the Belfast riots, he made sarcas-
tic allusion to Lord Randolph Churchill and said
his address to the Belfast Orangemen had had
an unexpected anti-ciimax and the .peacsable
and aw-abiding' loyal;sts had been guilty of acts
which had Mortified most Englishmen.
The civilized world had also passed its verdict
upon the ruffianism which had reduced pros
porous Irish city to the state OF terror and dis
order in which 1t was now They saw, there
against home rule was a generous public execra-
tion of the wretches to whom the sympathy for
the cause and the people thus assailed. He was
confident that the kindred policy now about TO
be inaugurated by evictions and landlord terror
ism would have q similar result, and the cause
Of Ireland will emerge from the coming ordeal
with lighter hopes and move universal sympathy
than it had yet possessed OF what material
consequence was one reverse. more or less, to
cause which has often before arisen from defeat
30 smile at Its very overthrow
At the close of Mr. Davitts address, Mr. Fin
erty arose and spoke earnestly for about ten
minutes He thanked Davitt for his address
and welcomed him cordially among his country
men ir America, where they were always glad to
see and hear him, an evidence OF which was the
immense crowd before him. He bad no obiec-
ton to offer against methods of peace whore they
would succeed. He hoped to God they would,
but while earnest mon had different opinions as
to the policy best to pursue, 1t was his
earnest wish that all 1rishmen having
On interest in the old land would stand together
for Irish rights. He hoped, however, that the
people on the other side in their peaceful war
fare would never apologize for what others as
earnest and logical as they might do when a tell
Ing blow was struck
"Psrnell had not met with the wish OF his
eountrymen in America by accepting Gladstones
bill rs a fnality. As Davitt truly said. there
was no limit TO the march OF nation to liberty.
let the people at home not apologize While
lie Irish In America would not give Them orders