Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-25
FOR LIBERTY IN IRELAND.
4 DEMAND FOR LEGIsLATIPE
INDEPENDENCE.


| House, lnst evening week, was nota0i
effort, and was greeted with large audi
ence. The financial results were in keep
ing with the excellence of the lecture
and there will be a handsome contribu
ton to the Parnell parliamentary fund
when all the expenses are deducted iron
the receipts.
Mr.. Kelley arrived here from New Yorl
at 4.55 o'clock. in the evening, and wen
Immediately to the Clayton House, wher,
he was subsequently received by tn,
committee appointed for the purpose
John p. Donahoe chairman, and escorted
to the Opera House.
During the day the head quarters of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Askew
building, at Seventh and Market streets,
were handsomely decorated with flags and
Chinese lanterns, the latter being bril-.
liantly illuminated at night. The doors
of the Opera House opened shortly after
z o'clock, and when the exercises began
about l. 400 people were within the build.
ing. Many more than this number of
tickets were sold, but the others were
unused. The decorations comprised
the stars and stripes and the handsome
silk green flag of the l. O. b. U. at the
upper boxes, and the green silk banner of
banner of the Ancient Order of Hiber-
mans at the rear of the stage, bearing the
motto, "Friendship and Liberty True
Christian Charity" The Hibernian Rifles
in full uniform, and the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, escorted by the First llegi-
ment Band, came in and took the front
seats in the balcony. While waiting for
the opening, the orchestra, led by Prof
Ritchie, played popular Irish and
American ans, ending with "The Star
Spangled Banner" as the curtain went up,
which was greeted with warm applause.
The applause was vigorously renewed
moment later as Governor Stockley,
escorted by Bishop Becker, and the Hon.
A. M. Kelley, escorted by Senator Gray,
advanced upon the stage. They were fol-
lowed by Peter N. Brennan, chairman of
the committee of arrangements, Hon.
Charles b. Lore and George H. Bates,
Esq. A number of invited guests then
took seats upon the stage, among them
being the following Fathers Kelley,
Finn and Rebman Of this city, Brady of
New Castle, Donoghy of Ashland, Pa,
and 0'Keefe of New York Sheriff Thomas
Ford, President of City Council John q.
Farra, Internal Revenue Collector John
w. Causey, H. H. Carter, Andrew G.
Wilson, George W. Humphrey, Esquire
George 0'Neill, DIR. ogle, James Mozart
| ney, William McMenamin, DIR. j. A.
Draper, Johu X. Bradford, Levy Court
Commissioner Thomas Toy, James Mona
CHAN, H. H. Ward, Esq, Owen j. Hession
and Captain Baker of Fortress Monroe.
| MIR. Brennan announced that Governor
Stockley would dpreside, and the governor
was received with hearty round of ap-
| plause. He at once presented Senator
Gray who was to introduce the lecturer.
The senator briefly expressed his hearty
| sympathy with the noble efforts now
being made to ameliorate the conditions
that have 80 long oppressed the people of
Irelnnd-a feeling of interest that it was
but natural for him to have share in, as
his grandfather's father was born on Irish
soil. 1t is impossible, he said, for brave
men anywhere on this day SO dear to
many millions of our fellow-citizens, to
fail to express their sympathy with the
Irish people in the struggle for what we
have enjoyed here SO long-home rule
and local self-government. With brief
allusion to Mr.. Kelley as one who had
been honored by his country by being
selected to represent its sixty millions of
people across the water, Mr.. Gray intro
ducsd the lecturer, who was received
with round of welcoming applause.
| He opened by introducing Ireland as
alternately the wonder and pity of the
world. Known to early history as the
centre of affluence and literature, to-day
| its condition excites the pity of the
world. With an extremely fertile soil, it
is the only spot where famine claims q
home. With water-power larger ac-
| cordingly to its acreage than any other
country, it has no manufactures. With
| its ample coast and numerous harbors ii
has no commerce. With people brave
to fault and fond of arms, it has no
army. Surrounded by q coast line
Astounding with the most favorable in
| dentation, it has no navy. With people
virtuous and prolific, its population con-
stantly declines. What malevolent genius
is il that has brought this aboutY l
answer in the single sentence honestly
uttered by an English member of parlia-
ment, "The calamities of Ireland are the
creatures Of England's laws" l might
spend my hour in the dry details of the
many instances of long years of oppres-
sion, but few will suffice to prove that
the avarice and hate of England are the
source of this trouble.
When Charles II. returned after the
restoration, the Irish people, whose
manufactures had been destroyed by the
followers of Cromwell, they devoted them
selves to agriculture; but their success
aroused the jealousy of England, for
whose cause they had shed their blood,
and the parliament of Charles ii enacted
q law prohibiting the expectation of the
cattle and dairy products of Ireland then
they tried to build up their woolen manu-
| factories, but after William of Orange
effected his conquest, the first demand of
England was that he should close up the
Irish manufactures. They then under
took the manufacture of silk, and when
George III. assembled the throne there
were 10000 silk spinners in Ireland but
before he left it there remained only 260,
through the iniquitous operation of
English laws.
It is true axiom that we hate those
we wrong-as true of nations as of men.
There is no more conspicuous instance of
this fact than the course of England
towards Ireland. For 130 years before
Henry VIII. the people of Ireland were
mentioned in the acts of parliament only
as "the Irish enemy" Even the famine
in Ireland aroused no sympathy in the
bosom of the English people, while the
merchants of England sent E100, 600 to
the people of Lisbon who suffered from
the devastating effects of the earthquake
of 1855. And when Edmund Burke de-
manded that the English parliament pass
some measure of relief for the suffering
Irish industries, he was derided and re,
pudiated by his constituency at Bristol.
This government of greed and hate began
7l5 years ago, when Henry II. made his
incursion into Ireland and completed the
conquest of the entire island, the English
control having previously extended ovei
but seven counties.
The single exception to this English
rule of Ireland-the Irish parliament Of
1882 -1800-was alluded to and the events
that led to its final dissolution effectively
portrayed. During its 18 years of exist
ence, the creation of 10 peerages, the
establishment of go new offices and tn,
use of three millions of money for pur.
poses of bribery eventually secured iti
destruction. And withal, II had not th,
courage to be inst, for it found the Gath
olic people of Ireland DISTINGUISHED ant
it left them 80.
What the Irish people now ask, til,
lecturer said, is simply Legislative indie
pendence. For this purpose they ar,
: sufficiently numerous, and the whole his
: tory of the Irish people gives the lie L
the base slandsr that they are incapabl,
of self-government. Their union Will
England is failure, and under its bale
full ministrations population has dimin
ished, property deprecated, busines
declined and taxes enormously increased
until Ireland now pays GO, 900, 900 yea