The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-06
FOR THE CAUSE.

Full Text Of D. James n. Dunn's AID
dress to the Michael Davitt Branch
on Sunday Night.
An Interesting and Well REPAIRED Doau-
ulelt Listened to With Deep Interest
by Those Present.
The following is a full text of Or
james A. Dunn's able address to tht
Michael Dewitt branch Of the Irish Ma
tional League on Sunday evening Feb
rllary %:
G iENT LEM I'm \ estelday evening
received notice that / would be expect
ed to give The members OF the Lane
League q talk this evening, and twas
with much hesitation that ( finally
agreed to obey the gentle but firm be
hest Of our genial fellow Lacquer, Of
fleer Gibbons, whose melodious voice
detected through the much tangled
telephone. [ hesiaated, gentlemen, moi
through any want Of ardof for the
laudibie cause in which CUR league is
enlisted--a cause dear not only to every
Irishman worthy Of the name, but tc
every heart whose cords vibrate i'll SYM.
pathy with oppressed humanity, OF
resound indignant at the sight Of
tyranny and despotisn. i paused and
still assume the task with dihidence.
only for two reasons: First, belonging
as do, to & profession in which silence
is more becoming than speech, how
ever unctious, that latent oratory sup
posed to exist ia every son OF an Irish
mother, has remained most remarkably
dormant, nol has kissing the blarney
stone had the least effect ia calling it
forth. Secondly living as Wedo in az
age when al departments OF knowledge
and facts increase with such fearful
rapidity, I find it simply impossible to
keep abreast of the times in many
branches sufficiently to appear before an
intelligent audience for discussion.
And I am happy, and yet sorry to say,
that the situation in Ireland has Of late
taken such strides that one busy with
the progress Of his own profession,
should be at sea in attempting to speak
iutelligently Of the wonderful Island
that lies across the Atlantic.n say
happy, because it is o pleasure to know
that at last, after centuries of struggle,
not only has the cause Of the most OPP
pressed OF people for the first time
gained the ear of the whole civilized
world, but her oppressor has for the
first time sensibly begun to feel the
power Of the race which she could with
Cypress, but whose hearts she
could never conquer.
/ say sorry to confess that the inter-
ests Of individual ills should have so en-
crossed my attention as to detract it
from the recent progress in the treat
ment of the fearful naiady which af-
ficts nation.
But, after reading.
patriotic ietteG. Of accep,ans
invitation to lecture to us las.
le1t il would be q disgrace Tor ...uy man
With irish blood in his veins TO refuse
% add his contribution, however small
20 the lauaable cause, the promotion Of
which is the object of this organiza-
i insSs a.,
To most Of Us 1t 1t IS simply astounding
o glance back over the history Of the
world and behold what outrages the
masses have more or less tanely submit
ed to, with what abuse of poWerthe few
ave ridden over the many. ireland
hough a marked example is not the
My one. Her oppression has been
erhaps unique from two standpoipts
me long persistence and cruelty with
which it has been waged by a powerful
laster, and the untiring, neverdespair
ng,ever sacrificing, undying spirit with
Ihich it has been resisted. No real |
has ever been conquered or in |
is innermost heart been reconciled. |
To some it may have appeared that /
ne spirit of hatred toward the power
hitch her people have never acknow-
sdged at times has savored of ven
eauce, that her desperate subjects have
3sorted to questionable means to rid
lemselyes of an unWelcome, a detest-
] government, but candid consider
ton of facts must have convinced the
lost anti-reyolutionist that, consider
lg the causes for the hatred, the ag
awaited nature Of the case. the emo
onaI character Of the people, that they
low a patienee worthy of admiration
.ther than censure, and that with few
,ceptions the means employed have
zen far more tempered with justice
I'd humanity than the relation of Brit
n, or than those which an infuriated
'ptilace are accustomed to accept. IT
a few isolated instances individuals
We suffered unjustly what has not a
lion suffered for centuries2 ia few
reliable men, erring in judgment
We shocked the feelings of those an
guainted with the endless, almost or
tie incredible tortures Of a bad sys-
n, how many thousands have with ]
let hope, il the midst of the darkest l
sht spoken brave and true words of E
Mort and with light hearts even in I
ath pleaded their countrymen to Q
Itch for the long awaited day. Q
Ter poets have sung, her warriors \
lghf. her orators argued. her marty I
d calling for justice to a downtrod- c
t,,t ;y,s,b,,,,ed $50 ,.,,,;1,, Il