Wichita eagle., 1889-03-03
IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMER
ICA.

TOPEKA. Kan, Feb. IS, 1889.
To the Citizens OF Kansas:
Conference.-The last act draws to a
close of the great drama known as the
''Parnell trial." which is now for several
months progressing in the London law
courts, trial that viii be known TO his
tory as the vilest conspiracy ever entered
into, betw cen the present despicable and
unprincipled Tory government of Eng
land and the lying, slanderous organ
known as the London Times-a most
foul conspiracy to destroy the character
and influence of
CHARLES STEWART PARNELL,
the distinguished leader of the Irish peo-
pie in their gallant and unequal struggle
for their long lost rights. Mr.. Parnell
stands today before the bar of the pub
lie opinion of the civilized world. to re-
pei the vile charges concocted against
him by ruthless and unscrupul-
Gus foes. banded together as a
most cowardly and Infamous
combination to strike down the power of
a legitimate and constitutional move
ment, by seeking to blacken the charac-
ter of its leader, and to morally assassi-
nate gallant, patriotic and devoted
face, molly struggling for freedom. In
the cowardly and infamous onslaught on
the Irish leader, there is a yelled and
dastardly stab at the greatest of English
statesmen,
WI. EWART GLADSTONE,
whose heroic efforts in the cause of the
Irish people have exposed him to the
malignitv and fury of the Times and the
great arch conspirator, Lord Salisbury,
the recent CYNICAL sneerer of American
statesmen and American institutions,
who stoops from his lofty position of
premier of England to employ forgers.
periurers and outcasts of society TO for
swear the character of Parnell and there
by endeavor to drive from public life q
purer, better and inetfably nobler
man than many of the so-called nobility
of England
By the latest cable accounts, Mr.. Par
nell comes out of the ordeal not only
triumphant, but certain to exercise
greater influence over English public
opinion, as also the well-earned opinion
Of his American friends and sympathlz-
ers, and of his own countrymen all over
this great continent.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, the president of the
Irish National League of America, re-
minds me that up to the present time
Kansas has done nothing TO assist Mr.
Parnell in his expensive and protracted
contest with the enemies of Ireland, who
are using England's secret service money
to drag from their prison cells. with
promises of free pardon, felons under
long sentences. to swear to tiImsy and
concocted stories that fall to shreds I'M
der cross-examination.
Fellow countrymen of Kansas, you
who have been always TO Ireland true, !"
will you not now as ever respond
promptly to the call of your country?
Most certainly you will
l therefore respectfully and confident
ly appeal to every branch league in this
state and to every Irish organization
Ancient Order of Hibernians and others,
to emulate your countrymen elsewhere
by nobly doing your duty by the land Of
your birth, as you have in every great
crisis done by the land of your adoption.
The celebration of the anniversary of
our glorious patriot and martyr,
ROBERT EMMETT,
will afford an opportunity of subscribing
to the Parnell defense fund which you
will promptly remit to the treasurer. L
would respectfully remind my American
fellow citizens of Kansas that Charles
Stewart Parnell, who is the ideal repre-
resentative of the Irish race today all
the world over, has strong personal
claims on you, for he is sprung from one
of your own great and heroic country
men, being the grandson of the brave
and gallant naval commander,
ADMIRAL CHARLES STEWART,
whose victories on the seas in his ship,
the Constitution, IN the war with
England in 1916 excited the most ex
IRENE enthusiasm amongst the Amerl-
can people, and on his return home
after the most exciting adventures,
every form OF public honor was be-
slowed upon him. In Boston there was
a triumphal professions; in New York
the city council presented him with the
freedom of the city and a gold snuff
box: in Pennsylvania he was voted the
thanks of the commonwealth and pre-
scented with a gold hilted sword. and
congress voted him its thanks and
struck gold medal and presented it to
him in honor of the event. This same
brave old hero of many battles, at the
age of So, when Fl. Sumpter was fired
upon, wrote at once to the navy depart
ment to be put into active service, when
he declared, 81 am as young as ever to
fight for my country"
The position of his descendants today
invites the sympathy of patriotic Amer
leans and lovers of fair play in every
quarter of the globe. 1t appeals 10 the
manly and generous instincts of the citi-
zens OF Kansas who have stood by the
cause of Ireland in the past.
1t appeals to the patriotism of all low
ers of freedom on this side of the At
lantic for support and encouragement,
and to this end you are earnestly invited
to cooperate with your Irish fellow citi-
zens to sustain brave man fighting
against long odds who cannot but earn
your approval and admiration dixie his
great American ancestor) by galiantlv
defending the cause of his downtrodden
and lovely land. Yours most faithfully,
DoNATUS OBRIEN,
State Delegate for Kansas.