The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-05-18
IT WAS NOT MADE IN Vain
Americas Appeal to Ireland-The Ad-
dress of Our First Continental
Congress
ISSUED MAY 10TH, 1875.
For the Achievement Of Success "We Con-
fde IN the Good Offices Of Our
Fellow Subjects"


Fellow Subjects"
To the People of ireland:
From the delegates appointed by the
United Colonies Of New Hampshire,
Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island, and
Providence plantations, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
the lower countiee of Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina in general congress az
Philadelphia, the 10th of May. ITS.
FRIENDS AND FELLOW SUBJECTS
AS the important contest into which we
have been driven is now becoming in
terest,ng to every European state, and
particularly affects the members OF the
British Empire, We think it our duty to
address you on the subject. We are
deslrols, as is natural to injured innO-
cence, OF possessing the good opinion Of
the yirt.1ous and the humane. We are
peculiarly desirous of furnishing you
with true state Of our motives and ob-
jects, the better to enable you to Judge
of our conduct with accuracy and to da~
termine the merits of the controversy
with inlpartiality and precision. X y
Not coDtent with our purchasing OF
Britain at her own price clothing and a
thousand other articles used by three
millions OF people on this vast continent:
not satisfied with the amazing profits
arising from the monopoly Of our trade,
without giving us time either to breathe
after long, though glorious war, orthe
Least credit for the blood and treasure
We have expended in it; notwithstand-
ing the zeal we had manifested for the
service of our sovereign and the warra-'
est attachment to the constitution Of
Britain and the people Of England, a
black and ilorrid design was formed to
convert us from free men into slaves.
from subjects into yassals, and from
friends into enemies.
Taxes, for The first time since we
landed on the American shores, were
without our consent imposed upon us;
and an unconditional edict to compel
us to furnish necessaries for e. standing
army, that we wish to see disbanded.
was issued; and the Legislature OF New
I ork suspended for refusing to comply
with it. Our ancient and inestlnab!e
right Of trial by jury was i'll many in
stances abolished, and the common law
Of the land made to give place to admir-
atty jurisdictions. Judges were rem
dered By the tenure of their commis-
sions, entirely dependant Oh the will Of
the minister. New crimes were arbi-
trarily created, and new courts unknown
to the constitution, instituted. Wicked
and insidious governors have been SET
over us, and dutiful petitions for the re-
mo7al of the notorioasly infamous Gov
ernoy Hutchinson were branded with
tue opprobrious appellation of scan
daZons and defamatory. Hardy az
eenpts have been made, under color ct
parliamentary authority, to seize
Americans and carry them to Great
Britain to he tried for offences commit
ted in the colonies.
Though pressed by such an accumula-
tion of undeserved injuries, America
still remembered her duty to her soyer-
eign. a. congress consisting Of deputies
from twelve united colonies assembled.
They in the most respectful terms, laid
their grievances at the foot OF the
throne, aud implored his Majesty's in
terposition in their behalf. They also
agreed to suspend all trade with Great
Britain, ireland and the West Indies,
hoping by this peaceable mode of oppo-
sition to obtain that justice from the
British Ministry which had 80 long been
solicited in vain. And here permit us
to assure You that it was with the ut
most reluctance we could prevail upon
ourselves to cease our commercial con.
Dectlon with your island. Your parlia-
ment has done US no wrong. You had
ever been friendly to the rights of man
kind; and we acknowledge with pleas
ure and gratitude that your nation has
produced patriots who have nobly dis
tinguished themselves in the cause Of
humanity and America. On the other
hand. we were not ignorant that the
labor and manufacturers of Ireland,
like those of the silkworm, we're Of little
moment to herself, but served only to
give luxury to those who neither toll
nor spin. We perceived that if We con-
x,npp
agreement not to import from Britain
would be fruitless, and were, therefore,
compelled to adopt a measure to which
nothing but; absolute necessity would
have reconciled us. IL gave US. how
ever, some consolation to reflect that,