The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-02-23
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.

THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
VIM. O'Brien's Closing Words at Man
chester-His Arrest.
In closing his address at Mancheste
before the largest assemblage of peopl.
ever gathered in that city, and wher,
he was arrested upon leaving the plat
form, he thus referred to the Plan O.
Campaign:
Let me tackle this question Of tht
Plan of Campaign once for all CHEERS,
as I may not have another opportunity
for some time. What is the fact
Would you be surprised to hear thai
during the whole course of this strug
I gle the Plan Of Campaign has only
been in force upon lis estates out Of
10000 in Ireland-no more than about
ten in a thousand, and that at this mo-
| ment it is not III force ON more than
! two or three dozen estates in the whole
country. Then as to it's criminalltv,
have again and again challenged Mr.
Balfour in the House of Commons, and
challenged him in vain, to point out one
single deed of murder CT serious outrage
that has been committed On one OF
these estates during all those desperate
struggles of the last few years (cheers).
AS to this dishonesty, have they ever
told you-if not tell you here TO night,
and r defy them to contradict me that
we have never refused in any single IN.
stance TO submit any dispute under the
Plan Of Campaign to any independent
court of arbitration whatever (cheers].
l myself several times have offered to
abandon the Plan Of Campaign alto
gether if the Government would only
give us any equitable court Of arbitra-
ton with power to deal with the ar
rears which they themselves acknowl~
edge to be unjust and irrevocable
(cheers(.
That is the Plan Of Campaign, and
that is tbs one miserable pretext on
which they are pouring out all your
treasures to-day, combination SO just
that we are ready in the morning to
submit tho disputes to court OF ar
bit,ation. That is the combination
against which Mr. Balfour has been for
the last two years hurting ali
the powers of this empire and
hurting them in vain jhear,
hear), because up to this hour, and
with all his powers, and with all his
terrors, he has never succeeded in
smashing one single combination of
poor defenceless Irishmen. am afraid
l have trespassed 600 long On your pa
tience (c1les Of Ono, no''). I am afraid
in any case that I have physically ex-
hausted myself; but there is one thing
l would say before bid you good by.
I should like Englishmen to bear in
mind that you are dealing to-day with
an ireland absolutely without crime and
absolutely without rebellious Intent or
ill-wil against England (cheers). You
are dealing for the first time in this
country with an Irish race who are
longing and pining for peace and for
friendship with the English people
{cheers). And this is the country that
Mr.. Balfour tries to exasperate and to
wound. This is the race that are being
subjected to treatment which, / ven
ture to say, would envelop England in
blaze within twenty-four hours if the
same methods were practiced against
them (cheers). That is Mr.. Balfour's
method of Government. We believe
that it IS not the method Of the En-
glish people. We believe that it is re-
Voting to the hearts and the conscien-
ces of the English people We have a
firm and unwayering confidence in you
(cheers), and it is because Of that that
our people are bearing patiently out
rages which often make their blood
boil with anger and with shame. We
trust you and you must trust us cloud
cheers). Rest assured Of this.-and it is
the last word l have to say-whatever
we have to bear, however our feelings
may be tortured, the Irish people will
bear it manfullY and cheerfully in the
firm belief that when the general cleo
ton comes we will receive at last our
message Of deliverance from the En-
glish people (cheers), and in the firm
belief that when the choice is submit
ted to you between the policy of Mr..
Balfour (groan 81 and the policy of Mr..
Gladstone (cheersl, you will not choose
Barrabas, but that you will seize the mob:
lest opportunity that ever offered of do
ing deed of justice and humanity, the
greatest that ever gloritied the English
name, and secure for ever the greatness.
the glory and the stability of your En-
pire by allying with it the happiness !