Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-09
PLEA FOR IRELAND.
President Fitzgerald's Address to All
Irish-Americans.

LINCOLN (Neb.), February Sth.-Presi-
dent Fitzgerald of the Irish National
League, issued the following address to
that organization;
To the Officers and Members Of The Irish National
League OF america: Since the inception of the
present Irish movement, now nearing its hour
of final triumph or sore defeat, the Irish exiles
or their children in America have been the
chief support and main-stay OF the national
struggle.
The continuous financial assistance rendered
from the United States and Canada to the people
and leaders of Ireland has been the result of
organizations the munificent aggregate created
by many contributory streams of Irish american
generosity could never have been attained had
| the movement depended on the uncertainty Of
spasmodic local action.
Our enemies have recognized the tremendous
| force of the organized effort the most potent
aid to the Irish cause, and they are now exer-
cising all their ingenuity and utilizing their
immense resources to destroy and nullify its in
fluence, by trying to create DISCRIMINATION and
distrust among the friends of Ireland.
| Secret service money is being expended and
subsidized agents are employed to scatter innu-
endoes to make false allegations by every arti-
fee to disseminate ISLANDERS in order to disrupt
the Irish National Organization in America;
and hostile press is being utilized in this
country to supplement the INSCRIPTIONS but
defeated efforts of the London Times to dscredit
not only the National officers of the American
League but the trusted and able leaders of the
movement in Ireland, whom till now you have
| so Loyalty obeyed and SO generously supported.
The Chicago Times of the I'd inst says edi-
| torially: "'Hold no Convention is the advice
| to the executive of the National League in
America from the gentleman over the sea, but
send us more money As to the money part,
since 1886. One agency of the league alone has
collected quarter Of a million of money, and
the demand is for more. Men who are living as
members of the British Parliament on funds
raised in America, and living on the fat of the
land Tor gossip does them great injustice), will
naturally cry with the horseIeech's daughter:
'Giye giyei givei
In the Chicago Herald of the same date we
read: 1.-The programme of the League on both
sides of the ocean is identical and unmistak-
| able. More funds and less investigation is the
cry everywhere, No convention Tor the last
three years, and Parnel wants none for the
present. Nothing is so perfectly delightful to
| the free-handed patriots whom Ireland sends to
this country as to lay aside their earnings until
then accumulate enough to pay draft and
| they blow the whole amount into the hands of
lot of irresponsible professional agitators for
unknown purposes
| the London Times and the Tory organs, that for
generations have been splitting their contempt
upon every effort of the Irish people to amel-
| iorate the condition of their country? Does it
not seem as if Piggott and Flanagan, hirelings
baffled in England, have transformed their
| vile operations to America? In this emergency
we rely upon your manhood, your devotion,
your common sense, not TO be misled by Sails
bury's reptile press, his subsidized priest
| reyilers, and those stormy petrels of faction,
who are now trying to cemoralize your ranks.
Rest assured that the defeat of the ondon
| Times will be the fate of its puDy imitstors on
| this side of the Atlantic. The time has come TO
appeal to our better nature, and have trust and
confidence in ourselves
Irish people in Ireland are setting US grand
example. They are conducting themselves
| with zeal, dignity and discipline UMPIRE
| cedented in the annals of the human race.
Generous as your contributions have been, noble
Los hQv
your efforts. they are tar from equaling, con-
sidering your circumstances, the manifestation
of these qualities by the people in Ireland.
In the late Times Forgery Commission we in
stance the magnanimity with which the peas
antry of Ireland have within the last two
months raised $4,000 for the same cause which
is now being in turn contested upon the Irish
hillsides.
The Tenants Defense Organization has been
formed and is being maintained to defeat the
last despairing effort of Irish andlordism. This
unsuitable octupus which so long fattened itself
upon the flesh and fed itself upon the blood of
the Irish people, has at last been brought to
gaze in terror upon its imminent doom.
Irish landlords recognize that their tenure of
property, founded In robbery and maintained
by tyranny. is nearing its end. The forced
sales of their estates is now living ISSUE con-
tested by two great English parties.
The vital question of the hour is which party
shall anticipate the other in the framing of an
Irish land bill designated to give peasant pro-
prieto1y to the people. The law of eminent
the purchase price of the estate must be de-
termlned on its annual renting aecruing from
their use. Landlords hope to sell at ct tiously
exorbitant figure upon the showing of their
back rent roll. Our people have wisely dis
cerned the cunning of this movement and
bcavely determine to thwart 1t at any cost To
this end the tenants of Louth, Cork, Tipperary
and other counties are making a common cause
and are going forth from their holdings leaving
the estates to present valuation approximate
to their real worth according to existing prices
of agricultural produce.
These tenarts, who have thus heroically
given up the fruit of years of toll and economy
in a common cause of nationality, deserve to
be sustained. Will we refuse them succor in
their most generous sacrifice on the altar OF
liberty?
Most of us have had cruel experience of this
ubiquitous system of land tenure in Ireland,
and no instructive words of mine are needed to
apprse you OF the crucial exigency of the hour.
l look to you confidently TO move to support
your kith and kindred in their gallant struggle
against the Misunderstanding system OF Irish
landlordism.
Looking back upon their noble past, what
think you would not the Irish people do for
us were our situations reversed Remember
with what promptness poor starving Ir, land
contributed from her poverty to the relief of the
stricken victims Of the Johnstown flood. Ora
titude is virtue indigenous to the Irish dispo-
sition, and indwelling in the Irish heart. The
mite you contribute will be your bread east
upon the waters, of which you may securely
anticipate return
and associated capacities to make one more
effort for Irish freedom. Let every branch of the
league re-assert and bestir itself, and let every
individual determine to do his part
Your interchangeable Treasurer he's shown to
the world manifest of honesty and economy
that dissrms criticism and eDlists enthusiasm.
We need not assure you that your every contri-
button will be faithfully delivered to its right
full destination from his clean and trusted
hands Be not dismayed by your limited ca
pacity to contribute twenty-five cents Ii will
have been as faithfully entered upon his books
as $4,000 remittances. Anonymous contribu-
tions 1t has been impossible TO answer, but they
have been no less carefully credited. OF this
our Auditing Committee are unimpeaehable
witnesses.
IT. therefore, there lives in your hearts q love
for Ireland; If generous inspiration still ami
mates you for the people at home; If the brave
traditions of your name and race still abide
with You, OF all of which 1 have no doubt
feel sure you will not flag in the contest, now
that he closing of the fight is upon u.s.
general election in Great Britain Is i'm
ending With us are the marshsled liberal
hosts OF England, Wales and scotland, led by the
grand old man, whose marvellous v1gor is sus-
tanned by the inspired consciousness OF coming
victory.
Parnen a sagacious and answering leader.
maintains unassailable his touch upon the
minds and hearts of our devoted people.
Sacrifices will be demanded of them and US to
meet this supreme emergency, so as 10 preserve
and even strengthen the integrity OF the Irish
representation in the British Parliament.
Two years at most, ard posslpay TWO months,
will bring us face to face with this crisis. In
this last ordeal that your patriotism may be
called upon to undergo, we ourselves, the lib
eral masses OF Great Britain and the people Of
Ireland, confidently rely upon you.
Therefore l entTeat you as honest, loyal sup
porters of the cause of Ireland, eschewing all
local Issues, ignoring all distinctions of Ameri-
can national politics, TO rally in your integrity,
and associate in your might, and again give Us
a practical evidence of your devotion TO the
dear old land.
All remittances sent TO the National Bureau
from branches of the League now in existence
or that may be formed, and all subscriptions
from individuals. viii be directly acknowledged
and duly credited 10 the contributors.
The assembling of the National convention
We have so anxiously desired has been post
poped By Parnell and the Irish leaders. In
view of this postponement and for the transae-
ton of important business, the National E1eeu-