St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-02
THEY BEGIN IN PEACE.
The Irish Convention Opens
Auspieiously With a Large
Attendance.
Ringing and Radical Talks by
Some Of the Eloquent
Delegates.
Gov. Campbell on a March to
Victory in the Ohio Con-
test.

CHICAGO, Oct. Possibly the most
important public gathering of the Irish
race ever held this side of the Atlantic
began here to-day. 1t was the conven-
ton of the Irish National League of
America and of societies and individ-
uals throughout the United States and
Canada in sympathy with that organ
iZatiOn.
Central Music hall, which has wit
messed many stirring historic scene
in the Irish movement for natiOnhood,
held this morning scores of Celts aglow
with anticipation of what might prove
the stormiest and most significant pro-
ceedings yet witnessed by their cOun-
trymen in a grave national crisis. The
assembling of the delegates here stimuli
taneOuSly with the great conference of
GladstOne's adherents at Newcastle,
Eng, preparatory to a general election
in Great Britain, was regarded by many
as something more than coincidence.
Secretary John Z. Sutton caused a
sensation at the very outset. He had
called the convention to order, and
when the cheering greeting his appear
anct subsidized, proceeded to read the
call, expressing regret at the absence,
through Illness. of President John FitZ-
gerald and Vice President Patrick Mar
tin, Os Baltimore. Secretary Sutton
SAID IS, delegates had come at their
own expense in spite of hostile public
opinion created by men he was sorry
from his heart to say were Irishmen,
but he urged them to think only of their
holy cause, and put it at once, as it
should be, on a business basis.
O'Neill Ryan, of st. Louis, was intro
duced as temporary chairman of the
convention, and he promptly launched
into ringing address foreshadOwing
the policy of the gathering. They were
not there, Mr.. Ryan SAID, to uphold any
section or faction, but they were there,
he hoped, to say to the Irish people in
Ireland that when they presented
strong and united front, then, and not
till then, should they receive the moral
and material support OF the Irish peo
pie in America. Only an aggressive
movement, independent of both En-
gliSh parties, could command the UNI
Stinted aid from America that had been
nobly given during the past ten years.
The chairman's strong speech was
punctuated throughout with enJhusi-
aStic cheers.
The convention made John Flannery,
Of PittSburg, secretary, with two assist
ants. and then adjourned till D. M,
pending a report from the credentials
committee. Attendance at the first SEES
sion was limited to delegates, among
whom here and there could be seen the
clean-shaven features and typical garb
of a Catholic Clergyman. The most
prominent object of the gay decorations
was magnificent portrait of that great
est of Irish rebels, Robert Emmett. In
front of the stage was something else
that likewise savored of sterner meth
DDS than parliamentary tacticS-a gilt
tering Irish pike.
Mr.. Cannon, of Omaha, during a brief
interval, delivered an imprisoned yet
clean-cut appeal for a renewal of unity
and perseverance that reused his listen
ers. They were all united, he said, on
one idea-that the English government
has no moral right to hold the Irish peo-
pie in subsection. Their enemy was
never at loss how to SOW the
seeds of disruption and diSuniOn
among them, and had recently
cultivated societies in the country not
only hostile to lriSh-Amerlcan influence
but destructive to the spirit Of the con-
stitution of the United States. Never
theless the Irish in this country, putting
behind them any hatred of one man or
a dozen men, would yet push forward
ing it, if not peaceably, then by other
means. Enough of the old guard were
left and enough of their spirit from
which would yet be begotten an organ
iZatiOn that would carry the flag of Ire
land to a glorious victory.
Matthew p. Brady, of Chicago. drew
attention to the huge portrait of Emmett
above the stage and argued that the del
egates, by cOnsenting to its retention,
assented to the principles which Emmett
promulgated and died for. County gov
eminent, or any other temporary amel-
ioration of Ireland'S condition, was as
nothing if ultimately the Irish
race were to be left with
out status among the nations.
Mr.. Brady evolved much enthusiasm
wheu he eulogized the "Soggarth
arOon." Irish liberty, he declared, had
never been sold nor so much as imperIl-
ed by priest of the Catholic church,
and he implored them that, no matter
what point the deliberations of the con
Vention might lead to, nothing should
emanate that could be even tortured
into a suggestion that the hierarchy
were not worthy of their utmost conf
dence. The committee on resolutions
is composed as follows:
Daniel Cookery, Illinois; T. II. O'Brien,
District of Columbia William lyman. New
York: NJ. Fl. o Byrne, Georgia; p. IL. BlcFar
land, Pennsylvania; NJ. Y. Cannon, Nebras
ka; j. G. Donnelly, Wisconsin; DR.. O'Reilly,
Missouri; j. ". Duggan, Colorado; Edward
Reynolds, Canada; D. c. O'Brieu, Kansas; j.
T. Morris, Maryland C. J. Tyne, Tennessee;
r. Toumey. Michigan; Edward Sweeney,
Ohio; L. NJ Sharon. Iowa; Hugh J. Carroll
Rhode Island: Dennis O'Neill. Connecticut;
P. S. Curry, Massachusetts; Michael j.
Byrnes, Indiana.