Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-09-14

NEW YoRK, Sept. 10.--The executive
COMMITTEES of the Irish National League OF
America, has issued the following mani
festo:
To Irisbm IN and friends of lreland-W hen
the home rule proposals OF Mr.. Gladstone
became known we addressed you, giving our
opinion of his bill and warning lrishm
against the acceptance of its provisions.
We had no faith then In the work of Mr..
Gladstone. We looked upon 1T as chimeri-
cal, something to lead the fool farther, and
we were sorry to see our own people play
ing the weaker part in the greatest tarcicai
comedy Of the age.
The bill submitted to the House OF Com
mons was practically worthless. The i'm
position on our country OF the mutilated
skeleton Just rejected by the House OF
Lords would have been an outrage and the
serfs who would accept it with thanks
would merit the scorn of the nations. 1t
was sorry spsctacle-Ireland,a after her
struggle Of centuries, on her knees for
crumb.
We have no hesitation in declaring that
no more pernicious influence has been at
work among our people than the influence
of Mr.. Gladstone in recent yerrs The
spirit of Irish nationality was being stead
lily destroyed by this influence, fostsred by
a designing agency which prefers west
Britain to an Ireland. The people were
daily becoming more and more west brit
ainizsd and erstwhe patriots more English
than the English. Let us hope that the
spell has passed away and that our people
will once more recognize that their place Is
not at the feet of England. In that event
the House OF Lords may not be an unmixed
evil.
You will now doubtless be told by the
professional agitators that the rejection OF
the home rule bill by the House of Lords is
a mere temporary set back, that after MIR.
Gladstone has passed two or three British
measures, it will again be sent to the upper
house aud that then, on its defeat, the grand
old man will go to the country and be
swept back to power on great tidal wave
Of popular indignation against the lords.
These men will be simply playing you
false.
Mr.. Gladstone, whether he appeale to the
country this year or next, will in the opin-
ion of those thoroughly acquainted with
tho situation, be defeated at the polls and
the men who would still keep their hands in
your pockets know this.
On the home rule question alone he is
cortain of defeat, but his shirking OF the di-
| rect issue by linking an unpopular local CD
fion bill and other measures to home rul5
iHsures a sweeping majority for the tories
Do not for q moment imagine that the Brit
ish people are willing to give home rule to
the Irish. Among even the most ardent fol-
lowers of Mr.. Gladstone, with the possible
exception OF John Morley, there kis not a
man whom 1t interests.
Even Lord Rosebury admits that home
rule is to him only a means projected to en-
| able the liberal party to escape the enact
meut of coercion laws or the disfranc hisin 4
of Ireland. Are you willing therefore to
| play the part of dupes
1t appears to us that the time has
come when the Irish race the world over,
should be enlisted in one gigantic movomen,
| for tho liberation OF Ireland. 1t has the
power to strike the chains from the mother
| land II it only has the will.
A great convention of Irishmen from all
countries, we think, should be called and a
plan for united action formulated and
adopted. At such a convention the exam
pie of the American patriots might be emu
lated and declaration of lrsland's indie
pendencs given to the world.
NJ. V. CANNON, Omaha, Neb.,
President,
J. P. Sutton, Lincoln, Neb.,
Secretary,
WILLIAM LYMAN, New York,
Treasurer,
OF Irish National League of America