The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-06-30

after the inexpressible sufferings which
he had gone through, to end his days
amongst his own kith and kin, ane
amongst the people whom he so dearly
loved.
MIR. D. McCarthy, clerk of the guardi
ans Of the Sk,bbereen Union, then read
on the part Of that body an address Of
welcome to Rossa Another address was
also presented to him, signed by Daniel
Coughlan, William Geany, Florence Nc
Carthy and Timothy Donovan, who de-
scribed themselves as friends or Old
Guards, who were not unmindful of his
services aud sufferings.
There was big attendance in the
town hall when Kossa, shortly after eight
o'clock, entered the building. The entire
audience rose as he appeared and cheered
him again and again.
DR.. Jennings, j. p, G. T. O., presided
The chairman, who was received with
loud applause introduced Rossa, and
rendered him cordial auxs. heartfelt wei
come on the occasion Of his return to
Skibbereen after the lapse OF so many
years. 1t was pleasure to his old friends
to know that the predictions so freely in
du)ged in. tnat he wouldn't live to set
foot on Irish soil have been happily fal
sified, and that he is now back again in
the old land surrounded by his early as
socistions (applause).
Rossa then rose to deliver his address,
and was received with prolonged OUT
burst of cheering. He chose for his sub
iect ''The Lesson of my Life" The les.
svn of his life, he said, was known to
many of them. What they knew him to
be in Skibbereen when he lived there, he
was the same out Of Skibbereen, and had
returned just the same. DR.. Jennings,
their worthy chairman, and son OF wor-
thy father, said things were al cred.
Well, he admitted they were, but he
feared for many of their people the
change was not for the better, and in
this connection he referred to the Arran
Island eviction to show that distress ex-
listed in Ireland now as in formor days.
Having given me interesting personal
"reminiscences of his early connection
with Skibbereen and Cape Clear in the
Famine years, he said there was no man
living who would be more glad than he
wuuld be that change for the good
would be brought about in peaceahle
and constitutional manner (applause).
He hoped things had changed, and he
hoped things would be changed, but it
was his opinion that until they had got
some kind of sef-government, some gov.
ernment that would develop the resources
Of the government and that would give
them encouragement in the production
and creation of manufactures, they could
have no amslioration in the condition OF
Ireland. They had men saying that Ire
land had surplus population to-day, as
it was said she had in ~ and '48, and
that there was no necessity for giving
them any more liberty than they had at
present. What God made him, what he
was, what he had been, and what he ever
would be, was an enemy to the unjust
government of Ireland by the British.
Speaking of landlordism, he said he did
not want to talk of abollshing landlord
ism. Landlords would willingly, if a
peaceful settlement of the question were
come to, give the tenants something
equivalent to what they had been get
ting. But he had not much confidence
in the professions of the English L'egis-
leture towards Ireland. He knew that
some Englishmen were saying some very
kind and reasonable things relative to
the government of Ireland by England,
and he would wish to give them the
credit of being sincere He hoped they
would get what they looked for without
any trouble or without any recourse to
those measures which were deplored in
every land where they occurred, and that
was anything in the shape of war or con-
fiscation or rebellion, though, OF course,
they had heard of him as man who had
hoofs and horns on him. He was sorry
there was any cause of complaint or dif-
ference amongst them; but he was not
going to interfere in those differences.
"a man should be four or five years in
America before he was allowed to have
q vote in political matters; and he would
have, 90 to speak, to get his papers Of
citizenship taken out in Ireland before
he would interfere in polit cs il any way.
An incident Of his boyish days reminded
him that England did not care much
about their 'clappers unless they got
|theiin to turn ont the ministry and give
them more trouble by stopping legisla-
tiion, 20 Parnell would ssy He would,
however, rather eee the people dwelling
|in love with each other than they were
doing daay. ~ had not come anaongst
Chem p or iin- i