Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-25
FINNERTY is ELOQUENT.
His Speech Before The IrSh-American Conven- ton Was Cheered to the Echo-Ex-
 cerpts From It,

CnlcaSo, Sept. 24-ln the 1riSh-Amer- ican congress, when the reading of the dispatches had been finished, Chairman Finnerty delivered the opening address.
 Briefly reviewing the successive ef- forts for centuries of the advocates of Irish independence, he said that when ever the Irish fought the British on the open field they lost less people than they lost since the passage of the union act. Fenans were the first body that had ever made the English government lis- ten to reason (great applause). The En- glish had passed a bill. a sort of home rule bill, but between it and the house of commCrs stood an immovable barrier of terror and tyranny in the shape of the house of lords.
 While the barrier stood there was no chance for the Irish to obtain even modicum of justice. Should the great Irish race give up the struggle because the house of lords said and says that 1t shall remain enslaVed?
 There were cries of "No." to this Zl- terrogatory. and the speaker went on to say that noes from 20O0O0O0 of Irish hearts on this continent and from 5O,00O.- 900 more of all nationalties, whose hearts beat in sympathy with lreland's strug- gle. There were some who thought the convention might do something to inn plicate the government of the United States with England. Did the display of stars and stripes before them? did the showing of national colors all about them intimate that they intended to do anything that would harrass the Ameri- can government? (Crles of "No!) Let him remind him that there were many places in the United States that bore the name of Lafayette, who broke the neutrality law'of France to aid the strug- gle for American independence. What neutrality laws did England ob- serve when in the civil war she gave her colors and her ships under false pre- tences to sweep American cutters from the sea? What neutrality laws did she observe when she enlisted men in this country to help her beat the czar in the Crimea? Neutrality laws stand as nothing against nation of freedom, went on the speaker, while the audience cheered and shouted in turns
 Else what mean these overwhelming manifestations of sympathy for Cuoa throughout our country. l am about as loyal as any man to the Amer ican flag and respecter of American laws, but I would not be ashamed to stand on the platform with Lafayette, with DeKalb and with Pulaski and hail the superb division of 900 armed men breaking the neutrality laws to liberate Cuba. or $50O000 breaking them with En- gland in behalf of Ireland's independ- ence. Great cheering).
 We here proclaim to the world that the Irish race Is neither dead nor disheart- ened. We are not of a breed that runs out. There are more of us now than ever before. We are a wall of fire that can never be extnguished. We will never give up the struggle. We are to conSol- idate all forces for an aggressive move against England whenever we can strike under the law of nations. She is sur rounded by enemies. France. Germany, Russia, all hate her. For twenty-five years the foreign policy of America has not been what it should have been, and if the government had been as patriotic as the American nation the day that the British marines landed in Corinto would have heard the broadside of the Ameri- can fleet
 From today" concluded the speaker, 'let us inaugurate the new movement Let us work for the establishment of an Irish republic, free and independent" The chairman resumed his seat amid applause that continued for several mo- ments. Then committees on credentials and permanent organization were ap- pointed, and 12:55 the convention took a reces of an hour.
 When the convention convened at 2:45 o'clock the committee on permanent or ganzation reported in favor of continu- ing the temporary officers and John Fin nerty resumed the chair.
 The afternoon session was of less than
 
 the appointment of committees on ere dentaals, rules and other routine busi- ness. A cable dispatch from London signed Ryan and reading: "The Irish of London are with you in the Irish cause Let us unite tonight and all will be won," evoked loud applause Funds were pledged from various places to free Ire land Others urged the convention to ask for nothing more than complete in- dependence and to accept nothing else; others voiced the sentiment: Complete separation, no matter by what meansac- complished."
 A lengthy dispatch from the Emmett Guards of Philadelphia endedL "The new movement must end only in the complete autonomy of Ireland"
 About 700 delegates, representing nearly every state and territory were in at tendance at the afternoon session. There was no local packing" Chicago and Illinois not having more than twenty five of the total. The delegates will re- assemble tomorrow morning.
 Mrs. M. B. Frazier at the