The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-25
IRISH NATIONALISTS MEET
THE GREAT CONTENTION OPENED
IN OHIC1GO YESTERDAY.

DeieEhte-Nd arm words DellVereU IN
Favor of Ireland's Freedom From the
| British, Yoke.
Chicago, Sept, 24,-An important con-
vention of Irishmen assembled to-day
in the auditorium of the Young Mems
Christian association. 1t was in re-
sponse to call, recognizing the crit
| ical position of home rule and desiring
a convention of Irish societies of all
kinds, political, social, beneficial and
literary. Over 1000 delegates were
chosen, of whom a goodly number are
| on hand.
Mayor Fitzpatrick of New Orleans
strolled in leisurely just before 10 o'clock
and took seat in the left wing. Gloss
| behind him came O'Donovan Rosa, the
| old time revolutionist, looking less fierce
and more aged than of yore. General
Matthew Kerwin, ex-collector of the
port Of New York, came in with Will
| liam Lyman of the same city, treasurer
| of the National league
| The Ancient Order of Hibernians was
next represented by President Patrick
| O'Neil of Philadelphia, and the nation
| al secretary, N. d. Slattery of Al
| bany. After a while the visitors began
| to pour in steadily, among whom We're
| j. NJ. Connor of Boston and Patrick f.
Butler of Hartford.
| A flutter of excitement marked the
| entrance of the solitary woman dele
gate, Fanny O'Grady, who represented
| the United Daughters of Erin. Unrec-
| ognized, save by very few, P. ]. lyman,
| whose name is linked with the tragedy
of Phoenix park, and who as Number
| One" is known the world over, came in
and quietly took seat in the rear
| During the interval of waiting for
delegates to arrive fully hundred
| cablegrams and domestic dispatches,
| Wishing success to the new movement
were received and some of the more
| significant were subsequently read
| to the convention.
| In calling the convention to order M
| j. O'Connel chairman of the local
committee, said that it was a sponta-
neous congress of people of the Irish
| born race. Irish-Americans were dis
| satisfied with the parliamentary cam
| paign on the other side, and for the
| further fact that the parliamentary
| party had betrayed it's supporters and
| proved faithless to it's trust. This was
greeted with loud applause, which was
| renewed when the speaker concluded
| by prophesying that out of this conven-
| tion would be born and established an
Irish republic built on the plans of this
| great republic,
| Ex-Congressman John F. Finerty of
this city was greeted with prolonged
| applause on being presented as tempo
rary chairman. The original and sub
| sequent calls were read by John P. Sut-
ton of New York, secretary Of the Irish
I National League of America, together
| with a resume of the telegraphic dis
patches.
| AS Secretary Sutton read the cable
4 grams he omitted the names of the
| signers A delegate from New York
| demanded to know who signed the mes
sages, and the secretary brusquely re-
| sponded: "None of your business. The
men who signed these messages are not
going to expose themselves to the Brit
Iish government" This was applauded
by portion of the convention and there
were no further Interruptions.
The reading of the dispatches finished,
Chairman Finerty delivered the opening
address. Briefly reviewing the success
sive efforts for centuries of the advc-
Gates of Irish independence, he said that
whenever the Irish fought the British
on the open field they lost less people
| than they had lost since the passage of
the union act. Fenians were the first
body that ever made the English gov
ernment listen to reason. (Applause.l
| England had passed sort of home rule
| bill, but between it and Ireland there
was barrier of terror and tyranny.
| While that barrier stood there was no
chance for the Irish to obtain even a
| modicum of Justice. Should the great
| Irish race give up the struggle because
| the house of lords said that it should
| remain enslaved? There were cries of
| "No'in response to this interrogatory,
| and the speaker went on to say that
| the "noes" came from twenty million
Irish hearts on this continent and from
| fifty millions more of all nationalities,
! whose hearts beat in sympathy with
Ireland's struggle. There were some
| who thought that the convention might
do something to implicate the govern
ment of the United States with Eng
| land. Did the display of stars and
stripes before them, did the showing of
national colors all about them, intima te
that they intended to do anything that
would harass the American govern
ment? (Cries of Mo- Hundreds of
places in the United States bore the
name of Lafayette, Tho broke the neu-
trality laws to al the struggle for
| American independence.
What neutrality laws did England OBJ
serve when in our war she gave her col
ors and her ships under false pretenses
to sweep American vessels from the sea
What neutrality laws did she observe
when she enlisted men in this country
to help her beat the czar in the Cri-
mea?
Neutrality laws stand as nothing
| against a nations freedom" went on
| the speaker. while the audience cheered
and shouted in turn. "else what means
| these overwhelming manifestations of
| sympathy for Cuba throughout our
| country? I am about as loyal as any
man to the American flag and a re-
specter of American laws. with De Kalb
and with Pulaski and hail the superb
vision of a hundred thousand armed