The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-26
trality laws of England in behalf of Ire

land"
Mr.. Finerty said the extinguishment
| of the nationality of Ireland by fraudu-
| lent means had placed the smaller coun-
| try at the mercy of the larger. The act
of the union was passed by sectarian
assembdage and had been cursed by
all true fervent Irishmen since the day
of its birth. The various attempts of
lrishmen to make the English govern
| ment listen to reason was recapitulated
by the speaker, the first and only one
that accomplished the desired result
being, in his opinion, the Fenian move
ment. Where Isaac Butte, Charles
Stewart Parnell and other leaders had
failed the Fenian movement had sue
ceeded.
When the Fenian movement was killed
the ears of England were closed to rea-
son. The speaker continued:
"There are those who fear that we
may do something here against the laws
of the United States. Our loyalty to the
United States is shown in the stars and
stripes on our platform; but our loyalty
is a matter independent of and separate
from the neutrality laws.
"Whenever has England paid any at
tention to neutrality laws? Certainly
not in Ireland, where her very presence
is a standing memorial of her breach
of neutrality laws. If France had said
to Washington, as is frequently said to
us nowadays, observe the neutrality
laws you and I, gentlemen, would be
serfs still and dependents of the British,
as are our unfortunate brethren in Ire
land. Although there be comparatively
few Irishmen left in Ireland to bear the
blows of the oppressor, there are 2O,0 ,0OO,-
Nf 1,.r .,, artf AE AhD
world ready and anxious to strike the
blow that shall make the old country
free. For 20 years the foreign policy
of the United Staes has not been what
it should have been. When the English
landed their gunbOats at Corinto it
should have evoked reply from the
mouth of the American cannon that
would make the Monroe doctrine far
more effective than the pusillanimous
neutrality laws. When Cuba raised the
flag of freedom it should have been the
duty of Americans to hasten to her de-
liverance, neutrality or no neutrality.
And when the power of England is used
against the United States it would be
our duty as citizens of this great repub
lie and our pleasure as children Of old
Ireland to bear arms for our country
against the oppressor. We want to
hear the rebel yell at the gates of Eng
land-that rebel yell which, while con-
fined to American SOIL England did so
much to encourage and foster, despite
all the neutrality laws. Thus far all
agitation has seemed to be hopeless
agaist the treachery and deceit of Eng
land. 1t is time now that we try some
other course; some course that we can
pursue sensibly; some. course that will
have a legitimate and permanent ending
and will, at the same time, meet the op-
preston of mankind. This is the pur-
pose of this new government. We aim to
consider the Irish race in sensible
aggressive movement against the British
empire wherever we can strike her. In
the formation of plans for this work,
gentlemen of the convention, the eyes
of the children of Ireland are upon us
from every part of the world"
In conclusion Mr.. Finerty said:
"We are here to proclaim to the world |
that the Irish race is by no means de- |
feated or disheartened. There are more
Irishmen today than there were ever
on the face of the earth before.
"We'll circle England with a wall of
fire which shall never be eXtinguished
until Ireland is free"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Finerty's
speech the convention took recess.