The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-25

Ia COAiS LCoSIIdu JOHN II. rlUeIly VI
city was greeted with prolonged applause
on being presented as temporary chair
man. The original and subsequent calls
tor the convention were read by John P.
sutton of New York, secretary of the Irish
National League of America, together with
a resume of these telegraphic dispatches:
burnley, England-The Irish of burnley are
with you in the fight or in any other policy
you may determine upon.
AS Secretary Sutton read the cablegrams
he omitted the names of the signers. A
delegate from New York demanded to
know who signed the message and the Sec
retary brusquely responded:
"Nore of our business. The men who
signed these messages are not going to ex-
pose themselves to the British Govern
ment."
This was applauded by portion of the
convention and there were no further in
terruptions. The reading of the dispatches
finished, Chairman Finerty delivered the
opening address. Briefly reviewing the
successive efforts for centuries of the advo-
Gates of Irish independence, he said that
whenever the Irish fought the British on
the open field they lost more than they
had lost since the passage of the union
act. The Fenians were the first body that
had ever made the English Government
listen to reason. Great applause.
Since that movement the sword of the
Irish people had been sheathed, and they
had given the conduct of their affairs to
men who had sought by argument and by
reason that small boon of self-government
that was given even to the little Isle Of
Man. Isaac Butt cheers and Charles
Stewart Parnell [great applause] had done
all that human genius could do to make
the English Government listen to rea-
son. They had seen the results, they had
heard the usual promises, they had
seen one of the greatest of modern states
men quail before one of the greatest leaders
of the Irish race. England had passed
bill. sort of home-rule bill, but between
it and the House of Commons stood an
immovable barrier of terror and tyranny
in the shape of the House of Lords. While
that barrier stood there was no chance for
the Irish to obtain even modicum of JUS
tice. Should the great Irish race give up
the struggle because the House of Lords
said and says that IL shall remain enslaved?
There were prolonged cries of "No!' in
response to this interrogatory, and the
speaker went on to say that the 'noes'
came from 10000, 600 Irish hearts on this
continent and from $4,000, 900 more of all
nationahties, whose hearts beat in SYM
pathy with Ireland's struggle. There were
some who thought that the convention
might do something to implicate the Gov
ernment 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, intimate that they
intended to do anything that would har-
ass the American Government? ICries OF
"NoI"l Let him remind them that there
were thousands of places in the United
States that bore the name of Lafayette,
who broke the neutrality laws to aid the
struggle for American independence.
What neutrality laws did England observe
when in the Civil War she gave her colors
and her ships under false pretenses 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 Car IN the Crimea?
Neutrality laws stand as nothing
against a nations freedom went on:the
speaker, while the audience cheered and
overwhelming manifestations of sympathy
for Cuba throughout our country. l am
about as loyal as any man to the Amer
lean flag and a respecter Of American laws
but l would not be ashamed to stand on
the platform with Lafayette, with De Kalb
and with Pulaski and hail the superb
vision of 100000 armed men breaking the
neutrality laws to iberate Cuba, or of
500, 600 breaking them with England in be-
half of Irish independence. Great cheer
ing. We are here TO proclaim to the world
that the Irish race is neither dead nor dis
heartened. 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 extinguished. We Will never
give up the struggle. We are here to con-
solidate all forces for an aggressive move
against England whenever we can strike
her 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 be, and if the Government
had been as patriotic as is the American
Nation, the day that the British marines
land in Corinto would have heard the
broadsides of the American fleet.
From to-day" 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 appoint
ed, and at II :55 the convention took re-
cess of an hour.
The afternoon session was of less than
an hours duration, and devoted TO the
appointment of committees on credentials,
rules and other business. A cable dispatch
from London, signed Ryan, and reading:
''The Irishmen of London are with you in
the Irish cause. Let us act unitedly and
all will be won," evoked loud applause.
Several additional dispatches from Boston,
Philadelphia, Albany, New York, Au-
gusta, Ga, San Francisco. Holyoke, Mass,
ana other cities, were read by Secretary
Sutton. Some pledged funds without limit
for any earnest effort to free Ireland;