The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-10-03
Irish Form a National Alliance
at Chicago.
DEFIANT PLATFORM ADOPTED.
Lyman of New York Made President and
other OHicsrs Chosen Delegates with
Experience in Military Anairs Hold a
Conference Behind Closed Doors.

Its object is the securing Of the indie
pendence Of Ireland by any means
within its power consistent with the
laws and usages Of civilized nations.
The qualifications for membership
shall be good moral character birth on
Irish soil, or descent from Irish parent
age On parental or maternal side OF
both, and the taking Of the following
pledge Of honor:
II - -, hereby pledge my
word of honor to aid by every means
within my power in conformity. with
the constitution and bylaws Of the
Irish National Alliance in securing the
independence of Ireland"
The officers are as follows: President,
William Lyman, New York; vice presi.
dent, O'Neill Ryan, st. Louis; treas
urer, p. V. Fitzpatrick, Chicago; execu.
tive council. j. Donovan, Lowell,
Mass; Chris Gallagher, Minnesota,
Martin Kelly, Tennessee; Captain Man
gan, Wisconsin; J. Sheehy, San Fran
cisco; J. NJ. Kennedy, Anaconda, Mon;
Thomas J. Dundon, OHIO; Thomas ii.
Greevy, Pennsylvania, and James Law
lor Of Texas
A conference has been held at Nc
Coy's hotel of the delegates who have
had experience In military affairs. This
meeting was held behind closed doors,
and all inquiries as to the methods of
organizing the military arm OF the
Alliance were met by the response that
all such details would be left to the
officers and executive council.
The platform reads as follows
The people Of Ireland are a sovereign
people, Ireland is by nature separate
D. ~ fpr n lthnrfU Ig
the birthright of her people. Ireland
was known throughout Europe as a
nation long before the dawn Of Chris.
tianity, and was the home Of civiliza-
ton, while England was still barbarous.
EnEland's claim to authority in Ire
land originated in force, and have been
maintained by corruption and coercion
! they have never ripened into right to
rule the title by conquest has never
been perfected inasmuCh as the Irish
people have continuously by Constitu-
| tional agitation Of revolutionary move
ments resisted England's power and
endeavored to destroy her unlawful
supremacy.
ireland is deprived of almost every
civil right, which the American people
most dearly cherish. UneXampled
cruelty and brutal vindictiveness have
been the distinguishing features Of
English rule in Ireland. England has
destroyed Ireland's industries and
ruined her commerce, she has placed
upon her statute books laws making it
O crime to educate an Irish child;
burned Irelands schoolhouses and de.
stroyed her churches she has driven
into exile or left to perish in her dun
geons thousands Of men whose only
crime was love of Ireland. Every
measure for the last century looking
toward legislative Independence of the
Irish people has either suffered defeat
in the commons, or been arbitrarily re-
! jected by the lords. England has vio-
| lated every treaty and broken every
pledge and with almost every year Of
the century she has imposed upon Ire
land brutal laws of coercion and one Of
the most drastic character Is now upon
her statute books.
To the pleas of the people for justice
and their prayers for mercy England
has responded with the sCOurge and the
scaffold, and yet today Ireland en-.
thralled, but enslaved, crushed but not
conquered, is in spirit a nation.
1t has become evident after many
years of earnest endeavor to obtain a
measure of independence from the Eng
! lish government by peaceful agitation
that appeals TO reason for justice are
futile. 1t is left, therefore, for the men
of the Irish race to proclaim again the
truth recorded by all history that the
! liberties of people and the independ-
! enCe of a nation cannot be achieved by
| debate, but must be won upon the field
of BATTLE and we declare our belief
that the men of Ireland, who are being
| driven INTO exile, or into the graves Of
serfs in their native land by English
misgovernment, are entitled by the
laws of God and man to use every
means in their power to drive from
their country the tyrant and usurper
and we believe that Ireland has the
right to make England's difficulty her
opportunity and to use all possible
means to create that difficulty.
In view of these facts the members
of this convention appeal with conf
dence to their American fellow citizens
and all lovers of liberty to cooperate
with them in aiding the people of Ire
land in the achievement of the same
measure Of liberty enjoyed in these
| United States.
Distinct from the declaration of
principles, Chairman Ryan also sub
mitted, on behalf of the resolutions
committee, three separate resolutions,
as follows:
Resolved, That we earnestly protest
against the continued incarceration in
English prisons of Irish patriots. That
we consider it inhuman and against the
policy OF civilized nations to keep in
prison men who have acted only in the
interest of their country and human
liberty; and that the release of these
men is imperatively demanded, not
only by the Irish people, but by civil.
cation.
Resolved, That this convention, rec.
ognizing the importance to the Irish
nation of preserving the language, liter
ature and music of the people, com
mends the work now being done by the
Gaelic League, and the National Liter
ary society in Ireland, and by the Gaelic
societies Of this country, and earnestly
trusts our people will give them hearty
cooperation and generous support.
Resolved, That this conN ent on rec
ommends the formation OF military
companies wherever practicable, in or.
der TO foster and preserve the military
spirit OF the Irish race, and to be pre-
pared for action in the hour of Eng.