Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-24

New York. February 23.-The Grand
Opera house was crowded with Irish
men and women tonight, who met to
demonstrate their fealty and devotion
for the land of their birth and to voice
/ their sentiments regarding the release
of the Irish and Irish-American poll
/ tical prisoners in English jails.
Edward O'Flaherty presided, and in
/ his opening address told of the hor-
/ rors which the political prisoners were
forced 10 endure in England prisons,
and then introduced Judge James Fitz-
/ gerald as the speaker of the evening.
ON THE PLATFORM.
besi0, Judge Fitzgerald were Judge
John Henry Mccarthy, president of the
Board of Aldermen. John JerOlOmon;
I district attorney; John R. Fellows;
/ ZION. VIM Lyman, president of the
/ Irish National Alliance of America;
/ O'DonOvan ROssa: Prof John p.
, Brophy; Rev. Father Smith. of Boston;
/ James j. Haggerty, national delegate
/ of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
. )B of e., Counsellor N. J. Langan
+ \ice-president p. j. Byrne and COun-
sellor NJ. r. Sharkey.
Judge Fitzgerald. after relating the
| history of the mission of James r..
Egan TO this country, on behalf of the
political prisoners. said:
The voice of New York goes forth
tonight in sympathy with the men of
our race and nationality who are pining
for Ireland's cause in
I ENGLAND'S HIDEOUS DUNGEONS.
who are these men and " are
they thus detained behind prison bars?
They are Irishmen having the courage
of their convictions. and because they
dared speak the sentiments of their
loyal hearts they are doomed to rot in
England's jails. They are men who
have been time and again hOnored by
their fellow cOuntrymen at home and
abroad. and it is because of that fact
that they are so cruelty treated to-day.
England i'm her foreign policy as
sumes TO be one of the great powers
with a desire to have her hand in the
pie. Once i'm a while i'm order, as it
were. to show her so-called strength
she sends her navies in front of de-
fenseless cities. such as she did at
Alexandria and bOmbarded the unprO-
tected city until her red coats and
uerceuaries found access. through the
gates Of
THE DEVASTATED CITY
f TO procure her plunder"
England. " continued Judge Fitzger-
tA Ia
civilized world for her treatment OF
Ireland and will ever continue to do
so. TO her everlasting shame, until
Irishmen rise in their might and sun
der the hated yoke forever. To ac-
complish that most desirable of ends,
it will be necessary 10 have marshalled
an army such as stood behind Parnell
i'm his day. and to-day I still believe in
/ the truism of O'COnnell that England's
difficulty is lreland's opportunity
John R. Fellows and others made
brief addresses.
VIM Lyman. president of the Irish
National Alliance of America, proposed
/ THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS,
which were adopted unanimously, and
the meeting came to a close:
Resolved. That We citizens Of this
great republic composed o., every ma
I tioualuy. i'm public meeting assembled,
do now demand the immediate resJOra-
tion to- liberty of an men incarcerated
fin British prisons for off nses against
/ British domination i'm Ireland. That
/ we believe that these prisoners are en-
/ titled To- such liberty by the usage and
customs of nations laying claim to civ
iHzatiOn and that Great Britain by de-
/ laying it places herself without the
/ pale of honorable consideration. And
/ whereas among these prisoners there
/ are q number of American citizens; be
. f., also
Resolved. That we urge upon our
/ government the necessity for taking
Immediate steps to secure the release
of these American citizens. and of in
teresting itself for the sake of interna-
tiOnal deconcv and common humanity
in behalf Of their fellow prisoners; be it
furthermore
Resolved That copies Of these reso-
lutions be sent 20 the President Of the
/ United States. to- the Ministers o. the
. Cabinet. 20 the members of Congress
and also 20 The Home Secretary and
Her BriUani@ M1jesy's Minister'S
-O