The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-04-24
WILLIAM O'BRlEN, MP.
HIS SPEECH IN NEW CASTLE ON THE
PROSPECT OF UNION.
THEY ARE READY 70 SHAKE. HANDS
THE WORK OF DIsCORD AMONG
InIsHMEN MUST STOP
REPORT OF the ROYAL COMMISSION

REPORT OF The ROYAL COMMISSION
| A UNITED PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLIsH
ANYTHING. 1880
At an enthusiastic Irish demonstra-
ton recently held in Newcastle On
Tyne, Mr.. VIM. O'Brien, in the course
of an eloquent address, spoke as fol-
| lows:
Englishmen never ask themselves
why they want to be governed by Eng
lishmen from London rather than by.
Frenchmen from Paris. Half thes Sc
cret of the success of the Englishmen
is their belief in themselves and in
their own country. They stand by
their country, and are proud of it very
naturally. So are we proud of ours
(cheers), and all the prouder, perhaps,
because the path of our country has not
been strewn with empire or With
wealth or triumph, but with poverty
and suffering and persecution. No mat
ter what laws or legislators may say,
we are Irishmen and not Englishmen,
and all the armies that were ever put
into the field will never make us other
| wise (cheers). We may live, as you do
! live, on the friendliest terms side by
| side with Englishmen, but we are not
| the same, and there Is no use in talk
ing about it; we never will be (cheers).
Even with the best Intentions in the
world, Englishmen can never altogeth-
/ or understand us. If there was any
Englishman who ever lived who went
to Ireland to govern us according to
our hearts desire, it was Mr.. Morley
/ (cheers), and yet the result was not
altogether satisfactory either to him or
to U.S. I do not blame him for it. On
the contrary am grateful to him for
having added to all his other splendid
services to ireland this supreme argu-
; ment for Home Rule. that even an Eng
lishman so kind and well meaning and
broad-minded as he failed, and failed
inevitably, to do for Ireland what an
Irish parliament would have done for
themselves; 9(hear, hear). Englishmen
affect not to be very we'll able to un-
|: derstand the sentiment of Irish nation
ality, although they understand it very
we'll in the case of Crete and of every
! small nationality in the. world. But,
at all events, they do not intend to be
dishonest, and they are Mortified to find
T. that English rule in Ireland is not only
Objectionable to Irish sentiment, but:
is huge, perpetual and organized sys-,
tenn of highway robbery, (hear, hear).
Irishmen have been pointing all this
to Englishmen for the last generation.
We have told them: Here is Ireland
after century of English rule with
smaller population than at the begin
ming of the century, with the people
still flying as fast as they can get pas
sage tickets, with a greater number of
paupers than ever before among those
| who remain, with the whole agricul-
tural population plunged in distress;
and we have asked them, How can you
possibly account for all this in civil
lied country only that the country is
plundered and drained of her natural
resources for the benefit of her richer
neighbor? We might as well. have been
telling it to a college of deaf mutes
as long as it was only Irishmen that,
were telling them SO. But now they
are told so by their own most eminent
financial experts and statesmen,
(cheers). They are told so: by Ford
Welby and Lord Farrer and Mr. Giffen..
and Sir Robert Hamilton and Mr.. Chill.
ders. Now the report of the commits
sion clinches the case for Home Rule
(cheers). There is no Sinking the
facts revealed in this report, they might
as well try to shirk the. multiplication
table (cheers). There are the facts
upon eternal record, signed, sealed, and
confessed under the great seal of the
English treasury itself. You will ask
met is the first thought with every
national meeting what are the chances
of national unity? Well, can honest
~ say that they are brighter than
they have been for many day cloud
cheers), and say that Notwithstanding
the fact that the Irish party, true to
their plain duty, have not been able to
see their way to surrender or shirk
the demands Of Ireland In tho hope Of
catching one or two stray Tory votes
(cheers) on the question of over taxa
alton Unionists and Nationalist, land
lords and tenants, are free to combine
without the -Unionists giving up their
opinion. on. Home RnlssocsWe siYing On
Eours;;.s and 4. hereafter the gentry OF
EIreland=shonld chow: sany zdiape ion So.
Eidentify themselves more closely With
the Irish cause, they Win hndsthhats
there will be not nSlel5ste leraklent. hat
welcome and honor for every man, no:
matter what his class or creed, who:
recognizes that Ireland Is his country
and has the first claim on his alle-
Riance. 49,
EsyphensversL be6inshia.