The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-03
the UNITED lEAeuE DEMONSTRATION
STIRRING AND PATRIOTIC SPEECH
by WILLIAM O'BRIEN.
the MOVEMENT coxMANOlA6 SUCCESS
THE LAND ACTS ARE UTTER sHAMs
AND WORTHLESS.

A splendid demonstration took place
on Sunday, Nov. 13, on the Square. Gal
way. in connection with the movement
of the United Irish league.
Among those present were: The Right
Honorable the Lord Mayor Of Dublin,
Messrs. John Dillon, M. P; William
O'Brien, John Roche, M. p; VIM. Field.
M. P; Rev. Father Nestor, c. c.; Rev.
Father Greatly, c. c.. Athenry; Rev.
Father Griffin, c. c., etc.
John Dillon, M. p, made an excellent
address, and was followed by William
Field, NJ. P. The great address of the
day was delivered by William OBrien,
NJ. P, who spoke us follows:
The people of Galway have, l hope,
made up their minds that the time has
come when we can all turn to something
better than the quarrels that have been
the ruin of our cause and the shame OF
our people. The time has come for
sounding trumpet note that will sum-
mon back every true man in Galway to
the front in the fight for the preserya-
tion of this old race of ours while there
is yet remnant Of them left to be saved
from pauperism and from emigration
(Hear, hear.) Mr.. Field has truly said
that the thing above all others that Is
hopeful in this movement is that it is
not the leaders who are pushing the
people; it is the people who are pushing
the leaders. (Cheers.) For my own
part, let there be no mistake about it,
have never had desire to rush this
movement or to force it upon any dis
trct where the people do not want it;
and more than that, where they do not
show pretty determinedly that they will
have it. (Cheers.) have not the least
notion of going about the country beg
ging of the people to form branches to
oblige me or anybody else. We want no
ornamental branches, no kid-glove
branches (cheers), no branches that arc
not prepared straight away to put in
practice the program of this league,
which may be summed up in one SEN
tence: Wherever you sec the head of an
enemy of our people. hit it. cloud
cheers.) The strength of this movement
lies, not in the speeches that are made
from the platforms. but in what the peo-
pie are saying to one another when they
meet at the fairs at the chapels. or at
their own firesides, and l think you will
agree with me that what they are saying
is: 1--WE don't care thraneen for those
wretched. stale old controversies be-
we do care for is to close up the ranks Of
the people again (cheers), in some
mighty organization like the Land league
that will enable us to hold our own dur
ing those next IL months. when 1t will
he practically decided whether we are to
win back the fair lands of Connaught
from bullocks to the people (cheers), and
whether our people or our peoples enc
mics are to have the mastery over the
whole local government of the country.
(Renewed cheering) This movement is
so spontaneous, so purely movement
organized by the ,'eople, for the people,
that it has gone on for ~ months already
without leaders, without Il constitution,
without an office, and without Il single
paid official up to this moment 1t had
to face a dead weight Of apathy and self
ishness, and treachery in every shape
and form, such as might well have some
times daunted even a pretty sanguine
man, only that the men who put their
hands to the pIoW in this movement put
their hands to it with the determination
not to be dauntcd either by friend or foe
(much cheering), till the people had
once for all said their say. We had alb
solutely nothing to rely upon except that
unerring instinct of our people. which
teaches them that mere is great chance
before the country, and that the move
men cannot but be on the right road for
Ireland, which arOuses the hostility and
the fury of every cocrcionist, rack-renter
and grabber, who for many a day have
been basking in the delight of seeing
ASeIioLhiloIo at CtlSH OIIiCi . iii OiIo.
(Cheers.) This movement is as yet only
in its infancy. But it is already, in the
language of the royal artillery, a Wool
witch infant CHEERS and laughter; and IL
we were never to do another stroke of
work, it would be something worth liv-
ing for to be able to say that without
firing a shot, without being chargeablc,
without single deed of outrage, as their
own sergeant OF police, to the indigna-
ton of Lord Sligo (groans), blurted out,
we have already brought this province
to such pass that the gentlemen in the
rent office have suddenly become so civil
that butter would not melt in their
mouths. (Cheers.) The process of evic-
ton has been virtually suspended whcr-
ever this league has spread (cheers),
every land-grabber in Connaught, be he
in Moycullen or elsewhere. has become
az uneasy in his mind as If he saw a
ghost haunting his bedside every night
(cheers), and the young men OF the coun-
try are beginning to think once more that
this is country worth fighting for
(cheers), and that we have not yet lost
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