Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-10-22
The Great Necessity of IMAM
unity Between All Glasses
of Irishmen.
A Common Effort to Increase
the Freedom and Happi-
nees of All.
WOLFE TONE THE ORIGINAL FOUNDER

build up an Irish State, free from all for
eign control, was the one object of his
life. There could be no Irish freedom,
he thought, while England exercised any
authority in the island, and to overthrow
English tyranny was the end for which
he strove with marvellous energy and
persistence.
In February, 1871, general committee
of the Catholics of Ireland met in Dublin
and resolved to apply to Parliament for
relief from their disabilities. The Cstho-
lies had hitherto refrained from agitation.
The most active men of the Catholic COM
inittee at this time were John Keogh,
Richard McCormic, John Sweetman, Ed
ward Byrne and Thomas Braughall.
Tone, young barrister of considerable
talent and of an ardent disposition, prof
fered his services TO promote their cause,
as did likewise Simon Butler and some
other Protestants; and the accession of
such men gave fresh impulse to their
efforts and reused them to the adoption
of more decisive language than they had
hitherto used.
Nothing was more calculated to excite
the jealousy of the English Government
than this fellowship of Catholics and
Protestants; and, on the other hand the
friends of the popular cause saw that
nothing was more necessary to promote
their views than unanimity between all
classes of Irishmen.
In September, 1871, Tone published
can Argument on Behalf of the Catho-
lies of Ireland" This work brought him
into more intimate relation with the
Catholic leaders, who askad him to accept
the Secretaryship of the Catholic Com
mittee. To form society with all classes
of Irishmen Tone visited Belfast, and on
October Is, 1871, at the invitation of a
volunteer club composed of Samuel Neil
son and Thomas Russell, and, in corjunc-
ton with them, founded the Society of
United Irishmen.
He then returned to Dublin, and, with
Napier Tandy, Simon Butler and others,
founded similar society in the metrop-
oils. 1t was Tones one endeavor to so
form society which should unite every
religion in one common effort to increase
the freedom and happiness of all. In
this endeavor he was eminently success
full. The scattered PARTICLES of the old
volunteers of 1882 gradually merged into
this society; they we're Catholics, Presby-
terians and liberal Protestants; the Cath
olics formed the great majority. The
two latter classes joined for reform of
Parliament, religious liberty, the aboli-
ton of tithes and all other abuses. The
Catholics joined for all the above pur-
poses, and they had superadded the
strong motive of their own protection
and emancipation to urge them on.
The fundamental resolutions of the
society were: First-vThat the weight of
English influence in the government of
this country is so great as to require
cordial union among all the people of
Ireland, to maintain that balance which
is essential to the preservation of our lib
critics and the extension of our commerce.
Second-That the sole constitutional
opposed is by a complete and radical
reform of the representation in Parlia-
ment. Third-That no reform is Just
which does not include every Irishman
of every religious persuasion. Such were
the principles of the first United Irish
men.
The test of the first society of United
Irishmen was as follows: 81, , in
the presence of God, do pledge myself to
my country, that l will use all my abili-
ties and influence in the attainment of an
impartial and adequate representation of
the Irish nation in Parliament; and as a
means of absolute and immediate neces-
sity in the establishment of this chief
good of Ireland 1 will endeavor, as much
as lies in my ability, to forward brother
hood of affection and identity of interest,
communion of right and a union of
power among Irishmen of all religious
persuasions. without which every reform
in Parliament must be partial, not ma
tional, inadequate to the wants, delusive
to the wishes and insufficient for the free
dom and happiness of this country"
Strictly speaking" says Madden, the
historian of the United Irishmen, "Sam-
uel Nelson was the originator and Theo-
bald Wolfe Tone the organizer of the So
ciety, the Trainer of its declaration, the
penman to whom the details of its forma-
ton was intrusted."
A Declaration of Irish Grievances on
the Formation of the Society of the
United Irishmen, written by Wolfe Tone.
COPIED in fac-simile from a volume
printed in 1894 for the private use of
members of the original boards of United
Irishmen.
I'm the present great era of reform,
when unjust governments are falling in
every quarter of Europe; when religious
persecution is compelled to abjure her
tyranny over conscience; when the rights
of men are entertained in theory, and
that theory substantiated by practice;
when antiquity can no longer defend alb
surd and oppressive forms against the
common sense and common interests of