The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-12-17
THEY CELEBRATE THE ANNIvERSA.
RY OF THE MARTYRS.
AND ALSO PROTEST AGAINST ALLIANCES
CONGRESSMAN BALL DELIVERS An
ELOQUENT GRAFTON.
TRUE PICTURE OF PERFIDIouS ALBION
MUST NOT JOIN OUR DESTINY WITH
DESPOTIC POWERS.

The United Irish societies of Houston,
Texas, celebrated the anniversary of the
| deaths of the Manchester martyrs and
passed the following resolution:
Resolved, That as citizens ever loyal
to and anxious for the national honor of
the country of our adoption,we denounce
as prejudicial, irrational and impolitic,
any effort to drag this government into
! any foreign entanglements, under what
ever name, with any European power,
; but above all with a country that was
| never known to keep faith with a friend
| or respect treaty with an enemy, and
we are Therefore opposed and protest
against what is known as the proposed
| 'Anglo-American alliance, and condemn
as unpatliotic any political party that
works for or approves such dangerous
policy"
The following are extracts from the ad-
dress of Hon. Thomas II. Ball, congress-
man of the First districts in speaking to
the resolutions protesting against the
proposed Anglo-American alliance:
Mr.. Chairman, Members of the United
Irish Societies, Ladies and Gentlemen:
! 1t goes without saying that liberty
| loving American citizens honor and re-
we're the names and memory of the Irish
patriots, who freely gave their lives upon
the altar Of their country in the rebellion
of 1893. Their sacrifice, like that Of the
martyred Emmett, was made to secure to
| their oppressed countrymen some mea-
sure of that liberty which comes as a
birthright to an American citizen.
Having as the basic principle of our
republic that call governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the
! governed" our hearts sc out to the gen.
erous< noble, self sacrificing sons of old
Ireland in their struggle for home rule.
| With the fruits of their fertile soil alb
sorbed by absentee landlords, the right
Of public assembly proclaimed, the plivi-
lege of free speech abridged, local self
government denied, and the mailed hand
of military power ever present, lreland's
wrongs have played upon the heart
strings of individuals and nations, while
Ireland's sons at home and abroad nurse
just resentment against English rule
human liberty based upon human
right
Harsh criticism of England upon this
occasion, were it in my heart to indulge
such (and it is noD, would but weaken
the force of what | shall say expressive
of my unyielding opposition to the pro-
posed Anglo-American alliance. Too free
expression condemning English treat
ment of Irish subjects might also incur
the criticism of the hypocritical who af-
feet to discover in the utterances of those
in public life an effort to shape their
expressions to suit their audiences. And
yet, if l am partial to the Irish, could not
just reason be found in the fact that
their feet touch American soil? Nay,
more, having endured in aggravated
form for longer period than did the
American colonies government with
out liberty" and taxation without local
self-government," an Irishman in Ireland
is already an American in thought, SEN
timent, aspiration and conception Of
proper government. Transplanted here,
he measures up at once, full-fledged to
the standard Of American citizenship.
Shall America form an alliance with
England, offensive and defensive, is a
question to be considered upon its mer-
it's. The fact that our forefathers gave
life, blood and treasure in unstinted
measure to rid them of English rule, and
did again, in 1872, confirm the right of
the colonies to be free and sovereign
states, absolved from allegiance to for
eign kings princes or potentates, is not
a sufficient reason why this broached al
lance should be rejected. There are
reasons, however, all-sufficient First,
and in itself enough, such an alliance
would be an unnatural one. England
acknowledges the divine right of kings
to rule. Here 1--WE have no blue blood
save the royal ruddy drops which course
from honest hearts to quicken healthy
brains" AS we'll might the church of
the Living God join with the followers of
Mahomet to spread the gospel Of the
Son of Man as for this giant young re-
public to ally itself with England, the
prop to all the thrones of Europe, and
expect to extend the doctrine Of equal
ity before the law" and "the universal
liberty of man." Again, my countrymen.
to seal this compact would be to abandon
the policy which has made us what we
are, foremost among the nations of the
earth, and turn our backs upon the IA
theirs of our republic. to whom we owe
it's very existence. Peace, amity and
commerce with all nations, entangling
alliances with none." was given as the
rule for our guidance. Washington, in