Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-06-17
Men of Cork, Glare, Tipperary
and Waterford Were
Present.
Personal Riyalries
Must Not Block the PeO-
pies Cause.
ORGANIZATION The PEOPLES WEAPON

The great Unity demonstration in Linz
erick on Sunday, May IL, says the Cork
Examiner, was an unmistakable expires
sion of opinion from the people on mat
ter of vital interest to the future of Ire
land. The cause, if ever it existed, for
dissension has now happily passed away,
and, as the speakers remarked at the
great demonstration, it is for the people
by their action to bring back that unity
in the Irish ranks which the country de-
sires. And right loyalty did the people
show what is to be expected from them.
If few members of Parliament held
back from the Munster Unity Committee,
representative men, clergymen and lay
men from every center in the Province,
the people came in thousands, young and
DID, and of every class that Ireland has
TO depend on for her prosperity. The
merchant and the peasant, and even the
nobleman, in the person of Lord Emily,
were present, not alone from Munster,
but distant Connacht, and not few CEN
tiers from Leinster. They came by road,
by steamer, or by one or other of the
numerous special trains run for the occa-
sion.
John McInerney, Chairman of the
Unity Committee, presided in an able
manner and made a very patriotic adj
dress. The principal orator was William
O'Brien, but brief and stirring speeches
were also made by Hairland Burke, NJ.
A. Seaman, Rev. Father Casey and Jere-
miah Howard, Chairman of the Cork
County Council, who introduced resolu-
tons calling for unity of action upon the
part of the men of Ireland.
When Mr.. William O'Brien arose to
speak he received an ovation. He said
Men of Limerick, of Cork, of Clare, OF
Tipperary and Kerry, and l believe,
think may include even Waterford, far
away as it is, you are all represented here
today.
To me, in spite of this shower, it is a
delightful Whit-Sunday holiday to escape
into the fresh air again after the six long
days l have spent in stuffy Dublin law
count, lending a hand in a pretty uphill
fight against all the powers of the secret
service funds of Dublin Castle. In justice
to Dublin am glad to say that our poor
Mayo peasants found at the hands Of a
Dublin special jury, or at least, ten Out
of twelve-found measure of fearless
justice and absence of all prejudice Oh
bitterness that has bearing, and be
lieve a most hopeful bearing, upon thi:
question of national unity that brings u:
here today.
Now, there is one significant fact abou
this enormous gathering, and it is this
that you have not invited single mem
Der of Parliament of any shade or sec
ton. That, perhaps, is rather an ex
IRENE step. 1t is the first time it eve
happened within my recollection, but tn,
circumstances are extreme, and / hav,
no doubt upon my mind that you hav
done the wise and the right thing. Tn
Unity Committee did all that men coult
do to conciliate these gentlemen - t.
bring the,; together, to beg and to en-
treat them to listen to the voice of tn
country and to remember that they wer
not sert into Parliament to disgrac
themselves and disgrace the country witt
their petty quarrels.
Now, don't care who was right O
who was wrong about the breakdown Q
| 10 mould 10
waste of time to be discussing it--bu
the point for the country is, as you
chairman has just told you, that tn
members of Parliament themselves eithe
can not or will not unite without the in
} PREVENTION of the people That is tn
point, and there is no use in our shuttin
} our eyes to it. If the very numerou
, Claremen who are listening to me wante
to get home to County Clare tonight
they might as we'll lie down on the bank
, of the Shannon until the river ran dry i
order to cross over as to expect that thi
stream of controversy between member
| of Parliament and their newspapers wi
1 run dry as long as the Irish people al
: simply content to lie down and wait.
What the people have got to dc is
throw bridge across the river of disser
sion themselves, and to prove that tn
nation is not going to wait on its road I
freedom until handful of gentleme
and their newspapers are pleased to moy
r out of the way.
Now, of course, take it for granite
S that in declining to invite any memb,
of Parliament you did not intend to pa
{, vote of censure on them all. No,
: would be very unjust and very ungrat'
: full If you did. There is undoubtedly sti
y splendid material in the Irish represent
: ton, and not in one section or in tv
y sections alone, but the situation is ju
! this--that ninety-nine out of every hui
! bred men of the Irish race want unit
They don't care fig about those mise