Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-27

ment that is tantamOunt to armed re-
sistance to the authority of the country
in which he lives, and is sowing to the
wind only to reap the whirlwind.
The government is as much in duty
bound to suppress this movement. should
it assume definite form. as it would be
to quell a riot. That it will do so. no in
telligent man can for a moment doubt.
The authorities will scarcely delegate to
Mr.. Scanned authority to arm and equip
troops with which to make war on a
foreign power. Not only will this pre-
negative be retained by the government,
summarily dea With if need be.
-
Mr.. Scanned and men of his type are
doing q great injury to the cause OF suf-
fering Ireland by calling public meetings
in which to agitate the question of in
vading Canada. Public sympathy for
the Irish cause is widespread, and Amer
lean money has been literally poured
| into the Golfers of societies dedicated to
the emancipation of the emerald isle
from the blight of landlordism. But Mr..
Scanned and his friends are pursuing a
course we'll calculated to kill off this
sympathy, for his hatred of England
impels him to do violence to the dignity
of the American nation and outrage it's
laws when he thinks a favorable oppor-
tunity presents itself.
For the nationalist and enian to
invade Canada in line with Mr.. Scam
nels suggestions, when our nation is on
terms of amity with Great Britain, would
be to advertise a racial d~isresDect for
the Stars and Stripes that would destroy
the last vestige of American sympathy
for the cause of Ireland. This would
amount to a calamity to every legitimate
movement looking toward the advance
ment of the Irish cause, and it is incum-
bent upon the friends of the old sod to
discourage SO rash an undertaking as
that advocated by the Boston agitator.
The invasion of Canada, in defiance Of
our government, would indicate to he
American public that loyalty to ireland
implied disloyalty to the authority of
our own government, whenever the in
terests of the respective countries We're
in issue. 1t would be very unfortunate to
nave this impression take root in the
American mind.
No Irish-American can afford to let
sympathy and love for his native Ian
lead him into a disregard of the laws
governing the and of his adoption. It
who wishes to improve the present situa-
ton to strike a blow at Great Britain, to
foreswear allegiance to the United States
and enlist under the banner of Paul
Kruger. No one can deny to any man
this right. But to become a party to an
armed invasion into the territory of a
friendly W while an American citi-
zen, is quite another matter.
The Inter Mountain has too much faith
in the practical good sense of the average
Irish-American to believe that the pro-
posed assault upon Canada will receive
sufficient encoura cement throughout the
country to make it appear feasible to
those who are trying to promote the
scheme. A large percentage of the most
noted heroes in American history were
of Irish birth or descent, and it would
be distressing to those who revere the
great names of our national defenders
to see any considerable number of that
race of brave men seeking to arrogate
to themselves the exclusive functions of
the republic by marching upon Canada
in the dead hour of the night.
Let us hope that the reports are greatly
exaggerated and that the wiser counsels
of the cooler heads will prevail. No man
who has the real interests of Ireland at
will be so short-sighted as to
undertake a movement that will call
upon his head the penalties of
violated law and the opprobrium of the
public.
PERVER TING THE RECORDS.