Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-06-17

There is nothing, venture to say, that
all you thousands of people would wish
more than that all those controversies
were buried at the bottom of the Red
Sea--if not the controversialists them
selves-and that the country should once
more have an Irish party that would
spend its time fighting the common
enemy rather than bullyragging and
abusing each other.
That, no one, think, will deny is the
opinion of practically every man you
meet; it is not question of ten to two,
or hundred to two, but might say of
a thousand to two of the whole Irish
race. That is on the one side. On the
other side you have handful of gentle.
men-I will say nothing in abuse of them
or of their newspapers-whof for reasons
l won't discuss-everybody sees through
them-are determined to have no peace,
are determined to reject every proposal
for Cancellation upon one petty pretense
or another, to keep the Irish members in
a state of perpetual fever and unrest,
and to keep the people of the country
looking on in state of helplessness and
dsorganization until the general election
of next year surprises you and makes
confusion worse COMPOUNDED.
Now that being so, then comes the
question whether those few gentlemen or
the country are the stronger. Are those
men going to be allowed to crush the
cause of the whole country, or is the
country to rise up, as you are doing here
today, and teach those gentlemen how
easily they can be done without, and
how easily they can be snuffed out if
they persist in setting up their whims
and temperaments against the interests
of the country.
We are here today to take the first
steps to bring the strength of the people
into play, and the moment you have the
strength and power of the people EN-
bodied in an organization trained to act
together, you can sweep aside any fool
ish animal-it would be uncivil to say
donkey-that crosses its path, But it
must have rails to travel upon, and the
rails of the national movement are organ
ization, and that organization will enable
you to smash every obstruction that
comes in your way like SO much match
wood. Now, my friends, think, with
out one single exception, every repre-
sentative body of Nationalist in Ireland
passed a resolution indorsing the action
of the Limerick Unity Committee, and
ask you were there ever a body of men
better entitled to speak with authority for
the country than they were, and to stand
no further nonsense from the handful Of
men that blocked the way.
But you may be passing unity resolu
tons until your hair grows gray unles:
you have at your back an organization
that will compel those men to unite. And
once you have an active and united or
ganization, your troubles will be over
and all those little newspaper wars viii
give you no more trouble than the chirp
ing of a grasshopper in the field would
give to the great OK browsing peacefully
in one of your magnificent Limerick pas
lures. Your only wonder will be tha
you ever attached so much importance t.
those little cliques and scribblers whC
have been buzzing in the ears of thu
country for the last few years as if they
were the only people in it.
| chic Tho feet f1,t,,s. l,a
is essential in such an organization. as
have mentioned, is, and its first and las
thought ought to be, the independence
of Ireland, the establishment of nation
atty in this old land in the fullest meas
ure that circumstances can place it IN tn
power of our people.
That must be the be-all and the end-al
of every Irish movement. The mex
thing that is essential is that this organ
ization should be in no sense of the wor,
sectional or partisan organization. lie
there be no mistake about that. W.
must have no question of the LEADERSHIP
of this man or that man. At the presen
moment it is not question of leading
but il is a question of having to lead
We must have no triumphing by one sec
llOH ONGI dHOlnCI.
The doors of this must be kept wild
open to admit every Irish nationalist VIII
has the hearts blood of Irish nationalit
in his veins-old and grizzled veteran
like my friend Henry O'Shea, like III
friend William Lindon, and like NJ
friend John DAILY. the Mayor of Limerick
who does not see his way to be with Il
today, and who gave fifteen years of hi
life in au English dungeon-by all mean
let us have the veterans, and / say it is
+ pleasant thing for those old comrades
be on our side, but above all things Il
us have welcome for the young me
who are springiug up into manhood, an
who, happily for themselves, know notf
ing of the hateful quarrels that keI
Irishmen divided while our enemies wer
grinning and clapping their hands. Whs
we want is to cast all those difference
into the melting pot. Let us have me-
departure; let us bring in as many ne
men and young men as possible, an
5 don't you think that the County Council
| and the District Councils will give 1
. plenty of new menI We need not loo
far beyond this platform for some {
them. So far from there being any jea
ousy of new men or any desire to ba
: them out, for one am convinced that
: is such men that will ultimately save til
, country.
Let us have an organization as broa
I~sc 81. 1oN &.