The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-01

NEW YORK, Dec. 31.--The United Irish
Societies OF New York and vicinity filled
the Academy of Music tonight at mass
meeting called to express sympathy with
the Beers and opposition to England. In
consequence Of the South African war.
Senator Mason, of Illinois; Congressman
Sulxer. Congressman Cummings. OF New
York. and others addressed the meeting.
Justice Fitzgerald. of the supreme court,
presided. The entire house was filled. The
proscenium and boxes and the balconies
were all decorated with q profusion of
American flags. the green Irish emblem
and occasionally the flag or the two South
African republics.
Justice Fitxgerald's Introduction.
Justice Fitzgerald, after calling the
meeting to order, said:
"It is q great honor to be asked to speak
to this great audience tonight and to Join
in expressing our deep Indignation at the
unjustifiable war now being waged by
Great Britain on the people of the Trans
vaal and to give utterance to our senti-
ments of deep admiration for the gallant
stand being made by the embattled farm
property, their lives their liberties.
1.-THE great heart OF the American people
goes out to the people of the Transvaal
and the Orange Free State. They are
fighting for the same principles; they are
against the same sovereign and relocated
soldiers that fought us a century ago and
I would fight US Tomorrow. II they dared,
and thought It would benefit them"
Congressman sulxer Speaks.
Z
in part
81 am not ashamed to have 1t known
that my sympathy Is with the heroic
Beers in their resolute endeavor ana de-
termined effort to maintain their homes
and their independence against the piracy
and the tyranny of the British crown.
want to see them win In this contest, De-
cause they are right ana deserve to win.
I'm my judgment nine-tenths of the
American people are against England in
this matter and in sympathy with the
South African patriots.
"The courage of the Beers, in the face
of tremendous odds. has challenged the
admiration of mankind ana their heroism,
against almost insurmountable obstacles,
has won the respect of the civilized world.
They are entitled to our sympathy and
we would be false to ourselves and to all
our history If we did not give 1t to them.
bore Love Oh LlDcEtys
'The South African patriots are white
men. They are a good deal like the pa
triots of our own revolution. They love
their homes, their freedom and their lib
erty. They come from good old Saxon
ancestors, from the north of Europe They
are flesh of our flesh and bone Of our
bone They love free institutions the same
as we do for the sake of personal liberty.
1t comes to them naturally and by inherit
<f Iexv
or of a year, but of centuries. They have
never been conquered and, in my opinion,
no matter what others may think, they
never will be.
War of Cecil Rhodes.
.eThe story of the struggle and the hard
ships of these brave men IN South Africa
is one of the saddest pages in all history
AN imperishable heritage to their hardy
and yalorous descendants. No one can i'm
partially read 1t withou, reeling a deep
sympathy for them in their present strug-
gle to maintain their freedom and inde-
pendence against English greed for gold,
English tyranny and criminal British ag-
gression for land.
Opposed to English Alliance.
saThis conflict should be called Cecil
Rhodes war for gold in South Africa He
is responsible for all the woe, all the sor-
row, all the despair, all the misery that
this war has caused. The Beers have
made him practically a prisoner. He is
shut up In his diamond mines at Kimber-
ley. He will have to eat diamonds If he is
not speedily rescued. I hope the Beers
will capture him and give him an imme-
diate trial.
Appeal to Past History.
'T glory In the spunk Of grand old Paul
Kruger. He is one of the worlds great
heroes.
There is no doubt of secret under
standing existing today between the white
house and Downing. street. / am opposed
to an Anglo-American alliance. expressed
or implied. especially when its object is
the advancement of Imperialism, the
march of armies, the downfall of republics,
the destruction of free institutions, the en-
s!ayement of man and the perpetuity of
the power of kings.
What Mckinley Should Have Done.
1.-THE president should have offered the
friendly offices of this country to prevent
this cruel war. He should have responded
to the great and mighty petition for peace
presented to him at the beginning. He
should have acted on the findings. the con-
clusions and the Judgment of The Hague
peace conference. He could have done so
consistently.
"But the friends of free Institutions
should not lose hope, We should not de-
spair. even though the white house seems