The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-17


friends and sympathizers for the
colonies he visited Dublin and met the
leading patriots Of the Irish parliament
Writing to American leaders ne SAD;
find them disposed to be friends Of
America. in which endeavor 70 co.lIlLlH
them. with the expectation that onr grow
their scale. and. by joining! our interests
with theirs a more equitable treatment
from England might be obtained for
themselves as well as for Us.
In 1775 Chatham defended the col
onies. and said that ireland was with
America TO a man." In that same year
the continental congress- issued an
address to the Irish people. saying:
You have been friendly to the rights Of
mankind and we acknowledge with pleas
ure and gratitude that the irish nation
has produced patriots who have highly
distinguished themselves in the cause OF
humanity and of America. We know that
you are not without your grievances. We
sympathize with you in your distress we
hope that the patient abiding in the weak
may not always be forgotten, and God
grant that the iniquitOus system Of ex-
tirpating liberty may soon be defeated.
Americans who know the history Oh
their country know that leading Irish
men of that time stood on the floor Of
the English parliament and defended
the rights and liberties Of the colonies.
Irishmen ara friends of the oppressed.
They know what oppression means.
They always stand up for liberty. IT
is the prayer of every mother, the high
resolve Of every boy in Ireland to do
something for liberty somewhere. that
sometime it may return like bread cast
upon the waters.
The anniversary celebrated today is
Of sectarlan origin, to be sure. But
the blending Of this observance With
the national spirit OF the people is more
poetic than political; it is unique and
harmless. The Irish Catholic under
stands the relative allegiance he owes
to his government and to his church.
He does not wish and would not con-
sent TO the ascendency of any church
within the state. He has suffered from
such a system too much already. When
the Catholic parliament assembled in
1859 under James. one of the first meas
ligious liberty and tolerance in ireland.
Liberty of conscience is a principle i'm
bedded in the foundation rock of our
government. 1t cannot be disturbed.
There is none to disturb it. It's guaran-
tees will live while the republic lives.
But there is a Tory spirit growing
uD in the land. 1t has not numbers,
but power. 1t is an aristocraty of
financial combinations. 1t scorns the
mssses and loves money. It looks on
independence as a jest, rats the de-
claration which inspired our forefathers
to rebellion as an obsolete instrument,
and sets up new ideals for American
citizenship. But this menace to liberty
will pass. 1t will wither in the fierce
fire of freedom lighted on Bunker Hill,
which is burning yet, and still will burn
while fathers taach what sons should
learn.
There will be no retrogression. HUI
man liberty seldom moves backward.
1t may find obstacles, but they will be
brushed aside. Monarchs find ways 10
stop the wheels of progress. Despots
in popular governments like this are of
few days and full of trouble They can
not long tyrannize over and misrepre-
sent the people in this land Of the free
hearth hope and home.
The cause of humanity will triumph
in the end. The Irish nation viii be
emancipated. The American citizen
viii make a new declaration of indie
pendence. Tories viii have TO seek the
security of oblivion. England's lust
for land will bring its own punish
ment. Anglomania in this country will
be humbled with disgrace. Might can
not decide questions of right, and be
sustained in the court of reason.
American sympathy goes out TO Ire
, land. 1t always has, and it always
will. But the American heart tnrobs
in the bosom Of the masses; it is the
ticker that beats in the breast IF Tory
ism.
And 50 it is that millions of loval
American citizens. as loyal as Sullivan
and Montgomery Of the revolution, as
loyal as Phil Sheridan. will link their
| hearts this day with the living millions
of the Celtic race to do reverence to the
memory and traditions of the Gaelic
faith and the glorious Gaelic land.