The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-07-14
Would Put q Wall of Fire Round
the Shores of Ireland.
NEARLY HALF A MILLION A. DECADE
A Most Touching Appeal Made to
the Irish Priesthood.

In speech at the historic convention
recently held in Dublin, T. P. O'Con-
nor, M. p, pictured the evils of cmgra-
ton, and said in part:
Perhaps about ninety per cent Of our
people who leave Ireland for America
do well and prosper there. But sup
posing that compilation to be correct,
still say, as an Irisl,man, that the best
place for an Irishlnan or an Irishwoman
to dwell in is on the hllsides of ireland
| (cheers) 1t is a legitimate source OF
pride and satisfaction and congratula-
ton to Mr.. Chanlcr that the soil OF
America should be titled and made fruit
| full by the right arms of Irisl,mcn and
great question is that the soil OF ireland
should be made prosperous and fertile
by Irish arms (checrs). And until this
great struggle of the century is closed,
| until at last we have made the soil SO be-
long to the people of ireland, until we
! have taken back the soil from the plum
| dcrcrs that have robbed us and given it
back once more to the Celtic race, l
myself, if had the power, would put a
wall OF fire round the shores of ireland
so that all her sons and daughters may
be kept here at home (hear, llcar). But,
sir, | go little further. ! accept the
statement that the majority OF our pco-
pie do well when they leave the shores
OF Ireland, but, sir, many do i'll (hcar.
hear). have gone among the people
OF onr race i'll almost every part OF the
world-cxccpt Australia-in which they
found home! ] spent my time among
them in Great Britain, and all l can say
is this-tllat l have seen during these
experiences tragedies that would wiring
the heart OF every Irisllman and every
lrishwoman that had heart to feel |
1
friend Mr. O'Bricn a scene we saw in
Chicago. Now, Chicago is prosper
ous city. There is large Irish popula-
ton therc-a prosperous Irish popula-
tior-and when we got to the hotel
where we were staying VIC were in
| formed that a number OF Irish girls
would be glad OF the opportunity OF cx-
changing few words with the repre-
scntatives of the Irish race from at
home. We went down to the hall OF
the hotel and we saw number OF Irish
girls there. need not tell VIC received
from them an Irish ccad mile faltc.
We asked them how they were doing,
and they all said they were doing well.
II dare say if you asked what their
wages were you would find that their
wages were doublc-and perhaps more
than that-the wages they would get at
home; but | remember distinctly that
though their wages were good, though
they may be amongst the successful OF
our race that went from Ireland, still
remember l missed from their pale
cheeks the bright red that is only given
to Irish faces by the winds that come
from the Irish hills and the Irish valleys
(hcar, hcar). There is an idea that the
struggle for life in America is easy, but
warn the pcoplc--and I know great
many there are who will bear me out.
that the struggle for existence in the
great towns of America is hard strug-
gle and a bitter struggle, and struggle
in which many man and many a wo-
man goes down (hcar llcar). Therefore,
sir, in trying to keep the people at
home, as we are trying to do now, we
are saving many OF them from sorrow
ful lives, from unhappy lives, and some
times from sorrowiul and painful death
| What is the position OF the Irishman
or 1risiwoman who leave their native
shores? have often called attention
to this in the house OF commons, and I
think ii is question that should be
constantly brought before Our own pco-
pie. Seventy or eighty per cent Of the
people leave ireland between the years
OF IS and 35-tlnat is to say, they leave at
! period OF life when their blood is hot
and young and when their arms arc
strong-whcn they have all the sap Of
their manhood and vitality Of woman
hood. Thus it is that the best blood
and sincw OF Ireland arc leaving our
shores every year. Why should they do
so? Don't we want them at all7 Does