The Irish standard., 1901-08-24

1t is not now the poor who come here
| from Ireland to improve themselves,
| but the fairly well-to-do sons and
daughters of comfortable farmers. 1t
is the poor who are left behind, and
here again is yet another deadly in
jury inflicted upon our country by our
own race against which there appears
| to be no adequate remedy. l know
America, l think, rs we'll as most OBJ
! servers who travel. l am familiar
with the life of your manufacturing
centers, of your mines and other in
dustrial avocations and unhesitat-
inSly assert that life in Ireland today
for boy or girl of the average farm
ing class is n better life in every way.
and must be a happier life. than life
is here under your trying climatic con-
ditions, and the wage-carning pursuits
of your mills and mines. However,
my friends, bear this in mind. We
are going to keep up the fight for ma
tional liberty at home as long as Il
| Celt remains who refuses to live con-
tcntedly under the British flag. wheth-
er you help us or continue to help Eng
land by encouraging more of our pco-
pie to desert our country. We may
not succeed, but yours will he the
blame if we fail. You boast of hcin.
twenty millions Of population of this
republic. but you look on almost in
differently at an unparalleled Struw-
gle which the remnant of your race
have been making against the most
unScRupulOuS foe which nHtiOnhood
i has ever had to contend with and I'LL
we have received from You in recent
| years has been the cold comfort of
criticism and condemnation for mis-
takes which count for nothing if com
mitted in American politics. but are
sins of mountain size if they occur in
Ireland. The aim and object of the
United Irish League is to encourage
NationalistS everywhere to work in
harmony for the advancement of our
common cause, and to cndcavor by
the employment of I'LL available and
proper influence to keep our people
ut home. and to hold Ireland for the
Celtic race. So far YOU have given
us very little aid in the doing of this
work. but | trust and believe that
your moral and material support will
not he wanting when you fully under
stand the nature of the task which
he League has undertaken. ana the
deadly peril to our race which ii seeks
TO deal with and avert. The arg,l-
ment has been advanced by some sapi-
ent PATRIOTS ut home that as Home
Rule has not been won by parliament
airy agitation. therefore. Let the Irish
people not send any more members to
Westminster. Nothn. would give
greater satisfaction to Irelnnu's enc
mics. and this is an Overwhelming
counter argument against such Il pro.
poSal. 1t is useless and miscellaneous
to talk of asking Irish Nntionalsts
of Commons, for men will he SO sent
There from Ireland whether we like it
or not. For what would happen if
NAtiolnliStS acted upon such advice?
why. the landlords and West RritonS
would capture The entire representation
of the country: they would send anti
n In
Lament in Europe. who would declare
that Ireland was loyal and contentrn
under English rule; that she was pros
porous and happy. and would he
peaceful and progressive il there were
only few more coercion acts passed
every year. and if the right of pub
lie meeting and of free speech were
only kept down. Nothing would de-
light England more than such a sui
cidal political program. Had a policy
of this character been adopted ut the
last general election, what n figure
Ireland would have presented to the
civilized world! All her members
would have upheld Mr.. Chamberlain
would have supported the war against
the Beers. and would have thus held
us up to the moral rcprohation of the
world as guilty partners with England
in the assassination Of liberty in South
Africa. Is this Il prospect which could
find approval from any Nationalist Of
common sense on either side of tho
Atlantic? Lot me- freely admit that the
Irish parliamentary party have made
mistakes, and have not accomplished
all which the Irish people may have
| hoped to obtain through their lnbOrs.
| | hold no brief for Mr.. Redmond and
his party hero today. but would he
both unjust and unfair to men who
are honestly trying their best to serve
our people in a very hostile assembly
il refused TO bear willing testimony
to the fact that they have constantly.
ro,,lmgrouSly and With credit to their
country upheld the Irish cause ana
the reputation of our race In the pres
rnt parliament. The government of
the British empire has no more I'M
slaring or more Intelligent critics in
the House Of Commons than Mr.. John
Dillon. Mr.. Redmond and their col.
leagues. They have not shrank from
laying bare the iniuuitirs of the an-
thnrs of the most criminal war of