The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-05

you find men trying to soothe their
consciences, when playing what re
gard as the evil game of faction, by the
plea that this is all miserable SQUAD,
BILE between Mr.. Healy and myself. it
is worth while once for all. to bring
these gentlemen to book and to tell
you not by way of idle flourish. for
think you know that what say
mean. to tell you that if my etfaccment
from public life for a short time or
for all time can do anything to ease the
situation or to satisfy the rancour OF
the foolish people who seem to have
it the passion of their lives to abuse
and backbite me, this Convention has
only to say the word here to-day Qoud
cheers, and promise you that it is
not l who will stand between Ireland
and peace and freedom (cheers).
have thought it necessary once for all
to deal with this Cry. OF course, no.
body believes in it, and least of all the
people who put it forward (cheers)
Short as is the public memory, no man
in the hall can have forgotten that the
very same game that is being played
against me now to try and degrade
every Nationalist issue into Il personal
controversy with Mr.. Healy-that
same game was played against every
man who had the misfortune to differ
from Mr.. Healy. At one time it was
all a personal matter between John
Dillon and Mr.. Healy, at another it was
all a personal matter between Mr.. Sex
ton (cheers) and Mr.. Healy; and be-
tween Mr.. Michael Davitt (cheers) and
Mr.. Healy. At another time it was
between Mr.. Blake and Mr.. Healy; be-
tween MIR. Il. p. O'Connor and Mr..
Healy. Even Justin Mccarthy, the fin
est Irishman of this generation
(cheers); even Mr.. Alfred Webb, one
of the gentlest and sweetest-tempered
men of the whole Irish race. l heard
Mr.. Healy sOlemnly denounce Mr.. Webb
as his bitter personal enemy. And
nothing would appease him; no amount
of patience, no amount of concession.
You remember when Mr. John Dillon
like the honorable and high-mindetl
Irish gentleman he is (cheers)-when
Mr.. John Dillon said:-"If am the
difficulty will withdraw from the
chair''-was Mr.. Healy one bit less
troublesome person before than he was
after? No. When Mr.. Davitt with
drew Mr.. Healy Immediately suggested
that it was because the people of Mayo
would not give him some trumpery Of
tice-the people of Mayo, who would
give their hearts blood for Michael na-
witt loud cheers). In the same way
when Mr.. Sexton (cheers), man
whose one work of proving up to the
hilt the robbery of Ireland, out of the
mouths Of England's own officials, was
worth more to Ireland than Mr..
Healy's whole cratic career-when Mr..
Sexton was driven out Mr.. Healy was
not content with striking that fearful
blow at Ireland, but he has ever since
pursued Mr.. Sexton with ferocity
such as perhaps never before disgraced
Irish public life. Gentlemen,I ask
you what you are to conclude when we
find that the very same thing that is
said against me now was said against
every man who has ever crossed his
path, and would be said of somebody
else if l were six feet underground to-
morrow? (Cheers.) Perhaps the next
turn. and not for the first time, would
be that of our distinguished chairman
Qoud cheers, the former, and hope
the future, chairman of the Irish Party
Cenewed cheers). But in point of fact
and I am sorry if 1 speak it more
warmly than I wish to do-the fact is
that Mr.. Healy has brought himself to
this dilemma; that either every man
except himself who was ever promi-
nently connected with the Irish Party
must be n scoundrel, or else lie must be
himself the only man of the whole lot
who Is incapable of working as loyal
comrade, and thinking of anything ex-
cept himself and his temperament
rheers). 1 pass from that portion Of
the subject by saying that the only
personal enemy of Mr.. Healy that
know of is Mr.. Hcnly himself (cheers).
We hear gentlemen going about whin-
ing because they have been beaten in
fair fight. and with perfectly fair
weapons, gentlemen who themselves
never spared man nor woman either
loud cries of Hear, hear'D. We have
them begging for public sympathy as
martyrs because the Irish constituent
cics did not allow them to complete
their work of havoc in the Irish Party
and in the Irish cause (cheers). We
had none of this Indignation when Ire
land was deprived of the services in
parliament of men of the rank of Mr..
Sexton and Mr.. Davitt (cheers). AS
far as l know. none of these gentle.
men ever raised Il voice of protest in
the name of decency or of charity
while day after day Mr.. Healy was
publishing newspaper whose one OBJ
ject 1t was to chase every man of hon
or out Of Irish public life by the foul
est and filthiest weapons that ever dis
|rucrl the nress Of Ireland Sincn tht