The Irish standard., 1902-09-27

On Efludy alteialoo4, 'oeP" 10y
public meeting of the representative
citizens of Dublin. called by the Lord
Mayor, NJ P, was held at the Man
sion House to protest against the
action of the Dublin Castle authorities
in proclriming the city Of Dublin I'LL
'SerN the Coercion Act. The crowd was
10 great that large numbers We're una
l,-ery moment that new proposal is
new proclamation suspending the lib
critics of the people in the city of Dub
lin. Now, 1 seriously ask, outside the
pages of "GuNiver's Travels" was
there ever such an absurd travesty OF
government seen? But recognize
that laugAmble as the situation is from
that point of view, we who are Che
sufferers in this matter cannot afford
10 laugh at the absurdity of it (hear,
heaa). This was a gross and wicket
outrage hear, hear).It abolishes all
the rights of freemen in the
city Of Dublin, and therefore
saw that it is right that the
citizens of Dublin should instantly as
semble to make a protest against what
has happened; and, as l have said,
am glad the protest has commenced
here in the official headquarters OF the
citizens of Dublin, with their Chief
magistrate in the chair (cheers). But,
fellow-citizens, if this protest is to be
effective, the proceedings in this room
today must be but the commencement
of the protest (cheers). The protest
must go on outside this room, and an
opportunity must be given to the great
mass Of tile citizens of Dublin to ex-
press their opinions upon what has
happened (hear, hear. But l desire
to say that the protest, to be effective,
must not end even there. The real
way to protest against this act is to
make the political situation all through
Ireland, and here in Dublin, too hot
for those men Cloud cheers), who are
guilty of putting this outrage and in
suit upon the people. Fellow-citizens,
the effect of this act of the govern
ment, in my opinion, should Instantly
be discernible. 1 we'll remember one
of Mr.. Wyndham's sneers at us in the
early days, think it was of last sea-
son, when he was belittling the power,
influence and widespread character OF
the United Irish League. 1t was the
speech in which he said that there
we're only forty effective branches OF
the United Irish League in existence,
and in that speech he said that what
ever influence the National organiza-
tion might have in certain purely agra
rian districts it had no hold at all upon
the confidence or goodwill Of the men
living in the cities and towns OF Ire
land (cheers). Apparently he has
changed his mind, because if the Unit
ed Irish League has no hold upon the
confidence of the masses Of the men
of Dublin, want to know what need
is there for proclaiming it under the
Coercion Act? The United Irish
League would be proclaimed and de-
stroyed in the city by the apathy and
negligence of he people themselves
,(hear, hear). I therefore say that from
that point of view the proclamation
ought to be of considerable value to
us. 1t ought to be an incentive to the
men of Dublin to take up the chal-
lenge and to answer back the insult
(cheers). 1 hope that the effect Of it
will be to make the U. I. L. in this
city as strong, as powerful. and as
menacing to English misrule as the
Land League Of 20 years ago (cheers)
If you want really to protest against
this proclamation that is the way tC
do it (cheers). Let this proclamation
be signal to the Nationalists of Dub
lin to rise up as one man to join the
United Irish League, and to create
here fierce agitation in this city, anC
if it acts as a signal in that way the1
it will be indeed Of great service to us
and for my part I mistake the spirit Of
the citizens of this grand old city ot