The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-08
WOES OF IRELAND
THEME OF JOSEPH DEVLIN AT
THEATER LAST NIGHT.
GREETED BY LARGE AUDIENCE
BUILDING DECORATED WITH
AMERICAN AND IRISH FLAGS.

Mayor Myers-Largest Amount Civ
en- by j. j. O'NeilI1Between 800
and $500 Raised AIready-MayOr
Myers Presided at Meeting'Judge
s. b. Adams Made Address and
Judge Thomas VI. Norwood Intro
duced SPeaker-Trip on River ana
Fish Dinner Planned for Visitors
To-day.
To an audience that filled the theater
last night, Hon. Joseph Devlin, mem
Der of Parliament from North Kill
kenny and representative in this coun-
try of the United Irish League, deliv-
cred an eloquent address on Ireland,
Past, Present and Future" Mayor
Herman Myers presided, and among the
speakers were Capt. NJ. J. Doyle, May
or Myers, Judge S. B. Adams, Judge T.
NJ. Norwood, who introduced Mr.. Dew
lin, and Mr.. John O.Callaghan, secre-
tary of the United Irish League of
America.
In addition to the audience that oc-
cupied not only the auditorium, balcony
and gallery, a hundred or more repre-
sentative citizens, both business men,
professional men and clergymen, oc-
cupied seats on the stage with the
speaker. The theater was decorated
with red, white and blue bunting,
American flags and Irish flags, while
to the center and rear of the stage,
depending from the ceiling, was an an
nouncement of the lecture, and be-
meath it a large Irish flag. A small
floral harp adorned the speakers table.
At the close of the addresses a sub
scription was started for fund to be
used in the work of the United Irish
League. Mayor Myers started the list
with $25, and in a short while nearly
$500 had been raised, the largest dona-
ton being made by Mr.. ]. J. O'Neill,
who gave 500. A number of other
lists have been in circulation for sew
eral days and it is thought that, all
together, some $500 to $500 has been re-
ceived in subscriptions.
DevIin ON Irish Cause.
Mr.. Devlin began his address after
being introduced by Judge Norwood by
saying that his first duty was one of
expressing his thanks to the distin-
guished and popular Mayor, who had
done the Irish cause the honor by pre-
siding at the splendid meeting Wher-
ever he had gone, he said, preaching
the eternal principles of Irish freedom,
he has thus been greeted by those hold
ing public places in the various cities,
but, he continued, the Mayors interest
in Savannah was enhanced in value
because he, possessing neither Irish
blood nor being of Irish extraction,
gave the meeting his support and pres
ence through a true spirit of American
liberty.
In his address he said he came to
this country to preach the principles
that the Irish people have the right to
the soil of Ireland, and further that
they have the right to government.
Il come to this country" he said,
representing United Ireland united as
| she has not been before in twenty
years; I come as the official spokesman
| of a mighty organization that has
evolved order out of chaos; that has
raised the Irish people from the slough
of internecine warfare to the stage of
| common action"
| The speaker said this authority as
envoy to this country and people he
| received from the greatest national
| convention held in Ireland in nearly
century, a convention that was COM
posed of all organized ranks of Irish
people, and one that saw Ireland free
| of dissension and just as powerful for
| the advance of Ireland as it was in
| the days of Parnell's leadership.
Irish Principles.
The principles for which the Irish peo-
| pie contend, Mr.. Devlin went on, are
! as old as the conquest of Ireland it
| self, principles for which every genera
ton of the country has contended for
during nearly 800 years of unparalleled
suffering and persecution.
1t is a cause that represent the ever
| lasting protest of people who are cry
ing for liberty and for their human
| rights. There could be no grander
spectacle to-day, he said, than this pic
| ture of a people clinging tenaciously
to the holy principle of liberty for near
| ly eight hundred years, with their re-
| sources paralyzed their farms devas-
| tated, their freedom crushed under an
| iron heel their people driven from their
native heath, until more than half the
| population were now foreigners, their
men and women fleeing from the land
that they loved, and the traditions that
were almost a part. of Fneir blood.
He said he would NIT enter into an
| historical retrospect of Ireland. He
was addressing an audience of practical
Americans and would speak directly to
the subject of Irish liberty. The coun-
try was face to face With a future
pregnant with great possibilities.
| Speaking of the Land League organ
ization he said it had resulted in teach
ing the people national respect and ma
| tional reliance. When they came to
consider themselves entitled to some
rights within three years the Irish par
ty had carried land improvement re-
forms to the point of granting to the
Irish farmer, for the first time in a
century the right to own land.
The Franchise Act.
Then the franchise act was passed,
! prior to which no Irish farmer was
allowed to vote for a member of Par
! lament. The seed sown by Michael
| Dayitt had borne such fruit that to-
| day Mr.. Wyndham, who says he is
sick of the Irish question, has intro
! ducedt measure and is urging it that
| includes the very principles for which
| Davitt fought. Mr.. Devlin declared
that the Irish people had not accepted
! the advice of their American friends to
resort to the unconstitutional force of
! the sword to obtain their rights, but
they had pinned their faith and hope
to the mercy of a benign Providence,
and the cohesion and unconquerable
devotion to home and liberty of a peo-
| pie.
| While Ireland was divided national
! progress was impossible and national
retrogression was the order. To-day
To to