Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-02-20
OPPRESSION OF IRELAND.
Eloquent Address by Rev. Father D.
J. o'sullivan of st. Adams.

Rev Father d. J. O'Sullivan of St
Adams and Rev. Father r. J. Cahill
of Springfield this state. spoke to
fair-sizcd audience in the Auditorium
Wednesday evening under the auspi-
ces of the Bratlcboro Branch of the
United Irish League. Rev Father
Cunningham presided, and on the
stage were seated also Timothy Aher,
r. a. Austin and John Calvin. In in
Producing the first speaker Rev. Faith
or Cunningham caused an outburst
of laughter by saying that all were
familiar with the name of Rev Faith
er O. Sullivan as one of the most cap
able and guilty sponsors Of the new
law under which we now live (refer-
ring to the local option law but that
he would forgive him. having come
from the farther end of the state to
speak a good word for dear old Ire
land" In taking the platform Rev.
Father O'Sulivan said he would rival
the generosity of Rev Father Cunning
ham by forgivng him for his deli
cate thrust"
Then Rev. Father O'Sullivan turned
himself to a serious consideration of
his subject, the cause of the oppressed
people of Ireland, and for over an hour
he held his audience in closest atten-
ton. not only by the character of his
remarks, but by his pleasing voice, his
faultless diction and his eloquent deliv-
cry. The enemies of Ireland, he said.
have striven to annihilate her from the
face of the earth. They have des-
troyed her life, stolen her property and
maligned her name in every land
where the Irish people have sought
shelter They have violated every
precept in the decalogue. save one
they have never robbed her sons or
her daughters of their honor.
In turning to a study of the racial
characteristics which have enabled the
Irish people to survive centuries of
oppression, the speaker found in their
love of untarnished honor and their
undyng faith the secret of their mar
velous vitality and recuperative force.
Their history has proved abundantly
that. desirable as these things may be.
knowledge of books. familiarity with
newspapers. and the reinements of
modern social life are not necessarily
essentials of the best citizenship With
out these adventitious aids, the people
of ireland have proved themselves
over and over again the truest OF men
and women. the best type Of honest. up
right citizens.
Through oppression by the English
people ireland lost first her political
independence. then her selfgovern-
ment. and lastly the ownership of her
land But she never has acknowl-
edged the supremacy of her conquer
ors. and now there is % sense OF Justice
arising i'm the English breast which
reveals disposition to come TO the re-
lief of the Irish people There is rea-
son for hope that England, through her
parliament. will advance money sufi
cient for the Irish people to buy back
their lands After that will follow
home rule and political Independence
in an order the reverse Of that in which
they were taken away.
Rev Father Cahill made no attempt
at a speech. and talked only a few
minutes but what he said was inter
esting He recently has returned
from the old country and is fired
with an enthusiasm in her behalf. He
is one who believes that Ireland ought,
at the proper time. TO secure justice by
physical force. His loyalty to his
mother country was revealed in
story which he told Of his own boy
hood inresisting an officer who was at
tempting to evict an old lady tenant.
As a result of his resistance he spent
one week in Jail lin the cause of Ire
land"