Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-09
AIM OF The GAELIC LEAGUE
Revival of Ancient Spirit of NatiOnali'm
Among the Irish.
Or. DOUGLAS HYDE EXPLAINS THE OBJECT
DistinEuished Irishman Addresses
Large Meeting Of Omaha Citizens
on 1he Subject that 10 Upper
most In His Mind.

Douglas Hyde. Ill. D.. president of III,
Gaelic league Of ireland. received most
gratifying reception last evening at the
Boyd theater. The theater was crowded to
its capacity with Irish-Americans and
others in sympathy with the work DR.. Hyde
is representing.
The meeting was called to order by G. j
Smyth who was followed by Thomas j
Kelly who sang 'Thro' Erin's Isle to Sport
Awhile" THE Ninepcnny Fidil" and ezra
Machree.H cid Irish melodies. For an en-
core he sang "Over Here" The introduce
tory address was given by Rt. Rev. Rich
ard Scannell. d. D., who was presiding Off
Ger for the evening Bishop Scannel told
of the work represented by Or. Hyde and
of the need for Irishmen TO support him.
DR. Hyde delivered his address in a most
forceful manner. Every word he uttered
seemed to carry with It a conviction born
of the heart. He spoke as he felt. Re
pcatedly was he cheered to the echo. The
president of the Gaelic league has been
touring the eastern cities and will proceed
TO the coast from here.
Seated on the stage.
Those sitting on the Boyd stage with DR..
Hyde last evening were: Bishop scannell,
John Power, T. p. Redmond c. ]. Smyth,
d. 4hdHOHty, LII. ~ w. tNllty, w. M.
Bushman. Thomas Holmes, Rev NJ. l.
stritch, Rev. M J. o'Connor, Rev. Mr..
copus. Rev Mr.. O'Brien Of Lincoln, Con
Sheean. James Connors, l. ]. Dunn, ]. ].
Donahue. ID. J. OBrien, j. p. English. p. ].
McArdle. l. d. Holmes. Robert Cowell, p. J.
Duffy. John Calvin of Council Bluffs Rev.
Mr.. Mccarthy T.. Wakeley, G.. NJ. Hitch
cock, 7. J. Fitzmorris and p. c. Heafey.
The meeting was concluded with the
reading of various subscriptions to the
Gaelic league fund. harp selections by Miss
Eileen McCrann and God Save Ireland" by
the knights of Columbus quartet and
audience. fay ts
What DIR. Hyde Said.
DR.. Hyde's address was in part as fol-
lows: ..-..
l am not -exaggerating when I say that
look upon the moral support Of the
asset II at the Gaelic league at home could
have; because every man and woman In
Ireland today has relative-inany of them
have a dozen relatives-here in the United
States; and the immense reflex influence
which you here In America can WELD II
in my opinion, of more Importance for us
TO possess ourselves of than any other as
set whatsoever. I would sooner have the
moral support of the Irish in America than
$4,000 poured into the Gaelic league to-
morrow.
dul mere NOIiBHl 10 explain TO you the
life and death struggle upon which we are
engaged in Ireland.
We have now opened the eyes of the
Irish race to the awful yawning chasnl
which gaped beneath us. over which q
single false footstep would have taken us
the awful chasm of Adjudication. which
believe me, is only another name for ma
tional extinction. and when you In. Amer
lea understand that-and 1 shall fail in my
mission tonight II don't make you under
stand it-then. know. you Will join us In
saying TO the devouring demon of Angliciza-
ton whose foul and gluttonous jaws have
natural. instructive, ancient. intellectual
and noble In our Irish pe9pleZour Ian
sanses an Tf SnsW pa
YOU viii VIII say one step more. dem %%G
Back, demon YOU shall never swallow
one single mouthful more of the possessions
of Irish nationhood." ts .t.E
Great National Movement.
The movement on which are en-
gagged tonight Is not the movement of q
few faddists.7 1t was thought to be so
most remarkable OF the Gaelic league fcs-
tivals ever held in ireland. was held In
August at a place where you know the
River Bann runs into the sea- Toome
bridge, that for. generations upon genera
tions had been the battle-ground of Catholic
and Orangemen; and what do we find
Under our aegis. Catholic and Orangeman
came into that place in n spirit of brother
hood unexampled. in that part Of the world
ever before, and could Not tell which was
the most numerous at IL.
So, you see that we are no clique, we are
no faction, we are no party. We are above
and beyond sall politics. all parties and all
factions: offending nobody-except the anti
Irishman. We stand immovable upon the
bedrock OF the doctrine of true Irish ma
tionhood-an Ireland self-centered self
sufiiclng, self supporting, self-reliant; an
ireland speaking it's own language. think
ing its own thoughts, writing its own books
singing its own songs, playing its owr
games. weaving its own coats and going
for nothing soutsde OF the four shores OF
Ireland that can possibly be produced in.
side them. as ..t.
The Gaelic, league is founded not upon
hatred of England. but upon love of Ire
land, Hatred is a negative passion; it Is