The Irish standard., 1908-12-05
Speech by John Dillon the Work Done by His Party IN
the British Commons During the Past
Twenty.eight Years.
ACHIEVEMENT UNPARALl LlELED IN WORLDS annals.
In Spite Of Campaign of Calumny and Falsicaton the
Irish Party Has Won Many Concession.
of Great Benefit -.

1880 the platform of the Rotunda was
assaied by the advanced" National
lists. and the Rotunda was a scene Of
battle. ] remember In the Same year
the door Of our Offices in Dublin waa
broken, and there was an ATTEMPT tn
storm our Offices, and even In this
country Michael Davitt himself WIS at.
tackled by body of men, and revolv-
ers were drawn, In hall in this couns :
try to defend him when he was speak.
ing on behalf Of the Land League in
1880. &
Then. surely, no one In this hall will
forget the savage. the unparalleled
ferocity Of the attack which we all had
to face from the press and the Gov.
ernment in this country. Coercion
Acts were multiplied against us, our
men We're cast into prison without q
trial. and even our characters were as
sailed by 4 savage press campaign
which defy the whole annals of civ
iltaation to equal, eliminating fnally
In the combined attack Of the London
"Times."' the British Government Of
that day. and the late lamented Rich
ard Pigott. The Irish Party has sur.
vived all these attacks.
It has overcome and survived what
was much moro dangerous than ever
Pioottism and the "Times," and the /
other attacks which ! have described,
It has survived division in its own
ranks which for ton years reduced il
to position Of almost helpIessnsss,
and after twenty. eight years Of bitter
conflict, such as have lightly sketch.
ed out TO you tho Irish Party stands
today before the world united and
moro powerful than ever, with half its
task accomplished, with its people
emancipatsd from one Of the most
grinding sIaveries ever inflicted ON a
white raoe-nameIY, the slavery oA
Irish landIordism, and having secured
to itself, in spite Of the "Tinnes," Pig.
Oft, and the English Government Of
that day, the sympathy Of all liberty
loving people throughout the world.
Could there be a greater condemns.
tion Of the enemies Of the Irish Far.
ty than the spectacle which was wit.
messed during the last two years. when
every free Parliament of the British
Empire passed resolution support.
ing us in our policy, and when the
President Of the United States and the
government Of the United States des
cered their sympathy with us? Yes:
we have survived many prosecutions
end many attacks, and, may say, py
prophets Of evil, because ! don't :e.
member single year during the .vholv
twenty eight years that have been
member Of the Party when did not
read 4 great many statements that our
last hour was come, and the Party was
completely smashed to pieces.
But we are here still. But let me
say there is onething which the Irish
TdILy COulU 1lOL ouItltcS dlu Wlldt IN
that? That is any betrayal upon our
part of the great cause which has
been entrusted to us. If we lowered
the flag; IL we accepted some miser-
able compromise instead of the great
National cause which our people had
placed in our hands, then, indeed, after
leading our people through the desert
for twenty eight years, and after We
have arrived on the very eve Of vic-4
tory, that Party which was founded
by Parnell and Davitt would sink INTO!
an unhonored grave. Therefore Il say
that the fate Of the Party rests in thu
future, not with its enemies. however
powerful they may be; it rests with;
itself; and so long as it is faithful to
the cause of the people Of Ireland and
the Irish race scattered through the
world, SO long will they rally to its
support, and SO long will 1t be uncons
quered.
The main charges that have bssa