The Irish standard., 1908-12-05

ia d lCSCuk oQOlCo dt 4O6SOuS LaA6~
land. Mr.. John Dillon. NJ. p. spoke on
1.-THE Irish Party; It's Political and
Historical Record; Its Present Posi-
tion; It's Record Of Achievement, and
Its Policy in the Future" He said in
part:
The Irish Party since its creation
under the leadership of Parnell and
Mr.. Davitt has had remarkable ca
reer. 1t has been initiated by many
parties In many strange Legislatures.
Some years ago was talking to a dis
tinguished member Of Parliament. who
vas recounting to me the achievement
OF the Polish section in the Reichsrath
Of Austria, and he said. "Are you not
aware, Mr.. Dillon, that the leaders Of
that party, who had vindicated the lib
erty of the Poles Of Austria and made
that part of Poland, modelled, by their
own admission, the constitution Of
their party on the Parneliite Party?"
And SO 1t has been in many parts of
the world. ana here in England. say
without fear Of contradiction, you
would have no Labor Party in Eng
land today IL it had not been for the
example which we afforded them.
It has had W striking history, as
say, and it has carried. to my own
knowledge. the realization Of the sep
arate Nationality of Ireland into many
foreign lands where, before the exist
ence Of the Parnellite Party, Ireland
was regarded; If it's name was ever
! heard of, as simply a geographical
portion of England; but the fame and
work of this Party has made all the
civilized world know that Ireland Is a
separate nation. But, that is not the
only remarkable thing In tho history
Of the Party. Those men who COM
pose that Party are for the most part
poor men, and that has sometimes been
made tho subject of sneers and Of in
suit. They represent poor nation.
and for twenty eight years they have
preserved their ranks unbroken in the
=, fac. of many conflicts with the veal.
thiest Government in the world. I say,
and say with some knowledge Of his
tory, that this achievement alone Is
unparalleled in the annals Of legisla-
tive assemblies.
Throughout those twenty eight years
Of bitter conflict no member Of the
Irish Party ever asked for, no mem.
ber has ever accepted, place or office
from the Government of England. And
I say to the critics of our Party that
If we had no record of achievement
whatever to show for our work dur
ing the last twenty eight years bu,
that alone, we would be entitled to the
gratitude of our countrymen. because
we had held the banner Of their honor
so high that I defy the whole rec
ords of the world to parallel 1t. Then
again ! say the history Of the party
is remarkable in another aspect. New
er in the history Of free nations have
a body of men been SO savagely at
tackled. I may say that from its in
fancy the Irish Party has been sur
rounded by ring Of enemies. hodies
of men who were banded together by
no common principle but the principle
Of a common hatred, bodies of men
also who. if they had succeeded In
their fell prospect Of destroying the
Irish Party, would. in the moment o.
victory. have beer tearing each othe,
to pieces. and whose only common link
as I say, Of sympathy was hatred o1
the Irish Party.
In 1880, when that Party was frs
, formed, Mr.. Parnell himself was at
. tackled at Enniscorthy by a body o
men ealing themselves advanced
Nationalists; his meeting was broker
t up; some of his clothes were torn of
him, and he had to fight his way sur
: rounded by a group Of faithful fol
lowers. At the meeting in Duslin L