The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-09-24
HON. JOSEPH DEyTJN NJ p

Hon. Joseph Devlin, NJ. P, one of
the Irish delegates to the fifth biennial
national convention of the United
| Irish League of America. at Buffalo.
is one of the youngest as well as the
ablest members of the Irish paria-
mentary party.
He is in his thirty-seventh year. but
he has had an experience in the
rough and stormy life of Irish politics
which does not often come to men
who are double his age. Indeed, he
has taken to the subject as duck
takes to water, for since boyhood he
has been one of the principal figures
IN the contest where the strife was
thickest
Mr.. Devlin was not 15 years old,
when, in 1886, the great struggle over
the first home rule bill of Gladstone
took place. He had not been long out
OF school, but long enough to have
imbibed that spirit of national ag-
gressiveness which was such a char
acteristic of the movement. Young
DeVlln was from the outset a leader
among his youthful companions in
Belfast. They knew his integrity and
earnestness and they were inspired
by the example of uncompromising
nationalist spirit which he had dis
played
When Thomas Sexton essayed to
win the seat in West Belfast for the
ational cause in 1885, young Devlin
at once became his most enthusiastic
adherent. With all the energy and
spirit of boyhood he threw himself
into the struggle, marshafed the pa-
tonal forces botn in the revision
courts and on the hustings His ex-
ample became contagious; Sexton was
triumphantly elected.
From that day forth there was no
rest for Devlin in the national fight
Whenever the struggle was keenest.
there he was to be found
OF modest and retiring disposition,
with natural flow of eloquence rarely
equaled even in land of oratory. he
combines at the same time an amount
of common sense and hdrd-headed ca
pacity not often found in one indi- |
vidual.
OF medium stature, his face denotes |
the intellectual power which he un-
possesses. Whether in |
an argumentatiVe sense calmly and !
dispassiOnateiy arguing his subject. or
pouring forth a torrent of invective,
should the occasion demand. he can at |
all times impress his audience with
his power as speaker and his evident
in the cause which he has
at heart
MIR. Devlin had for years taken an
active part in the business life of his
native city before he became solely
identified with the political movement
in Ireland
While engaged in the United States
about eight years ago with Hon. Will
lam Redmond. NJ P. in organizing
he United Irish League in this coun-
ry, he was in his absence elected as
member of parliament for the north
division of Kilkenny and after return
ng from America he sat for the con-
until the general election of
906. when he was not alone reelected
or North Kilkenny but also captured
What had hitherto been an Orange
stronghold. the seat for West Belfast.
defeating the Unionist candidate. Cap
ain Smiley. with narrow majority of
ixteen votes. He won the seat at the
asst election by over 500 of a ma
ority.
Mr. Devlin was also enthusiastically
hosen the head of the A. o. II. in the
Id country, the jurisdiction Of the
'ody likewise including England and
scotland, and in his capacity as head
f that organization, Mr.. Devlin has
ushed forward the work of OrganiZa-
iCn with a zeal and energy previously
Unknown in the history of the order.
As platform speaker Mr. Devlin
yell sustains the reputation of the ;
rish party for eloquence, and. indeed
is rarely that a more cogent and
ogical speaker on the Irish question
as been heard on platforms in the
'nited States.-Catholic Urion and