New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-27
THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS
Their Status Under the Military Law
in Question.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Your article this morning in refer-
ence 10 Jewish military organization was
timely and interesting Now, will you KIND
liz inform your readers what IL the status
and what the motive for an organization
in This city known as the Irish Volunteers
II f. we'll known that it is regularly organ
lied into companies and mas regular drlll
under arms Unless regularly incorporated
into the national guard its existence IS
clearly illegal. Please enlgnten rs on the
matter ARGUS.
New York. March 81, 1911.
T'rhe question raised by our CORE
sunndent is not a new one. IT has been
discussed often since the Irish Nolun-
teers made their appearance as parad-
ing military organization by people who
quoted the law (Article 24l Of the Mill
tary Law, which provides that:
M bodv If men other than the active
militia and the troops of the United states
except such Independent military orgah'Ha-
lions as were on the Odd day of April, lssj,
and now are in existence. shall associate
themselves together as military company
or organization or parade in public with
firearms in any city or town Of this state.
And that any violation - this Sec
ton shall he deemed mlsdemeanor.
The organizations excepted by this law
are the Old Guard. having charters bear
ing dates of 1865 and 1879: the Burgess
Corps. Of Albany. chartered in 1854. the
Veteran Corps Of Artillery Of New York.
with charter hearing date 1890. and the
Citizens Corps. Of Troy. organized and
chartered in 1886.
The organization known AZ the Irish
Volunteers. in the early stages of its eN-
istence was composed of secessionists
from the Goth Regiment. who severed
their connection AZ a time when tho
spirit of discord which for many years
had pervaded that body was at its
height. When the Volunteers paraded
for the first time under arms the ques-
ton as to their right To do so arose and
in 1896 objection was made to their TAX
ing part in the Memorial Day parade,
and the police were asked 30 prevent
their participation. ON MAY 70 of that
year James Moran. who was the COM
handing officer of the body. had tenn
porary injunction served on Theodore
Roosevelt. Frederick Dent Grant. Avery
u. Andrews and Andrew u. Parker. re-
straining them as Police commissioners
from stopping the parade. The parade
took place. the matter was never heard
in court. and 10 this day there is doubt
legal standing. In the papers filed at
that time il was stated that their char
ter antedated April 23. 1888, hut the
actual date was not given. and is still
a matter Of conjecture. one affidavit
which was filed 10 show that the bodv
had existed before the require date was
10 the effect that a handbook existed
showing that . deposit had been made
10 the credit of the Irish Volunteers in
1883. but" as national guard officer
s1id AT that time 70 Tribune reporter.
mo one has vet discovered the date Of
the charter under which the Volunteers
have their being, and if they exist by
virtue of some old charter granted to
another body no hint has been given
as 10 its name. We know that the body
when it came into public notice was
mixture Of Clan-na Gael and Goth Regi-
ment. for which James Moran succeeded
in obtaining considerable financial sup
port
II may he that the real facts as to the
age Of the Irish Volunteers have not
been made public because of the failure
or the part Of the authorities to carry
on the proceedings in which the tenn
porary injunction of 1896 was the first
step. Because OF that fact. and be
cause those who know have never told
on what ground the Irish Volunteers
base the right Of existence and TO pa
rade, the query of our correspondent APP
pears TO he pertinent and worthy of no
tice.-EdI