The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-01
Redmond Accused Of
 Treason To Ireland

The convention of the Clan-na-Gael, which was in session at Atlantic City, N. J.. for five days, concluded it's la bors by issuing manifesto to the Irish race, in, reply to the recent utter ances of MT. John Redmond advising Irishmen to join the British army which is now fighting the Germans. MT. Redmond's action is denounced as 8 betrayal of Ireland and the state ment is made that a German victory over England would give Ireland the opportunity to win complete national Independence.
 The statement is signed by My1es A. McNamee, of Providence, R. l.. chairman of the convention. Maurice Drohan of Butte. Mont, vice chair man. P. J. Griffin, secretary, and over 200 delegates from all parts of the country. The committee which came to Philadelphia to give out the mani festo announced that the convention adopted it, by a unanimous yotes
 Following is the manifesto:
 Atlantic City, N. J.. Sept. 27, 1914. To the Irish Race at Home and Abroad Fellow Countrymen:
 We, the representatives of the Clan na-Gael of America in convention as sembled. deem it our duty to protest against the worst betrayal of Ireland since Castlereagh sold the Irish Par lament, and to ask the earnest co-op- eration of every true Irishman in pre- venting it's consumnation.
 The action of John Redmond in guaranteeing Irish military support to England in her war with Germany is treason to Ireland, dishonoring to the Irish race and intended to destroy for ever the hope of Irish freedom. No baser act has ever been committed in V-,S@. @.I- L. trated by prompt and decisive action by the Irish people it must inevitably bring disaster to the Irish Cause.
 If it were possible to regard it as an honest act of weakness, it's conse- quences to Ireland would be none the less harmful and it could only be chagacterized as the worst act Of folly ever committed by an Irish leader. It is paying in advance an enormous price for the promise Of a worthless political concession. It guarantees the salvation of the British Empire in it's hour of greatest peril in return for measure which would rfvet Ire lands chains more securely, keep her in perpetual penury and ensure the continued stif1ing of her industrial life.
 But MT. Redmond's record for sev- era1 years past leaves no room for. doubt that his action is the result Of a corrupt bargain with the English government 1t was deliberate and wanton act of treachery to his own country in the interests Of it's only en- emy and with the purpose of destroy ing the greatest opportunity for win ming it's freedom that has come to it since the American Revolution.
 k Daniel OsConnell's maxim that sEngland's difficulty is IPeland's op- portu1ity'' was founded on and justi- fed by the fact of Irish history. It Is equally applicable to all forms of xTzAa TzO-. never yet granted any concession to Ireland willingly or because of the justice of Ireland's demand. Every such concession has been wrung from EngIand's fears. She yielded only to her foreign or domestic policy and to has never fully .redressed any wrong or made a. genuine effort to prom ote the interests of Ireland.
 England holds Ireland down with the deliberate and unreIenting purp poSs Of stfding her industrial and com mercial growth and to preserve her own mastery of the sea. which is the chief menace to the peace of the world. This sinister purpose is re- veaIed in every provision of the Dill which pretends to give Ireland Home Rule, but which wfthho1ds fromrher all control over her vital interests and every power and attribute of self-gov- ernment, from the right to foster and promote her industries to the colIec- ton of taxes
 The measure for which Redmond has guaranteed Ire1and's s loyalty, the blood of her sons in an unjust and unprovoked war and the betrayal of the United States by Irish citizens. is the worst political abortion and the meanest act of cheating in the. annals of 1egis1ation. After going throug gh the farce of placing it on the Statute
 
 Parliament suspending it till the close of the war and the Government makes the announcement that it will later introduce an Amending Bill which will exclude part of the country from it's operations and perpetuate the rehg- ioi1s strife which has cursed Ireland for generations.
 k All this is done with the consent and approval of the Irish Parliamentary party which boasts that. it holds the
 ministry in the hollow Of it's hand" :" and when Ireland most needs 8, body of Irishmen in Dublin to guide the hpeopIe in a time of sore trial and danger. The Party could have com pel1ed the Government to grant a
 much larger measure, but they did not even try. They consented to every ! amendment making the wretched Bill worse and made no effortS whatever to improve it. Able to turn out the Government in an hour, they kept it in power. and sllbrnissively: obeyed it's orders It is a, notorious fact that they could have made better terms with the Tories but they rejected their ad- vances and in the interests of English measures which do not affect Ireland, made an alliance with the Liberals. They p1ayed~a game of English poli- tics at the expense Of Ireland, and de- 1 Ifberate1y sacrificed Irish interests. They voted for budgets which robbed Ireland and permitted the breach of postal contract so that Irish business might be further injured and Ireland d cut off from direct communication with the outside world. And they voted for the war against Germany which will impose into1erable- financial | burdens on Ireland and their leader