New Britain herald., 1916-08-21
NEW BRITAIN A. O. |.
 APPEALS TO WILSON
Asks Him to InterCede to Right
 Alleged Wrongs in Ireland
AN AMERICAN QUESTION

Say SignerS Of Proclamation Of Irish
 Republic Committed No Greater
 Crime Than Those Who Signed the
 Declaration of Independence.
 Rev. w. A. Harty branch, Ancient Order of Hibernians, at meeting yesterday voted to seek the aid of President Woodrow Wilson to right the wrong inflicted on the signers of the Proclamation of the Irish Repub- ljc." The petition points out that the signers of the proclamation committed nc greater crime than those who signed the American Declaration of Independence. The president is also requested to use his influence in be- half of the war prisoners of Ireland and the petition claims that the liberty of Ireland is an American question:" The text of the petition, which is signed by Martin J. Kelly, Robert Murray, James M Butler, Registrar of Voters Thomas J. smith and John F. Meehan, is as folloWs
 The Petition.
 Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
 President or the oh1leu o'e''00 oA
 America,
 Washington, D. C.
 Dear MT. President-We are sure the abnormal conditions obtaining turoughout the world, compel you to devote all your time to Welghty mat ters of state, and that it is almost inn possible to expect executive consldera- tion of ordinary matters. The cir 1Yotc of this letter are, however, of more than ordinary interest, and can De said without exaggeration, owing to the fundam ental principles involved, to be of international importance.
 With this brief apology for in truding on your precious time, we1 will without further ado, proceed to state cur case, with the hope that you will use your powerful influence to right the wrong inflicted on the signers of the proclamation of the Irish Re- public, issued Monday, April 24th, 1916, with no greater crime than the sgnerS of the Declaration of Indepen- dence, signed at the Continental Congress, Thursday, July 4th, 1776, for which every American citizen is thankful, for which our ancestors sacrificed their lives and their money to defend against the misgO Vernm ent of England.
 We further request your influence in behalf of the war prisoners of Ireland. Tc save their lives from the blood thirsty scaffold of England's crime and misgovernment of Ireland.
 An American Question.
 The liberty of Ireland is an Ameri- can question. The Declaration Of h. dependence makes it an American or estion. The Declaration of lnde- pendence says that all men are created ecual All men means lrishmen In Ireland as we'll as Americans in the United States The Declaration of Independence says all governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Ireland mas refused to be governed by the British empire for eight hundred years. When the Declaration of lndepen- dence said all governments, it re- eerred to British tyranny in Ireland as well as in the United States. The Dec1a ration of Independence says that if is the inalienable right of man to life. liberty and the pursuit of hap niness. Tn such matters the British government arrogates to itself the rrera gat1VeS or the Al1nlSnLy GOd. Within the last ninety days, sixteen men were executed in Ireland, by the British government, and the only crime they committed was, that they followed the example of the American republic Nathan Hale regretted that he had only one life to give for his country. Like Patrick Pearse, Nathan Hale was a schoolmaster. There must r, ,iroc with q government that makes a practice of killing schoolmasters
 Down in Virginia assembly Patrick Henry laid down the good American doctrine of "Give me liberty or give me death.' There was man in the Tower of London who preferred death to liberty, to life of slavery. Sir Roger Easement is the Robert Emmet of his time. Like the Essex martyrs in Brooklyn, there is a monument to the Essex martyrs. Three thousand American patriots, prisoners of war captured by the British during the American Revolu- ton, were confined on the British prison ship Essex. The hatches were sealed, the ship was scuttled and they were drowned in the North river like rats in a trap Will any American say that the Essex martyrs were fool hardy? They died for the liberty of our country. Their sacrifice set our country free The spirits of the Irish Volunteers are intermingled with our own American patriots. Theirs was a. common cause; theirs was a common hope; theirs common foe; theirs was
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