The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-30

tday was reserved for one race Of thu
Kings aubjects--for the Irishman 4
for those who cannot forget their al.
leriancs to the realm OF Ireland.
The kings Of England. as such
had no rights In Ireland up to the time
OF Henry VIII. save such as rested on
the contact of mutual obligations en-
tered into between them and certain
princes. chiefs and lords OF Ireland
This form OF legal right such as II
was, gave no king of England the
lawful power to impeach an Irish
man for high treason under this
statute OF King Edward Ill
-Prejudiced Ceurt and Jury.
The Irish act known as the Poyn-
ings law, the tenth of Henry VII, was
passed In 1920 at Droshada by the
III by Poynings law an Irishman Of the
Pale could be Indicted for high treas
on under this act he could be indict-
ed only In one way before tri-
bunal and by the laws of the realm
OF ireland. This very law of Poyn-
ings. which. ! believe. applies rhis
statute OF Edward III to Ireland, was
enacted also for the Irishmans de-
Tense ALI those laws by which Eng
land claims her liberty And what
is the fundamental character of An
Engiishman's liberty? That he be
tried by his peers.
This court. this jury and the public
opinion OF this country of England.
cannot but be pretudiced in varying
degree against me--most of all, in time
of war | did not land In England
landed in Ireland. 1t was Ireland
that ! came to. to Ireland ] wanted
to come. And tho last place that I de-
str in I'm la
but for the attorney general of
England there is only England
there IL no Ireland and there Is only
the law of England-no right in Ire
land, the liberty of Ireland and Irish
men is begrudged by the power OF
England. Yet for me. an Irish outlaw
there Is a land of Ireland. a right in
Ireland. and charter for all Irish
men to appeal to as last resort, a
charter that even the very statutes
of England cannot deprive us of-nay,
mora charter that the Englishmen
themselves assert as the fundamental
bone Of the law connecting the two
Kingdoms.
Made No Appeal To English.
This charge of high treason in
wolves a moral responsibility as the
very terms OF the indictment against
myself recite in as much as l COM
mitted the acts | am charged with to
the evil example of others In like
case What was this evil example
= set others IN like case and who
were the others? The evil example. ;
charged as I asserted were the rights
1 of my country and the others to
J whom l appealed to and my endeavor
were my own countrymen.
I The example was given, not to
/ Englishmen, but to Irishmen And
the like case can never arise In Eng
land, but only in Ireland. To English
men l set no evil example. for
made no appeal to them. l asked
no Engiishman to help me. l asked
nrishmen to fight for their rights. The
/ evil example was only to other Irish
imen who might come after me and
1 In like case seek to do as ] did How
then. since neither my example MOI
+ appeal was addressed to Engttshner
can l be rightfully tried by them?
IF l did wrong in Eng that ap'
peal to Irishmen to Join me In ar
effort to fight for Ireland it Is By
I Irishmen and them alone that l can be
rightfully judged.
"If they And me guilty, l will abide
by It,"