The Irish standard., 1917-09-08
Reorganization Of Irish
National Volunteers
Movement to Restore Unity With Irish
Volunteers Begun at Dublin
Convention.
Joseph Devlin's Letter Read at Gath.
erino.

Col. Moore presided at q conven-
ton of representatives of 176 COM
panies of the Irish National Volun-
teers in the Mansion House, Dublin,
August 6, when allegiance to the orig
inal objects of the Volunteers, to &C.
cure and maintain the rights COM
mon to all Irishmen was declared.
The conventions most important
step was the appointment Of COM
mittee to open negotiations with the
leaders of the Irish Volunteers with a
view to the reunion of the forces and
to begin a general reorganization and
opening the organization to all Irish
men willing to pledge themselves to
the original declaration.
Official Statement.
The official report states that the
following counties were represented:
Dublin City and County, Kildare, Ty-
rome, Wicklow, Glare, Cork, Wexford,
Waterford, Mayo, Louth, Westmeath,
Cavan, Antrim, Donegal, Queens Co.,
Roscommon, Kilkenny, Tipperary and
Longford, while a large number of
letters promising support were re-
ceived.
The resolutions, all unanimously
passed, recalled the National Com
mittee's failure to call convention,
though repeatedly urged to do so, that
convention being the outcome, and de-
clared the convention fully empowered
to represent the I. N. Y; gave full
power to the Committee appointed to
negotiate with the Irish Volunteers,
and, pending the result thereof, to
carry on all necessary work of re0r-
ganization in conjunction with the
military staff, and asked I. N. v.
members not represented, but in &C.
cord with resolutions, to communi-
cate with Col. Moore, Hotel Allen, 20
Harcourt, ST., Dublin, and declared
that no one will be appointed to an
official position in I. N. v. unless an
active member.
A statement drawn up and ordered
to be issued stating that
1.-The convention has re-established
the 1. N. V. after long delay, caused
by the neglect and Encouragement of
the National Committee. This Com
mittee, nominated in the first in
stance, and imposed on the Volun-
teers against the will of the Provi-
sional Committee in 1914 consisted, in
the main, of party men who regarded
the Volunteer movement merely as an
adjunct to their party organization.
1T is only fair to say that minor
ity, consisting mainly of working
members, who came over from the old
committee, did their best to keep the
organization together under discour-
aging circumstances.
Finally, when the majority, usurp-
ing autocratic control determined to
retain their positions, though the
periods for which they were elected
had expired, the Volunteers assembled
in the Mansion House on Whit Sun
day and resolved to call this conven-
ton to decide on their own future
government.
To Heal Old Sores.
THE main desire of the Volunteers
is to heal the old sores and to cause
no new ones. We are trying to heal
the divisions of three years ago, not
by attempting to draw individual Irish
Volunteers into our organization, but
by Offering to enter into negotiations
with their representatives to consider
with them what basis of agreement
can be found satisfactory to all par
ties, and likely to make secure foun-
dation for a united organization.
There can be no real difference be-
tween men who desire the freedom of
no personal aims or ambitions to
stand in the way. We believe that the
original constitution of the Volunteers
was the right one; and that is best
proved by it's success, and by the won.
derful manner in which it reconciled
men of all parties, long and bitterly
divided.
The Last Three Years.
THE experience of the last three
years proves also that the I. N. v. can
not safely be subject to party organi-
cations. If that were SO every party
would, as in Mexico, have its armed
force, and internecine conflict would
become inevitable and intolerable.
''The Volunteers were formed to Sc
cure and maintain the rights and lib
critics common to all Irishmen; these
rights and liberties it is our duty to
struggle for and to maintain when
they have once been gained. We be-
lieve that no power on earth has a
right to make laws for Ireland, or to
administer them, except the repre-
sentatives of the Irish people,"
The statement continues that when
Ireland's liberty has been achieved
the Volunteers will become the Ma
tfonal Defence Force to guard her
liberties and defend her rights, and it
will be the duty Of the Irish State to
arm them with the most modern
weapons, when such an organization
should number q quarter of million
mon a force we'll ahlo IN defend tho