The Irish standard., 1918-02-09
sINN fem RALLY
At WEST cAvAn
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the movement was not founded as a
party organization, but to achieve the
same end for which Owen Roe O'Neill
assembled his forces in Belturbet $50
years ago-the independence of the
whole Irish nation.
They we're opening year that would
be fateful one in Irish history, a
year in which decision of the war
would be taken and when the map Of
Europe was being remade and many
nations that for centuries had lost
their independence would be restored
to their places as free peoples, it was
absolutely necessary that Ireland
should make the same claim as those
other nations less ancient and Illus
trious.
He recalled that at the Council of
Constance in 1414, it was stated, de-
clared and decided that there we're
but four ancient nations in Europe,
and of those Ireland was one. They
had been told that Ireland's case
would not be listened to at the Peace
Conference, but the only thing that
could prevent Ireland's case being
heard would be the existence of a
party protesting to represent Ireland
and declaring in her name that Ireland
did not seek Independence, that Ire
England.
It was not that the Irish people had
deserted the Irish Party; it was the
Irish Party had deserted the Irish peo
pie in the interests of English minis
tiers. 1t was not until Ireland was be-
trayed that the Irish people realized
that the Irish Party of today was not
the Irish Party of Parnell and Biggar.
An Irish member described the British
House of Commons as "a place where
no Irishman's soul is secure for twelve
months" and Sim Fein said the only
way to fight by force of arms, was by
non-recognition of the British Parlia-
ment and thus make their position
plain before Europe.
ireland Will Legislate.
They did not propose to wait for
the Parliament to legislate for Ireland,
but proposed to do in Ireland, in re-
gard to other questions, what the peo-
pie did on the soil of Ireland when
they broke the power of landlordism
by their own determination and resolu-
ton.
Having referred to the Convention,
he said the Freeman's Journal had
stated that in the peace proposals be-
tween Germany and Russia the Gen.
trail Powers had agreed that national
groups should not decide their future;
but national group" was not ma
ton, and the national groups referred
to were the Servians, Slavs and Croa-
tians in Austria Hungary. Germany
and Russia had agreed that the Poles
should decide themselves what their
future shall be, and Sim Fein claimed
the same right for Ireland in justice
and in International law-the right to
decide by the votes of its people the
future of the country.
At meeting in Belturbet little
while since they were told by gen.
tleman belonging to the Party who
called themselves the Constitutional
Party, that England would make the
grass grow on the streets Of Belturbet.
Well, in the past his grass was made
to grow on the streets of many towns
of Ireland, but that day had gone for
ever. If there were grass to grow on
the streets of any town henceforth 1t
would be in London before Belturbet.
But what were they to think of the
cowardice Of the doctrine of a man
calling himself an Irish representative
who came there trying to terrify Irish
men with the idea that unless they re.
nounced their claim to nationhood that
England would come and ravage their
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