The Irish standard., 1919-05-24
lliinneap polls Line. Up
EorYIri.h Freedom
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lands who are entitled to the same
blessings of freedom we enjoy here.
Z The organization that is responsible
for this meeting tonight. The
FRIENDS of IRISH FREEDOM, is
nonsectarian, and numbers among its
members men of all denominations,
and while primarily we are meeting
here tonight to discuss the question of
Ireland, still on this occasion we be-
lieve as AMERICANS, representing
all that is true from an AMERICAN
standpoint: That there can be no
lasting peace in the world until Ire
land, and not only IRELAND, but
every NATION that is competent to
govern itself has the right to do so.
There has been much misunder.
standing in this city as elsewhere, on
the conditions that we are brought
here tonight to discuss, many persons
feeling, from the propaganda abroad,
that it is religious question. It is
not at all religious question. When
you stop to consider that most of Ire
lands greatest patriots and leaders in
the cause were protestants, 1t seems to
me that there should be no further ar
gument that this is a religious ques-
tion.
We are not meeting here tonight as
hyphenated Americans, but we are
meeting here as true Americans In
every sense of the word, and after
all, when you stop to think that for
700 years the men, aye, and the wom-
en- too, Of Ireland, have starved, bled
and fought that they might have a
free and Independent government, and
again and again the sons of Ireland
have shed their blood in the cause of
justice and freedom, and that they still
have no nation that they can call
their own, who can fail to be in SYM
pathy today with their just cause?
A few years ago we often heard
this: ''The Irish are illiterate;" "They
are not educated enough to have their
own government" Today that version,
my friends, has been changed, and in
the last few years and now, 1t is "they
are too well educated"
I take pleasure in introducing to you
as chairman of the evening, man
we'll known in the community, having
been associated in every philanthropic
movement and every civic movement
that we have had for years, intro.
duce to you Mr.. Frank M. Nye.
Hon. Frank M. Nye, Former Congress-
man, Delivers Excellent Introduce
tory Speech.
Mr.. Nye was greeted with enthusias-
tic applause as he stepped forward
to begin his address. His beaming
countenance bespoke his appreciation
of the hearty greeting accorded to him
by the great and representative audi
ence. His address was as follows
II accepted with pleasure the invi-
tation of your committee to preside at
this meeting tonight. / accepted the
invitation for two reasons: l desired
to get information which / felt would
get here at this meeting concerning
conditions which know but little of,
and in the second place l wanted to
come-I wanted to be here.
II feel that the purpose of the meet
ing is in perfect harmony with the
spirit Of the age. The worlds com
pass points towards freedom and
toward democracy. Notwithstanding
the rise and fall of nations, the never
ceasing rising and falling tide of COM
mon hope and ambition, the successes
and failures, which have marked the
history of poor humanity, feel today
that we are nearer fraternal under
standing between the different peo-
pies and races of the earth, and are
thinking more of those high ideals
which characterize great people and
a great age than ever before.
What has this vast worlds trouble
been for? What is the deep and
mighty movement of the world today,
except the thought of emancipation of
individuals and nations, and what
more fitting than the people who are
the defendants Of the grand old Green
Isle, whose mighty history has
crowned her people and the world
with lessons Of patriotism and devo-
ton to duty and to right; land Of
genius and of patriotism, the land of
Emmet, Grattan and O'Connell; the
land where storm and turbulance have
often been revealed, but where the
spirit Of her people has never been
broken, and is today, and has ever
been, enshrined with the freedom of
men and the democracy of the world.
The lrishman a Natural Democrat.
The Irishman is a natural democrat.
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