The Irish standard., 1919-07-12
elsT OF. De vAlERA's
APPEAL TO AMERICANS

elST Of De vALERA'$
APPEAL TO AMERICANS
"The degree of unanimity obtained
in Ireland on this issue is higher than
that claimed by the American Colonies
when they declared their indepen-
dence and decided that they would
no longer allow themselves to be ex-
plotted by England in the interests of
of her imperialism. You had your
Tories and your Loyalists' to whom
Washington very properly sent the ul-
timatum that if they preferred the
interests and protection of Britain to
the freedom and happiness of their
own country they might forthwith
withdraw themselves and their fami-
lies within the enemy lines.
''The degree of unanlmity obtained
in Ireland is higher, too, than that by
which your own glorious Union and
Constitution were established. Had
complete unanimity been insisted up.
on as precedent to your indepen-
dence, as some people pretend to be-
lieve it should be insisted upon in
the recognition of ours, then you
would not be today as you are, uni
ted nation, the greatest on the earth,
with unified territory that is con-
tinent and population and a pros
perity that are the envy of the rest
of the world, but merely 10 miserable
disunited colonies with your people
kept permanently divided by the in
trigues Of English statecraft into op-
posing and contending groups. 1t was
the hope Of establishing such a con-
dition amongst you, and not for any
love for the Southerners that was the
inspiring motive and object of Eng
land in aiding the South in your Civil
War.
Parallel Between American and Irish
Revolution.
"No! The leaders of the Revolu-
ton that made you a nation, while ad-
hitting, as we do, that minority has
its rights, would not concede that the
will of the minority should be allowed
to prevail as perpetual veto on the
will of the majority. Rule of the PEG.
pie by the people would, by such a
concession, be reduced to an absurdity.
The very same catch cries and the
very same tools were used by the Eng
lish Government against the leaders of
the American Revolution as are being
used today against us. But your lead
ers acted and so have we acted. They
proclaimed their independence and
their Republic. We have proclaimed
our. independence and our Republic.
"The Justice of their cause even in
the darkest moments was for them a
hope-a surety even-that they would
ultimately win if they but persevered
The justice of our cause is similarly
our surety. They fought. We have
fought and are still fighting. They
were called traitors and murderers
So are we, though we were never
England's colony and never accepted
England's rule.
Seeking American Aid.
The men who established your re
public sought the aid of France. We
seek the aid of America. 1t is to seel
that aid that am here and 1 am con
fident that shall not be disappointed
come here entitled to speak for the
Irish nation with an authority as dem
ocratically sound and as we'll based
as that with which President Wilson
speaks for the United States or Lloyd
George for England or Clemenceau fol
France. come directly from the PEG
pie of Ireland to the people of Amer
lea, convinced that the American PEG
pie, and consequently the American
Government, which, as government
of the people, ought to reflect the PEG
pies will, will never consciously con
nive at, or allow itself to be made a
party to, the suppression of the natur
al God-given right of the Irish nation
to its liberty
"This great American nation, nur
tured in liberty has been liberty's most
consistent champion. It has never
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