The Irish standard., 1919-03-01

March 6-Thursday-St. Perpetua.
March 7-Friday-St. Thomas
THE IRISH RACE CONVENTION AT PH1LA,
DELPFI1A
In the city of Americas Liberty Bell, where the
Declaration of Independence sent out to the
struggling colonies, and where later the fathers
gathered to formulate the Constitution of the Repub
lie representatives of the Irish assembled on
claim for the independence of Ireland. Some five
thousand delegates gathered from all parts of the
United States to participate in the momentous pro-
ceedings The whole environment of the assem-
blage partook of the spirit of liberty If the spirits
of the courageous fathers of the Republic look
ing at the demonstration they could not have
withheld their plaudts of approval. They would
have witnessed repetition of the great historic
procedures in which they themselves had taken
part. They would have heard the same strong
and sincere appeals for freedom which they them
selves had voiced to the world in the long ago, in
which their very lives were staked on their utter
ances. They would have heard repeated in sub
stance their own solid and sensible demands for
the striking off of the fetters of alien domination
from oppressed and shackled people who were
resolved to seize the opportunity for seldetermina
ton OF their Sovereignty and to out their own
destiny.
Said the venerable Cardinal Gibbons in proposing
the resolution in behalf of Irish freedom:
Il hold in my hands resolution on behalf of
Ireland which should appeal to every lover of lib
erty and justice.
my friends there is liberty in the air. The ma
tions of the earth are camoring for liberty. And
why should not freedom loving Ireland join in the
general cry? Yes, Ireland wants freedom to
breathe the air of heaven stretch her brawny
and sinewy arms. She wants freedom E to
develop her resources She wants freedom to de-
veop the riches of her SOUL She wants freedom
to carve out her own destiny. And we are here to-
day to plead the cause of Irelands sons and daugh-
an1a
ated and disenthralled their own sacred soil"
Such indeed was the substance of the plea of the
signers of the Declaration of independence when
the immortal, that plea for American freedom, was
boldly launched forth to waiting people, and to
these principles they pledged their lives, their for
tunes and their sacred honor Had the occasion per-
itted it is not too much to say that every delegate
to the Irish Race Convention would have similarly
pledged himself to the support of the great cause
for whose promotion it assembled, such was
the solemn earnestness which pervaded the body.
The Convention adopted a series Of resolutions
which embody in simple and direct form the basic
wel-reasoned Declaration of Principles in eluci-
daton of the resolutions. Both of these printed
i'll this issue of the Standard, and should be
fully read by all friends of the cause. They will
constitute effective and irreutable answer the
British propagandists who making such desper-
ate and despicable efforts in some of the American
newspapers and elsewhere to beltte and retard the
progress of Ireland's demands. In them stated
Clearly the STATUS OF lIeldnQ from the
American viewpoint and the duties and obligations
OF our country in the premises
1t the principle of self-deterIninaton is not ap-
Piled to Ireland says the declaration, "the United
States will be placed in most unfavorable light
before the civilized world, and President Wilson'S
solemn declarations will be made mockery." De-
nand therefore is made, that Our President "place
before the Peace Conference and support with all
his powerful influence, Irelands right of sefdeter
mination, and secure for the elected delegates from
her constituent assembly the same status and rec
ognition which have been accorded to those of
other small nations"
Surely this is not an unreasonable demand 1t
is but the application in the instance of Ireland
of the principle that became the universal war cry
Of the peoples who were fighting down Prussian
ruthlessness and autocracy-the right of all peo-
pies to self-deterrnination It is incumbent upon
the American people to see that this American born
principle shall be- carried out in good faith for the
benefit of all mankind To make an exception in
/ the of Ireland would leave running sore on
the body polite of the world whose potentiates for
danger and upheaval cannot be exaggerated. AS
good surgeons so to speak, cannot allow the sore
to continue to tester and thus endanger the bene-
cent results of the operation that has been per-
formed on the world body. Remedial treatment of
this, too, is necessary to consummate the desired
q g@objectve-the future permanent peace and good
& will among the nations of the world.
Like the shot of Concord the pronouncenents of
. France, Italy, Belgium Poland, the Czecho and
I Jugo-Slavs and the other nations who are to be
included in the proposed League of Nations, will
hear its reverberatng call we'll Britain herself
d It will be recognized as the true note of American
sentiment nnfvuiftstandinp all efforts that NAV he