The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-03-22

.PPOA S0AAs
fmy and Navy and the British people
must appreciate the timely assistance
rendered by the United States in the
supreme crisis Of the struggle. AS
a result of the World War the peoples
and the Governments Of the two coun-
tries have been brought nearer to .
good understanding than they ever
were before. For q hundred and thir-
Ity-live years Great Britain has had no
real grievance against America but
for hundred and thirty-five years
America has had many just causes Of
complaint and many grievances
against Great Britain. The indepen-
dence which the Revolutionary War
won was granted begrudingly and It
required the War Of 1912 to compel
Great Britain to carry out some Of the
most important provisions Of the trea-
ty Of peace which was signed by Great
Britain thirty-two years before the
Battle of New Orleans. One of the
covenants of that treaty was the prom
Use by Great Britain to Immediately
withdraw her troops from Fort Detroit
and Fort Mackinaw by which the Brit
ish Government controlled all that
vast stretch of territory between the
mississippi and the Ohio which by the
treaty of peace was coded to the Unit
ed States. In open and indecent viola
ton of this promise Great Britain con-
tinued her military occupation from
1888 until 1915 when finally the terri
! tory was evacuated and her flag hauled
down. Until it became strong and self
reliant the young republic met only
! hostility from the British Government.
From the close Of the Revolutionary
War until the War of 1872 the young
republic was systematically insulted
and outraged. by the mother country.
The forcible capture Of American citi-
zens sailing the high seas under the
American flag on the arrogant claim
OF impressment brought on the War Of
1872, during which British Army
sacked Washington and burned the
Congressional library and in doing
SO set a high mark for Hun barbarity
a century later. During our Civil War
the rulers of Great Britain violated all
the principles Of international law and
the ordinary decency which regulates
the affairs of nations in aiding the
power Of slavery and rebellion and
stabbing the cause of the Union. With
indecent haste and open malignity at
the commencement of the Civil War
and before the American Minister
could present at the Court of St.
James his credentials from President
Lincoln, the British Government rec
ognized the belligerency Of the South
ern Confederacy and only the Battle
of Gettysburg prevented its recogni-
ton Of the rebel Government as a
separate and independent state. From
English ports went out rebel war yes
sells built in English ship-yards by Eng
lish gold, manned with English sea-
men, equipped with English guns to
send to the bottom of the ocean Ameri-
can citizens and the American flag.
Even William Ewart Gladstone from
his private purse contributed to f.
nancial scheme for selling the bonds
Of the Confederacy. At the close Of
the War, Great Britain under the
terms Of the Alabama award and at the
lannon's mouth, grudg ingly and unwill:
ingly paid fifteen millions Of dollars
for its rascality. 1 3,
The people Of this country have not
forgotten that shameful story Of Brit
ish aggression. They are willing to
forgive even II they cannot forget.
From now on It is Of the highest i'm.
portance to both countries that their
paths be along the same ways Of peace
and friendship. There is only one
disturbing factor which may prevent
harmony between the two peoples and
which may also reopen the old era
Of hate and destroy the good, under
standing between nations upon which
peace depends" and that Is the refus.
al BY the rulers Of Great Britain to
grant self.determination to the peo-
Iple Of Ireland. have studied time
and again Article XII which / have read
to you and ] am firmly convinced that
It is drawn with ythe Irish Question
land American public opinion in full
view and Tor the purpose Of affording
q way tor It's settlement. Let US not
forget that every word Of this proposed
constitution and Of Article XII has been
gone over and approved by Lloyd