The Irish standard., 1919-11-01
that the Reoubu>

VA oi"uu' anu OH OteI EUROPE, 8uO
we ask the same for Ireland, and we
are confident that the people of
America, knowing the justice of our
claim, will do their part, and we prom
ise them, ON behalf of the people of
Ireland. that We are ready to take our
place as a nation and to function i'm
mediately. We have our government
set up by the will of the people. We
have all the departments necessary.
: The only thing that prevents us from
F, carrying out the work of government
in our country is 100000 British troops
/ with full equipment of war.
We believe that in appealing here
we are asking Americans to practice
the principles by which this Republic
was built up; we are asking them to
follow the precedents laid down when
the government of other republics
were recognized, and we appeal, there
fore, confidently to the people to sup
port the claim of Ireland to the prin-
ciple of self-determination.
(Great applause.)
Mr.. Ritten: Ladies and gentlemen,
in introducing our great and honored
guest of the evening, feel that
cannot. do better than read the resolu-
tion which was unanimously adopted
by the City Council of the City of
Minneapolis, the body of which l pre-.
side over.
Mr.. Ritten (reading): Resolution
by the Council of the City of Mime
apolis, State of Minnesota, U. S. A.,
adopted unanimously at a regular
meeting held the 10th day of October,
1919. To Eamon de Valera, President
of the Irish Republic: We, the men,
bers of the Council of the City of Min
neapolis, extend to your Excellency a
hearty greeting and most cordial
welcome on this, the occasion of your
visit to our city, the gateway of the
great Northwest. We recall how when,
on other occasions, an appeal was
| made to alleviate distress in the land
over which your Excellency so worthi-
ly presides, the citizens of this favored
portion of the United States regard.
less of creed or racial descent, prompt
/ ly responded because they realized
that the afflicted people of Ireland
were not given an opportunity to Sc
| cure for themselves those blessings
which we enjoy-the blessings of hap.
piness and plenty which ever accom-
! pahy self-governing nations. Know.
ing what liberty means, appreciating
it's advantages, we cannot but sympa-
thize with your land and your people
| who have for centuries valiantly
striven for it and Who have never
hesitated to cast their lot with any
country in it's struggle for freedom.
We recall how in the dark and gloomy
| days that greeted the birth of this in
FAINT republic, the people of Ireland
gave to Washington and his army not
merely sympathy but their bravest
and their best. We are not migrate
full. We have paid back to France the
debt we owed for her assistance in our
successful revolution, and we have
paid it with blood and with tears. 1t
is now the opportune time for us to
redeem the promises made by Wash
ington and Jefferson to the land which
equally with France fought side by
side with us from Lexington to Valley
pair to Yorktown's cloudless day.
Hence we salute the newly born Re-
public of Ireland, and we greet you,
Mr.. De Valera, it's President. After
| the great worlds war we desire
worlds peace; and we are convinced
that there will never be peace and
harmony in this world as long as the
Irish question remains unsolved. We
realize that the future of civilization
is so closely linked with Ireland's 8
grievances that these grievances, uni
versally admitted as existing, should
| be at once removed, and removed by
the only method that is now admitted
to be just, the method so distinctly
and emphatically announced by Presi-
dent Wilson, the method of self
determination. We cannot understand
how any of the allied powers, who so
gladly welcomed us to their assistance
and on the conditions laid down by us,
the chief of which was that every ma
tion great and small should regulate
it's own destinies, should now insist on
freedom for those who fought with our
enemies while it denies it to the one
who so nobly shed it's blood on every
field of France and Flanders that lib
erty might enlighten this earth of
ours, NOT our enemies alone but our
friends also shall be free. Again, Mr..
De Valera, we welcome you to our