The Irish standard., 1919-03-01
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.

the peoples OF the e8TC0.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
The resolutions adopted by the
Irish convention are as follows:
We, the delegates to the convention
of the Irish race in America, assem-
bled in Philadelphia, the cradle of
American liberty, on February % and
%, 1919, and representing many mil
lions of citizens of the United States,
hereby solemnly declare and resolve:
First. AS American citizens we up
hold the honor and interests of the
United States, as our race has done
during all the years that have elapsed
from the start of the Revolution to
the present day. That we are proud
of the splendid record our people have
made in the fighting forces of the re-
public in the war which has just
closed, and are ready to perform any
duty and make any sacrifices the gov
ernment may in the future demand.
Second. We heartily approve the
principles of Justice and liberty and
peace for all mankind proclaimed by
President Wilson in his declarations
of Americas objects in the war. These
had the approval of the entire Amer
ican people and were the chief cause
Of their enthusiastic support of the
war. They were indOrsed by the
spokesmen of the British Government
while hostilities were in progress, and
the whole world was led to believe
that the achievement of the purposes
proclaimed by the President was the
sole object of the war. Among those
declarations the one that "all peoples
are entitled to self-determination" re-
ceived universal support and became
the war cry of the peoples who were
fighting Germany. Our government
and those of the countries associated
with us in the war are, therefore,
bound in honor to apply the principle
Of self-determination to Ireland, as
we'll as to the submerged nations
which have been granted their free
dom as a result of the war. If it is
not applied to Ireland the United
States will be placed in a most unfa-
vorable light before the civilized
world, and President Wilson's solemn
declarations will be made mockery.
e IreIand's Right Clear.
Self-determination means specific.
ally the right of a people to decide
their own status in the world and the
form and character of their govern
ment. Ireland is clearly entitled to
self-determination. She is the oldest
of the nations of Europe and possesses
all the essential elements and attri-
butes of a separate and distinct nation
ality-a homogeneous population of
proved capacity for government; geo.
graphical position and natural resour-
ces now undeveloped through the ac-
tion of a foreign government, and by
the declared will of her own people.
She has never forfeited her right to
nationality nor acknowledged the right
of any other nation to deprive her of
it. She has asserted that right, either
by armed force or peaceful means, in
every generation for $50 years. She
has preserved during all that period
her distinctive characteristics of race,
ideals and culture, in face of the most
persistent and drastic efforts of for.
elgn government to suppress and OBJ
hterate them; and she is today as es.
sentially and distinctly a nation as
When the invader first set foot on her
soil in 1869. She has suffered oppres-
sion, misery and persecution unparal-
leled in the worlds history at the
hands of England. Her once thriving
industries have been destroyed, her
economic life systematically retarded.
and her population reduced to one-half
what it was in 1876 and many times
less than her splendid natural re.
sources are capable of supporting.
Every small amelforation of her hard
lot has been wrung from an unwilling
foreign government by strenuous agi-
, tation. often amounting to insurrec.
ton. and no concession has ever been
freely made.
az Third. Aside from Ireland's inalien.
able right to govern herself in her
own way, without Interference Dy anv
people outside of her own shores. the
attempt of England to rule her against
the consent of her people is the most
ccnspfcious failure in all history. II
hes failed In every essential thing for
which governments exfst-the promo.
ton Of the welfare of the governed,
f4e protecttOn Of their natural rights