Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-09-11
Rev. John O'Connor Defends Ire
lands Struggle For Freedom
and Justice.
Pro-British Propaganda Launched
: Through Subsidized Newspapers
by Northcliffe.
Courier-Journal and Times Are
Branded as UnblushingIy Pro-
British.
AMERICAN PEOPLE DECEIVED.

The Rev. John O'Connor, pastor OF
Holy Name church, has sent the fol-
lowing to the press giving his views
upon the situation in Ireland and
paying his respects to our local pro-
British papers, which makes inter-
esting reading. Father O'Connor
| writes:
1t is plainly evident that there Is
now strong revival in this country
of the pro-British anti-Ireland pro-
paganda formerly launched through
subsidized newspapers by Lord
Northcliffe, of the London Times.
The telling exposure of Britain's ar
| guments and designs by Archbishop
Mannix, of Australia, in his adj
| dresses in American cities from San
Francisco to New York, in her eff
| fort to prevent recognition of the
Irish republic by the United States,
| has thoroughly aroused British
agents here And let me say that
the complete blocking of pro-British
propaganda in this country by the
eloquent Archbishop is the cause OF
English fury against him, and
| though he has violated no British
law, he is denied the right to free
| speech and is held a prisoner in
! England by an action so arbitrary
and unjust that the civilized world,
even che people of England, have
4 cried out against the outrage.
| Nearly every day during the last
couple of weeks letters purporting
! to be from special correspondents in
| Ireland are appearing in such I'M
| blushing pro-British newspapers as
| the New York Times and Courier
| Journal and Times, of our city, pur-
| posely intended to offset the work
| of Archbishop Mannix and to swing
public opinion in this country in
| favor of England's oppressive rule in
| Ireland and to discredit Irish efforts
itUr the recognition -tAe--Dewly-.
born republic in the eyes OF the
American people.
| To rightly understand Ireland's
position and her course of action to-
| day, let Ii be borne in mind that the
people of Ireland, In two general
| elections recently, and held under
English law and restrictions, have
| by vast majority declared them
selves free and independent; have
adopted a republican form of gov
eminent, choosing members OF legis-
iative, judicial and executive bodies
| necessary to discharge all functions
of government. There is no doubt
now as to the earnestness or purpose
on the part OF the Irish nation and
she now approaches the nations OF
the world, openly processing her in
| tentions, and asks to be admitted
into the family of nations by due
recognition of the republic of Ire
/ land.
She seeks to accomplish all this in
a peaceful and just way without
causing loss of money or life to any
one. She bases the Justice of her
cause not solely on grievances against
a neighboring nation that has for
/ centuries cruelty oppressed her and
enslaved her, but especially on that
God-given right to every people to
| rule themselves and direct their own
destinies without let or hindrance
| from any other nation, and which
! right has been more than once
clearly and Enthusiastically pronounc--
ed by leading statesmen of our land.
THAT just government derives its
| right from the consent of the gov
erned," laid down by Jefferson, and
| Wilson's right OF self-determination
to small nations.
These principles apply to all peo-
pies of the earth and especially to
pies of the earth and especially
now that the world Is said to have
had a new birth and the old order
| of rule by might against the will OF
| the people has been proclaimed as
having passed away forever. Stand
ing between Ireland and the realiza-
| ton of her hopes is the great British
power, maintaining its centuries-0ld
position, as 1t has ever done, by mill
ltary force alone. Notwithstanding
the high-sounding pretensions that
militarism is crushed forever we
| find today this very one glorying In
the death of military control, main
tanning 1t in Ireland in the most
hateful and oppressive manner. Ire
land is therefore destined to obtain
her full liberty as every other ma
ton, through bloodshed and suffer-
ing. She Is battling today as best
! she can against her only opponent
she small and weak. the other
mighty and influential But she
trusts in the business of her cause
and that the nations of the earth,
especially our country, dedicated to
the cause Of liberty, will not remain
Indifferent or silent TO her pleas for
recognition. That efforts 10 cast
obloquy upon the people of ireland,
to misrepresent their purpose, to stir
UP the worst of ali forms of hate
religious hate-now being put forth
by such effusions as those of Charles
II. Grasty in the Courier-Journal.
will come to naught because of the
| fair-mindedness OF the American
people, is their confident expecta-
ton.
In every line OF the two mislead-
ing and defamatory articles IN the
Courier-Journal of August IA and is
against Ireland from the pen of this
correspondent, It IS plain that his
course was marked out for him be-