Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-04-10

In the United States Mr.. Coote and his clergymen COM
churches. and drawing upon the religious prejudices Of un-
informed Americans: AS one born and reared a Protestant
and an Orangeman in Ulster. I can deny that religion is a
factor in the struggle for freedom in Ireland. And to
thinking people it should be a proof of the utter worth
lessness. in the day of the British and the Unionist posi-
ton that they should resort to religious bigotry in their
effort to throttle the clearly EXPRESSED will Of a nation.
American s. when they consider the attacks upon Republ:-l
can ireland by the Unionists. should remember the Tories
of 1875 and washingtoh's admonition that they leave the
colonies if they would not abide by the will Of the ma
jority.
sympathy of Ahe people Of all creeds with the people Of
Ireland in their struggle for freedom to live"as an indie
and to dispel the false impression, created BY the British
propagandists' and intriguers, that the Irish question is a
our, position is this: We have. participated in a war to
secure the right to freedom of all nations. great and small.
and independent, and their legally elected representatives
have established a government Of the Republic of Ireland.
every one of the principles for which the blood Of the
youth Of the world was 50 freely shed in France. We do
lies or Protestant. II they were Jews we would be just as
strong in our conviction that they should be free to choose
their own form of government. We deny the allegation that
an Irish republic would be responsive to dictation from
Rome: and we brand as a cowardly appeal to religious
prejudice the cry that Protestants would be prosecuted in
a free Ireland. The first act Of the government Of the Re
ence. in which the guarantee of civil and religious liberty
are just as rock-bound as in the American Declaration OF
Independence. We know that for more than twenty years
the leaders of the republican movement in Ireland were
scorned by the hierarchy of the Catholic church.. and that
lntil a few wears ago many of them had been excomruni-
Gated for their activities. one priest. Father o'Flannasan,
who dared to express his advocacy of the republican
movement was suspended for more than two years. MsEy
Of the members of the parliament of the Irish republic are
Protestapts. and most of them were elected by Catholic
constituencies. Moreover. every Sim Fein leader has con-
dcmned the idea of a union of church and state. If tnere
is religious bigotry in ireland it exists only. IN the hearts
to transplant the hatred they themselves, harbor for their
Catholic fellow countrymen. s.
Any American who has studied. a school history knows
full well the long struggle of those who led the movement
for American indenendence; knows the length to = which the
ruling classes of Britain. represented TODAY by the Ulster
Carsonites. went to make their lives miserable and to
blacken their characters before the world. There was no
libel too malicious for tho British government to circulate
about Washington. Jefferson, Franklin and their com.
patriots; and there is none too malicious for them to cir
culate. with respect -toxthe washingtons and the Franklins
~ Trelnnd & "a 4 tfSa$ fl . 2..sfS r. so -
Thesclaim Of the Irish people to national independence is
Gust as strong as was the American claim to IT.: and even
stronger In view Of the principles for which the war has
lust been fought. If all the other nations Of the earth were
made free and Ireland still held in bondage to England,
the war would be lost: and the war will not have been
won until the people Of Ireland, like the people Of Poland.