The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-02
ENGLAND Has No
RIGHTS IN '.A! y
sla.
SAYS 0 'Cun,,s.:
Explains Sim Fein Movement to
Large Audience
IRELAND OLDER NATION
Act OF Union Transferring Irish Parlla-
mont to London in 1900 Thorough
ly unJustfIed

Before large and represen a1iV'
gathering which filled the aud. .toriun
and gallery at Harte's Theatre las
night David OConncr Sim rem
leader OF Dublin, Ireland, gave
Iuc'd interesting and most instruc
tive address on Ireland. he was iis
tened TO with rapt attention ana ne
the entire interes OF his auuiehc'
from start to finish
az do net come here" said ne loi
the purpose of arousing among the
American people any interest IN the
freedom of Ireland for hat interest,"
already exists. In her fight Ior lree
dom. Ireland has had at all times ths
sympathy and support OF the Amer
can people and has 1t still, IN luiies'
measure. 1t Is, however, necessary
10 expla n the exact re ations between
the two coun'r'ng and C ear
some aspects of the situation wnicn
have been hidden from The Amerlca
people by an organized system o
"a sehood and suppress on. Sc
cIeverly has. this work been done ma
numbers of people, even among the
educated classes In this country, ap
pear,to have some doub g as to wnetr
ar ireland has really any claims az
all to freedom.
The extraordinary statement mad
n short time ago by Lloyd George tina
ireland is not a nation appears &c
have caused some disquiet amongs'
simple minded people. The state
ment Is worthy OF men ion simp a.
an example of the poverty OK argu
ment to which the English govern
ment ia reduced.
Lcyd George, said O'Connor know
Gaelic very well, and when he utter
ed that statement he knew or ougn'
tn know IL he thought lite, that
the very name OF the city in which ne
made 1t, Lcndon, is not an Engiish
bu. an Irish name given to 1t by the
old Irish colonists that invaded Eng
land.
London, said O'Connor, is pure
Irish word coming from Long the
Irish for tship and don place q
shelter. The word Britain" Of which
the English are so proud, Is also OF
Irish origin coming from Briotan an
Irish chief who led co cny into Eng
land many centuries before Christ and
from whom the country takes It's
name, a fact recorded in old Gaelic
writings
We have direct historical proofs
that Ireland was nation long before
England had assumed that distinction
Amongst other historic proofs men
tion one. 1t will suffice to dispose
of Lloyd Georges statement. In tn
year 1417 at the Council of Con
s'ance, a dispute between the Eng
lish and the French came up for dis
cussion. England claimed vote al
the Council, bu. her claim was re
iected, the Council stating that Eng
land was subject to Germany, was
governed by German princes, whC
were themselves tributary tt
Rome, and was not consequently
nation, The English delegates shift
ed their ground and then statei
next that Europe was divided int
four great empires, the Roman, th'
Constantinopolitan the Irish ant
the Spanish and that the King
Eng and who also claimed to b
King of ireland was by virtue o
that office. king Of an ancient ans
acknow' edged nation and conse
quent'y deserved vote in the Coun
Gil. On the plea Eng'and's reques
was granted and she was admttel
with voting mower in c the Counci
Referring next to the Act OF Unial
by which the IRISH Parliament wa
transferred to London in 1900 Nj
O'Connor gave some high v interes!
ing and most va liable Information
put ing the matter in light VIII G.
the audience thoroughly appreciated
A Parliament. said O'Connor, is &c
ed to make laws. 1t has no power t
do anything else. and it cannot trans
fer It's power of making laws int
her hands; that is, Parl amen
can make laws but cannot make es
islators. That power rests with III
peop'e who a'one can change IN
constitut 'on. The Parliament c
Vermont a. Montpelier could, nc
even II It would, transfer its author
", rOr instance, anu put IL lutO III
hands of the Parliament az banN
In the same way he Irish Parliamen
of 1900 had no power to transfer it
au'her'ty to London
The remova' of the Irish Parl'f
ment of London was accompl she
continued O'Connor, not a'on
against the wishes of the Irish pei
pie, bus in the process, who,esal
corruption. bribery and fraud wer
pract ced. 1t was utterly Illegal,
violation of al law, crime agaiuS
the constitution. an act accomplishe
and upheld by force and force onl.
The Sim Feiners. continued O'Col
nor evh bited resistance TO the q,
of union twelve mon.hs ago, an
when instead of going over 10 Lol
don they sat in Dublin, they wer
carrying out their constitution;
duty. The English parliament hs
no authority In Ireland aud nevt