Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-26
IRISH REPUBLIC FRIENDS ORGANIZE HERE

--
 A local council of the American Asso- iv ciation for the Recognition of the Irish kl Republic was formed at an enthusiastic meeting held Tuesday evening in Pythian hall with an enrolment of 100 members. The meeting was the outcome of two spet ehes delivered by John P. Barry of Waterbury, state secretary of the organization, who told of atrocities committed by the Black and Fans against members of his own family, and Francis P. Hayes, state organizer, who gave answer to sermon recently preached by Rev. E. A. Legg.
 J. J. Finnegan, president of the local | branch of the Friends of Irish Freedom, | presided at tho meeting and in his open | ing remarks said that the meeting was | called to present the true conditions in | that Isle of Sorrows, Ireland. He then 1 touched on the debt that America owes | Ireland. as is shown throughout history. I He then introduced MT. Barry.
 MT. Barry outlined the purposes of the organization, which he stated was organ ized in the split of love for American principles and their application to Ire land. The organization was founded by DC 1ASI DcCduSt COnulllOHS III Ireland demand that the Uni ed States recogni he Irish republic While in America -Ie Valera was watched by every English agent in the country He came a stranger to our shores and he went-back with our good wishes. I was in Ireland in 1919 and I saw soldiers with fixed bayonets at all stations, pas sengers were searched and I saw women knocked down witlI the butts of rifles for riff line off gently learned who is not yet IT. was barely saved from being shot and is now serving five year sentence in an Eng fish prison. My sister. who is not yet 1o, was made to kneel in water for three
 hours and then was hit over the head with the butt of a rife because she would
 not give up information. These are things l have personal knowledge of As Americans. and the Irish here in this
 organization are for America first, last l and always, we should extend the hand of fellowship to all peoples oppressed. | regardless of color or creed. It is our duty. it is the principle for which we | have fought and died. How can we with | hold freedom from anyone who has ex- pressed a desire for it and who are op- | pressed?
 Answers Pastors Sermon.
 !
 evening. He in his opening remarks
 dealt with the conditio IS in Ireland and said that the organization was simply along the principles of American sense | Of right and justice. He referred to m i account of a sermon preached by + "
 E. A. Iegg which was printed on Monday l morning regarding the Irish question. MT. 1 Hayes expressed the desire to meet MT Legg and convert him to the cause of the
 Irish. MT. Hayes said;
 1 If I a stranger in your midst may have l the permission of the chair and the as-
 senblage to comment on an article by the
 pastor of a. local church recently publish ed in The Bulletin, I would appreciate the opportunity of correcting some of his i historical errors. I have great respect for the celrgy, regardless of denomina- ton, and cannot reconcile his published
 article with Love thy neighbor" and
 Peace en earth, good will toward men" !"
 nor see where sermon of this type is
 beneficial to the souls placed in his care. wish to correct the impression of
 Rev. MT. Legg that there are more Irish
 men in America than in Ireland, as there is trait of the Irish race and such trait
 has been ably portrayed in Americas history from Colonial days to the present ; time. That trait is to be loyal sons and } daughters of that country which adopts - them.
 l Sim Fein as Rev Mir Legg states means 'We Ourselves" and they do wisi national independence, which desire was
 expressed by over 80 per cent of tn,
 people of Ireland at the 1918 election 1T spite of all Englands governmental ma chinery to prevent the people from ex , pressing their true ideals. Such unani mity has not an equal in history.
 f Ulster according to the English gov
 ernment tax returns report of Ireland per capita is not the most prosperous I section, as Leipester's rate of tax pc I capita exceeds that of Ulster. And agail a with reference to Ulster, the predominant
 ing faith is not Protestant but Roman
 Catholic, and if the city of Belfast wer
 on the Clyde or Firth there would be m
 religious question in Ireland.
 In reference to connecting Sim Fei g with Germany in 1914 will call Re,
 MT Lesg's attention to Sir Edward Car t son (who takes the same place in Ire | land a@ the leader of the Tories did i s ColonisS daXs) and his followers who. i e 1914, upon the passage of the Home RuI s bill by the representatives of the gov S ernment of England defied the Englis j. government imported arms and ammlm y tion from Germany and armed a fore '. of 100000 in defiance of the Englis f government And as further loyalty r England of the Irish people. John Rec V mond, leader of the Irish Nationalist pa
 ty, alone recruited 160. 900 men when u n right that was extended to provinces It having distinctive uniform from II 9, English, having their own chaplains ar IT officers was denied to the youth of IT. e land. And the record stands today. vii t no conscription in Ireland, 31o.000 Irisl e men enlisted in the army and navy s. England. .r It was in the 11th and not the 18th cer ,f tury that Ireland was betrayed to En
 land by an English Fspe and that fro h that time to the time of Henry VII ss when both England and Ireland were R te man Catholic, Roman Catholic Irelar r. fought Roman Catholic England for h
 Independence just as she is doing todd Is Today it is the Roman Catholic Englis T. men and large landowners in Irelan g. who are the bitterest enemies to Irelan nc of tight for freedom. Today in Irelal W Protestant and Catholic are fighting si k. by side for the greatest cause q peor D. san sacrifice their lives for. the rig n of being a nation among nations. vi IS 'he right of self determination. as Q c. ldenced by the will of the people. The ne fight today was our fight of 1T76. NV they who were a nation once are VITO, ls torlay then we who rebelled against En G. 'and's n1isgovernment in 1776 were al he Srcng. would appreciate you fnd tn fo- me an American who comedies ,
 were wrong
 Ia I will refer Rev Mir Iess to the ?. de .eFenlaIlon m the English parliame ne With the exception of Belfast Is as si h. Feih as the remaining provinces of Il x1, | "a nd and that Ulster has v ot baan sna