Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1921-09-08
IRELAND TODAY"

ireland Today" was the subject
OF address at the Christian Church
oayette, Wednesday, Aug. 81, at &
meeting under the auspices of the
American Association for the Recog
milton of the Irish Republic Mayor
Frank Dempsey of Wallow, County
of Cork, spoke, and also Michael
Harkin, a former Dublin newspaper
man.
Resolutions were adopted in favor
of Irish recognition by the U. S. Gov
eminent
Mayor Dempsey explained at the
outset he had been invited to this
country by the American Commits
sion of One Hundred, purely
American body investigating condi-
tions in Ireland. "As mayor of Nal
low, one of the cities destroyed by
the black and tans," said the speak
er, 81 appeared before this commits
sion to tell of what occurred on the
night Mallow was sacked. When
curfew had driven the citizens to bed
200 fully armed British forces just
before midnight suddenly swooped
down on the town. They arrived in
military armored cars, announcing
their presence by sweeping the
streets with machine gun and rifle
fire.
Then smashing in the doorways
right along the principal street they
began spraying the houses with gaso-
line with specially constructed
pumps for that purpose. Inside half
an hour the torch was applied and
Mailow given to the flames.
Speaking on the demand for the
recognition of the Irish republic by
the United States government, May
or Dempsey said the Irish nation
based its claim to such recognition
on the war aims of America and the
allies. Even England proclaimed
that she had fought to make the
world safe for democracy and to sus-
tain the principle that all govern
ments should be by the consent of
the governed.
ireland by 80 per cent of it's peo-
pie on no less than three occasions
since the signing of the armistice
declared for republican form OF
government. The issue before the
country was clear. 1t was an Irish
republic or the continuation of the
British connection. The elections
were held under British law and
fixe-sixths of the people voted for
Irish independence; and the republic
then established and since function
ing is the only government recog-
nized by the Irish nation.
The only authority England has
in Ireland today is the authority of
the bullet, the authority Germany
exercised for time in Belgium. the
of might against right.
In my travels up and down this
great country of yours | have found
England's agents have been busv
spreading the lie that Ireland's fight
Tor independence is a religious and
not national question.
AS well might it be said that the
struggle of Catholic Belgium against
erotestant Germany few years ago
was a religious question. The peo-
PIE tnat make these charges appar-
emily forget, and think you forget
mat lreland's struggle has been 90
ng on for $50 years while Protest
sntism in England has lasted less
han 400.
Since the 18th century down 70
- ~ NplH LnS leading
lrisn revolutionary and republican
eaders have in almost every in
lance been members of the Protest.
INT church. And no names TODAY
re more venerated in ireland or
more sacred to Irishmen than those
u Molyneaux and Swift. Wolf. ToneI
.ord Edward Fitzgerald. Robert
emmett, John Mitchell. Thomas
Jaws, and Parnell, every one Of
hem Protestants.
- nd today there are no less than
I'VE members of the Irish republican
aplnet who are not members of tbei
'atholic church The repubIiaan
overnment has not only the good
~ but the active support of The
'rotestant intellectuals of the conn
~. a few weeks ago when tbe
eace negotiations were instituted
Lloyd George two of the irish
eiegates to London were Catholics
ia Two were Protestants, and tbe
ian who signed the truce on behalf
the Irish republican army Gas
Barton. a leading