Pueblo chieftain., 1921-04-26

ment met the address of cap. Robert
Montieth. of the Irish Republican
Recognition of the Irish Republic, last
night at Memorial hall. 1t was evil
dent that the audience was with the
officer from the start Of his talk.
Fully twelve hundred persons were
seated in the auditorium. Frederick
Bartlett was at the organ during the
first part, followed by Capt. Montcith's
address and concluding with Mrs: Dr.
Mcdonald at the organ, and Jcff FitZ-
patrick with two solos,
On the stage were seated Commits
sioners Studzinski, Lovern and Jack
son, Edward McCabc, w. b. McMinn,
Geo. Morrissey. Andrew McGovern, j.
A. Marten. DIR. Hayes and I. H. Dc
vine, chairman.
Chairman ,Devine introduced Cap
tain Monteith. saying:
The American people arc always
just and fair Sometimes thru mis-
understanding, they may take the
wrong view of things, but never other
wise. The spirit of fair play is always
paramount in their consideration and
determination of matters, and Injustice
to either man or brute is never know
ingly sanctioned by them.
In the great struggle now going on
in Ireland. the views and opinions of
the American people arc more or less
divergent, but this is because the in
formation they have received in regard
has been more or less conflicting. /
do not for "A moment believe that this
is chargcablc to any willful desire on
tho part of our papers to misreprcscnt
tho situation over there, or to wrongly
influence public opinion by distortinG
the facts. But / think it is due in
large measure to the prejudiced
sources from which our papers receive
their reports. Ireland has not a gov
crnmcnt that is functionng in Ire
la, tl,n- r~I
news items leaving that country and
cannot censor. This power rest alone
with England Were | to believe a ma
jority of the accounts published re-
Gardinc that Titanic struggle, | would
be persuaded to conclude that it is
essentially a religious struggle; that a
strong church organization was seek
ing to got control of the governmental
affairs of Ireland. II I did so believe.
would not be here. l am firmly
Protestant in my religious faith, and
am staunch in the conviction that
there should and must be wide scpa-
ration between church and state. on
the other hand, am intensely Ameri-
I can.
II believe with all my heart in the
wisdom and sanctity of that great
document which VIC call the Constitu-
ton of this country, and that sacred
/ document guarantees to every one the
right to worship God according to the
not my brothers keeper in the sense
of debating to him what religious faith
he shall embrace, or at what altar he
shall knecl in offering up his sup
pication to his Maker. The one thing
| am insistert ON Is that in whatever
faith he processes. he shall be honest,
true and sincere. I dcspise Hypocrisy.
J Ireland is struggling today for the
same thing that We fought for in
Revolutionary times. her freedom, and
hT tnd md ~ nd hRt ha
heart of tho great majority of the
I American people is with her. II II is
wrong for the Irish people to fight for
liberty today, 1t was equally wrong for
! our forcfathers to have done the same
! thing in the years of long ago. and
where is the fair-mindcd American
that is willing to admit that they were
Z in the wrong
1T is natural for human kind to got
away from undesirable control or to
throw off the yoke OF oppression. The
people of tho Philippine Islands are
, now clamoring for their freedom, not
because they are oppressed. Tor they
are not but because thcy feel they
are entitled to a government OF their
own, and the American people agree
with them. and this magnanimous gov
crnmcnt viii ere long grant to them
[ all they desire. Canada is getting very
restless under the dominating control
I OF England, and will. within COM
parativcly short time, assert hcr indie
pcndcncc and seek her freedom. She
may not get this chNrfully. but she
will get 1t in by judgment without
bloodshed. Australia Will do likewise
and who can blame her?
''Thr sympathy Of the liberty-loving
American people is with ireland. We
/ may differ as to methods OF procedure
| We may not be willing to go to the OK
| tent asked OF US in assisting her. but
/ VIC arc with her in heart. sympathy
and pockethook. Hs has been demon
/ stratcd In the past. As loyal Amer
leans wc arc justified in doing every
! thing W. reasonably or honestly can.
I either individually or collectively. to
assist the Irish people in securing their
desires. hut to cmbroil our Government
ms such in the controversy Is entirely
I "a different matter. Some arc willin;
/ to go tndt far. ] am not. | am sure I
am sufc in saying tho overwh Ginning
minority OF our people rccoil at the
Z mere suggestion, and in my humble
Judgment. campaign in this country
FOR recognition 10y the United Stntcs
Government OF the claimed government
of Ireland. is more apt 10 lose sym
paihy and assistance than to gain IT,
You must be zane and reasonable IN
! your demands and I have littlc doub,
that 10y so doing the right will ulti-
matcly prevail.
The best friend that ireland ever
had is the man who discovered Amer
I lea"
The omissary from tho Irish rcpub-
lie. In his address, appealed to tho
/ friendship of America. referring to
I tho visit in 1869 to Dublin Of Benjamin.
7 franklin. pleading the cause. OF the
then struggling assembly OF the Union,
and t"iiuE OF the aid given to tho
+ United States IN tho Revolutionary
, War by Irish soldiers.
| "Almost 30 nerccnt of WlehinEionA