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_ England holds Ireland down with the deliberate and unrelenting purpose
of stifling her industrial and commercial growth and to preserve her own
mastery of the sea, which is the chief menace to the peace of the world. This
sinister purpose is revealed in every provision of the Bill which pretends
to give Ireland Home Rule, but which withholds from her all centro] over
her vital interests and every power and attribute of self-government, from the
right to foster and promote her industries to the collection of the taxes,
The measure for which Redmond has guaranteed Ireland’s loyalty, the
blood of her sons in an unjust and unprovoked war and the betrayal of
«the United States py Irish citizens is the worst political abortion and the
meanest act of cheating in the annals of legislation. After going through
the farce of “placing it on the Statute Book,” another Bill is hurried through
Parliament suspending it till the close of the war, and the Government makes
the announcement that it will later introduce an Amending Bill which will
exclude part of the country from its operations and perpetuate the religious
strife which has cursed Ireland for generations.
All this is done with the consent and approval of the Irish Parliament-
ary Party, which boasts that it “holds the Ministry in the hollow of its hand,”
and when Ireland most needs a body of Irishmen in Dublin to guide the peo-
ple in a time of sore trial and danger. The Party could have compelled the
Government to grant a much larger measure, but they did not even try. They
consented to every amendment making the wretched Bill worse and made no
effort whatever to improve it. Able to turn out the Government in an hour,
they kept it in power and submissively obeyed its orders. It is a notorious
fact that they could have made better terms with the Tories, but they rejected
their advances, and in the interests of English measures which do not affect
Ireland made an alliance with the Liberals. They played a game of English
politics at the expense of Ireland and deliberately sacrificed Irish interests,
They voted for Budgets which robbed Ireland, and permitted the breach of a
postal contract so that Irish business might be further injured and Ireland
cut off from direct communication with the outside world. And they voted for
the war against Germany which will impose intolerable financial burdens
on Ireland, and their leader is now doing his utmost to send thousands of
Irishmen to be slaughtered for England’s benefit.
Read by the light of his present attitude Redmond’s action in obtaining
control of the Irish Volunteers and keeping them disarmed, his traitorous
purpose becomes apparent. He was acting for the English Government, so
as to prevent a repetition of _782, .
Judged by his own political standards Mr. Redmond was a conspicuous
failure as a champion of Irish rights long before he openly betrayed his
country. He has been deceiving the Irish people for years, so that he might
gradually prepare the way for his treason. Irish history records only one
instance of deceit and treachery as base and deliberate as that of Redmond. -
The perjured demagogue, Keogh, who incited to assassination so that he might
climb to the bench to wreak England’s vengeance on Irish patriots was Red-
mond’s model.
Parnell sought and obtained the kelp of militant Irish Nationalists on
the plea that a large measure of National Self-Government could be secured by
an honest and vigorous use of the Constitutional Weapons at the command of
the Irish people, and it was given unstintedly. He was always true to the
plighted word. It is a matter of history, unchallenged and incontrovertible,
that the Clan-na-Gael organized and controlled from the very outset the
American movement which supplied the financial resources that enabled Par-
nell to carry on the campaign which he brought to the very threshold of suc-
cess. Although Redmond claimed that Parnell’s policy was also his, the Clan-
na-Gael never trusted him, because his utterances during and since the Boer
‘War proved him to be a trimmer and a shiftless politician, without any real
National feeling.
But Redmond secured such financial support as he obtained in America
by the profession, in public and private, of ardent Nationalist principles. In
Buffalo a few years ago he stated that his object was “to tear up the ac-
cursed Act of Union and trample it under foot.” He obtained money under
false pretenses ag flagrant as those used by a common swindler, and he has
used it to debase and debauch the public life of Ireland, so as to prepare the
way for the betrayal which he is now endeavoring to accomplish. He has
suppressed freedom of speech, stifled political discussion, corrupted the press,
and built up a rotten political Machine, composed largely of men in England’s
pay, means of which he proposes to deliver Ireland bound and gagged,
to the English Government He is flooding Ireland through his venal press
with infamous English lies about German “atrocities” and attacks on a peo-
ple who were always friendly to Ireland while England was persecuting
and robbing her, for the sole purpose of blinding the Irish people to the op-
portunity which this war presents of enabling them to obtain benefits which
would be impossible with England at peace. And he is now prostituting
the Catholic Church to the base and sordid purposes of England.
Ireland’s interests would be best served by England’s defeat in this war.
A strong England has always oppressed Ireland and treated her with con-
tempt: England in trouble and facing danger has ever been willing to listen
to Ireland’s complaints. In proportion as the British Empire grows strong it
presses with greater weight on Ireland; when it begins to go down Ireland’s
chances of fair treatment will improve, and the day of its destruction will see
the dawn of Ireland’s redemption. These are the lessons of Irish history.
Ireland’s sympathies in this war should be with Germany, as her interests
undoubtedly are. A German victory over England would give Ireland the op- |
portunity to win her independence and become a prosperous nation, able to
support a large population from her own great natural resources and to de-
fend her liberties against all enemies. Her Independence would destroy Eng-
land’s mastery of the sea and liberate Europe from English commercial dom-
ination.
England without Ireland would be reduced to the position of a third
class Power, incapable of browbeating Europe, of holding the choicest spots
on the earth’s surface, or of disturbing the peace of the world.
If the Irish people are true to themselves this war may bring them free-
dom. But they can gain nothing by taking England’s side. A victorious Eng-
land would treat Ireland with contempt; a beaten England would be too weak
to oppress or reconquer Ireland.
The duty of the Irish people is to themselves and their own country. By
conserving their strength they will be able to wring from the situation some
benefit for themselves; by wasting their strength for England they will place
themselves at the mercy of a power that has wronged and injured them for
seven centuries. That the spirit of England is unchanged and unchangeable is
shown by the’ miserable character of the “Home Rule” Bill and the cowardly
slaughter of women and children in the streets of Dublin on July 26 last.
Whatever may be the outcome of the present war, the interests, the honor
and the good name of the Irish race throughout the world demand that John
Redmond’s traitorous action be repudiated. If it is not, the race will deserve
and receive the contempt of the world, and that contempt will nowhere be
more pronounced than in England. :
Before any action, peaceful or otherwise, can be taken to use the present
opportunity to win anything for Ireland, Ireland must purge herself of the
shame and disgrace of Redmond’s treason.
NEW YORK. — David J. Naugh- SBellew, Brooklyn; John Lawler, Brook:
tin, Patrick Kavanagh, Michael J. Mc-
Carthy, Patrick J. Griffin, John Devoy,
Fatrick Sharkey, Michael Berkery, Wm.
b. Clarke, James Reidy, Wm. Flood,
John Kenny, Daniel Bacon, Major Thos.
3. Nolan, Anthony McOwen, Bernard
McMahon, J. F. McCarthy, M. G. Lyons,
M. J. O'Shea, New York City; P. J.
Kennedy, Glens Falls; John Sheridan,
Cohoes; John S. Ryan, Mechanicville; ©
Jchn T. Ryan, Buffalo; John A. Quin-
lan, Buffalo; P. J. Rowan, Rochester;
M, J. Dugan, Hornell; Thomas H. Cas-
sidy, Mechanicville; Thomas S. O’Brien,
Albany; Edward Desmond, Schenec-
tady; D. J. Keeffe, Glens Falls; John
J. Tobin, Hornell; Martin L. Biggane,
Brooklyn; Thomas B. McGowan, Brook-
lyn; D. Begley, Brooklyn; P. H. Mc-
Carthy, Brooklyn; Michael F. Healy,
Brooklyn; Michael F. O’Rourke,
Prooklyn; D. R. Sullivan, Brooklyn;
William P. Kenny, Brooklyn; James
F, Dannaher, Brooklyn; James Flaher-
ty, Brooklyn; Luke P. O’Toole, James
lyn; James Christy, Brooklyn; Michael
O'Connor, Long Island City; John Kelly,
Bath Beach; Patrick Leonard, Brook-
lyn; Patrick T. Connolly, Brooklyn;
John F. Jordan, Yonkers, N. Y.; Will-
jam F, Cauley, Yonkers, N. Y.; Jame
Buckley, Port Chester; Robert Nether-
cott, Port Chester,
CONNECTICUT.—M: J. Connolly,
New Haven; John O’Connor, New Ha-
ven; Michael B. McGreal, New Haven;
Thomas J. Smith, New Britain; John
¥. Meehan, New Britain; Colonel T. J.
Murphy, Bridgeport; John O’Connell,
Eridgeport; John Brannigan, Nauga-
tuck; Dr. T. M. Ryan, Torrington; M.
J, Lynch, Waterbury; John H. McNa-
mara, Ansonia; Edward J. Roach,
Ridgefield; M. J. O'Sullivan, Danbury.
NEW JERSEY.—Richard J. McMul-
lin, Jersey City; J. J. Nestor, Jersey
City; James Amrock, Jersey City; Ste-
phen J. Finn, Elizabeth; John C. Len-
non, Newark; Daniel B. Diffily, Passaic;
Hugh Montague, Passaic; Edward R.
x