IRISH CIVIL WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18168, 14 August 1922, Page 3

IRISH CIVIL WAR.

OFFICIAL PRt)NOUNC£MENTB. "A MADNESS FROM WITHIN." DEFIANCE OF PEOPLE'S WILL [from otte own corebs?ondknt.J LONDON, June 23. The Minister for Defence of the Irish Free Stat© addressed the following Striking message to the army during the lour Courts struggle against the rebels. " Our efforts have brought our country into the mid-stream of the world, brought it there with our national morale raised by the tempering effects of your struggle against our nation's oppressors, with our national prestige raised by tile brilliance I of that struggle. " You have served your country in amis for six or seven long years, filled with th« dream and hope of serving her in peace to bring her to a strength and a dignity and a richness which service in arms alone cannot bring to her. "To-day that morale is being broken, that prestige is being destroyed, and the social and economic'life of our country is being brought to chaoe by disorder which lb invading our country's life through the action of men, some of whom were former associates of you own, and who cow seek to arrogate to themselves an authority to interfere with and destroy the lives and property of others of their countrymen. " To-day having driven the tyranny of the stranger from our land, instead of having the opportunity to turn to these services of construction which mfust develop and crown the strength of our country who are called upon to serve her at ill in arms, to protect her from a madness from within, from men who seek to inflict injury and injustice upon particular individuals and upon particular sections of their countrymen, and who oonceive the mad purpose of driving our country by such back into a war which can be avoided for her, and by taunt and threa* and forced disorder drive our gallant people hopelessly into a struggle that their strength cannot stand." The message said thst while the Government denies the right of any but Irishmen to interfere in national affairs, it also denies the right of any section of Irishmen to brmg disorder oh the country. The Provisional Government, in a proclamation to-day, declared that a section of the Irish people have set themselves against the people's will and declared themselves against their mandate. _ They have devoted themselves to destroying ail functions of Government, and d«sired to embroil tiisir people once more with the British. Under the cover of revered battle cn«i they have enlisted Irish youths and set. them deliberately to the task cl creating disorder. In fcne nam® of liberty, the liberty of the press and cf tSe persoa were ■ assailed,. Property was destroyed and enormous sums of the roople's money taken from the banks. Money for the aged poor was seized from the post office, motor-cara were confiscated and goods wantonly destroyed. The honour of the Irish people had been sullied by murderotui attacks on defenceless civilians. Immediately after the elections -were completed the persons responsible for these acts proceeded to a direct defiance of the people's wUI by a renewal of robberies under the guiss of a boycott on Belfast products. After referring; to the kidnapping 01 General O'Connell, the manifesto, conj eludes: " The Government cannot tolerate this organised system of brigandage and 1 outrage, and it will not allow the will of the people to bo openly flouted by an armed section of the community which is in rebellion not only against th® Government, but against the peopie of Ireland. , . ' * "In name,' Ho maintain your rights and to defend your liberties, the Government has been reluctantly compelled to " armed action against the elements of disorder. Before coming to this decision it had exhausted every effort to prevent the necessity- of » M&orb to armed force. " These misguided persons have chosen to defy in arms the will of the people, and on them alone rasts the responsibility for any loss of life that may unfortunately ensue."