AN IRISH REPUBLIC.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16462, 14 June 1919, Page 4

AN IRISH REPUBLIC.

PLATFORM OF INDEPENDENCE. (From the Christian Science. Monitor.') NEW YORK, May 2. Justice Cohalau yesterday received from Scan T. O’Kelly, representative of the Irish Republic at Paris, a copy of the declaration of independence adopted by the Irish Republic Parliament, publication of which was suppressed in Ireland. It follows; “Whereas, the Irish people is by right a free- people; and, i “Whereas, for 700 years the Irish people has never ceased to repudiate, and has repeatedly protested in against foreign usurpation; and, “Whereas, English rule in this country- is, and always has been, based upon force and maintained by military occupation against the declared will of the people; and, “Whereas, the Irish Republic was proclaimed in Dublin on Easter Monday, 1916, by the Irish Republican army, acting on behalf of the Irish people; and, “Whereas, the Irish people is, resolved to secure and maintain its (om plete independence in order, to promote the common weal, to re-establish justice, to provide for future defence, to insure peace at home and good-will with all nations, and to constitute a national policy based upon the people’s will, with equal righto and equal opportunity for every citizen ; and, “Whereas, at the threshold of a new era in history, the Irish electorate has, in the general election of December, 1918, seized .the first occasion to declare, by an overwhelming majority, its firm allegiance to the Irish Republic; now therefore. 1 “Wc, the elected representatives of the. ancient Irish people, in - national Parliament assembled, do, in the name of the Irish Nation, ratify the establishment of the Irish Republic, ami pledge ourselves and our people to make this declaration effective hy every means at our command. “To ordain that the elected representatives qf the Irish people' alone have power to make laws binding on the people of Ireland, and That tile Irish Parliament is the only parliament to which that people will give its allegiance. “We solemnly declare foreign government in Ireland to ho an invasion of our natioal rights, which we will never tolerate, and we demand the evacuation of our country by the English garrison. “Wo claim for our national independence the recognition and support of every free nation in the world, and we proclaim that independence to be a condition precedent to international peace hereafter. “In the name of the Irish people, we humbly commit our destiny to Almighty God, who gave our fathers the courage and determination to .persevere through long, centuries of a ruthless tyranny, and, strong in the justice of the cause which they have handed down to ns, wo ask His Divine blessing on this, the. last stage of the struggle- which we have pledged ourselves to carry through to freedom.”