IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 31, 26 November 1886, Page 11

IRISH NATIONAL LEAGUE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE N.Z. TABLET.

SlB, — I am most happy to be able to forward through you to Mr. Parnell for the " Payment of Irish Members' Fund " the enclosed' cheque for £140 collected in this town and surrounding districts, i You will see from the list of names forwaided for publication in the Tablet, that this is the practical expression of the sentiments and sympathies of the Irish people and their friends with their country, in this the moment of one of her severest trials in the grand work of regaining her libeity, and taking her proper place amongst the nations. Hawke's Bay, as you are aware, did not hitherto sympathise much with the Land of the Green, but like your own dear province Otago, it much preferred other colours. But sincere thanks to the united efforts and undoubted fidelity of the Nationalists and all their friends, tbe cane is not so to-day. Gladstone's great speeches and Paraell's eloquence and logic have a magic ring about them which penetrates the remotest corners of the Empire, bringing with them a force and a weight which the most prejudiced of the opponents of Ireland's freedom must feel and acknowledge. The glorious mission of the Redmonds in these colonies and the manner in which they treated the Irish question did more good than an army of thousands. The recital of the history of 700 yeais of chains and woes to which Ireland's loving neighbour forced her to submit, with the many fatal consequences which necessarily followed, must be a bitter pill to swallow for those who are exerting every nerve to keep Ireland still tbe Niobe of nations. From the hands of J. E. Redmond they had to swallow this pill and with the intended effect. The sting is drawn from the arguments and the poison from the fangs of our pretended politicians, leaving both comparatively weak and harmless, whilst they are now better posted in history, and Irishmen and' women feel the quieter and less molested for it. This was clearly manifested on the occasion of the late great public meetiDg convened .n this town to sympathise with W. E. Gladstone on the result of his stupendous effort in tbe work of Ireland's liberation. We were opposed, no doubt, and with no small amount of malice, but those entrusted were equal to the difficulty, and the meeting was carried out with the most successful results. It is needless to say that tbe next day the " GraDd Old Man " and the leader of the Irish party were made acquainted by cpblc with the particulars, together with the good wishes of hundreds of Irishmen and women here in Hawke's Bay. whose earnest desire is to see the day when they will, with God's help, witness their country take her rightful place amongst the nations of tbe world. — I am, etc., F. Grouan, S.M. Catholic Presbytery. Nov. 20, 1886.