MR MICHAEL DAVITT IN AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 6, 7 June 1895, Page 15

MR MICHAEL DAVITT IN AUSTRALIA

Jn the coarse of bis address at Adelaide Mr Davitt spoke as follows : "The Mayor in his kindly welcome tome stated truly that my mission to Australia was not one of a political character. I would hava ( onsidered it as a high honour indeed if I had beeo selected by Mr M'Cartby and the members of the Irish party to undertake a mission in the Home Rale cause to this or any other country under the sun. Mr M'Cartby thought, and co did the members of bis party, that in the circumstances a mission of a political character to the Australian coloni s would be out of placa at the present time. We have a most grateful recollection of all that has been done for us in the fierce struggles of the last seventeen years by our countrymen and friends in Adelaide, end, indeed, throughout the whole exisnt of Australasia. We would be unworthy of the confidence plar* I in us by the Irish race if we could forget for cne moment the magnificent help you extended to us in our day of b trees and strife. (Cheers.) We know that most of your colonies, if notr'l, have recently paned through a severe financial crisis, In these circumstanc it was thought wise by the Irish party not to invest my tour with any political character whatever. Bat that fact does not, I hope, debar me, if occasion should require it, from defending the movement in which I have bad tbe honour to take part for the last thirty years. Fiom Mr Davitt's speech at Melbourne we take these passages :—: — " I wish to aFiure bis Worship the Mayor in coming to this coloDy I have not the sligbt t intention, by word or by act, to set fire to the smallest river in Australia (great laughter) and as proof of my good and pacific intentions I point to the fast that I have sel ct.d the winter to com j . out here, when nature cain.t possibly help me in that way (laughter). But the objection to me may I of a persmat kind. It might be said, and sai.l truly, that I have bren imprison -d in connection wi h the Ir sh na'ioml m ivement (eh ers). That is perfectly tiae, and if anyone will tr-11 me whe;e in this broad land of the Southern Cr*. s I can find a Mayor or an alderman who has ever undergone 48 hours' impnsonme it for an honest politic il conviction or principal (loud and prolonged cheering) I will go to where he resides, no matter how far away it may be (renewed cheers) and I will tender to him the homp-ja of my respect and admiration. I want to say here, what I bave sail in season and out of season on hundreds of p'atforrus in Great Britain, and what I fait it my duty to repeat on the fl)or of the British House of Commons (hear, hear) that Bhould my life and political existence be prolonged for one hundred years I shall never by word or by pen, by suggtsu'on or anything else, make any apology to anyone for my past conduct (eh I enn repeat «lso what I Baid on the oeia-non to which I have last referred, wi'hin the walls of the British House of Commons, that, given another set of conditions such r thoce which existed in Ireland when I waa a boy, given an Ire Und crushed beneath c ;rcion and outrage, andtramoled upon by Irish landlordism, given a state of poltical feeling in Great Britiin whera we found a nation r ; a unit againßt us in our struggle for liberty, acd I will be a rebel again. (Cheers.) But, thank God, the times have changed. (Hear, hear.) England it< z\l is no longer a unit of opposition against Ireland's claims. (Hear, hear.) We have now with us at Home what I am delighted t j see here to-day — my ideal union : Ireland struggling for cons' ltutional liberty and in the heartiest union wiih tbe cause of Übour and humanity, throughout the world. (Eear, hear.) We hava the British democracy at our side — (hear, hear)— and, therefore, I want to say here to-day to you, of my own race, to you generous friends who do not belong to tbe Celtic people, tha' though Ireland's cause rr ay halt, it is only a halting on the road to victory — (hear, hear) — and the triumph of that cause is as sure as 1 am speaking to this great gathering. (Hear, hear,) Therefore, I once again tender to hia Worship the Mayor of Melbourne— (laughteT)— my heartiest and most grateful thanks. (Laughter and cheers.)