THE IRISH ENVOYS IN AMERICA

New Zealand Tablet, 24 November 1910, Page 1921

THE IRISH ENVOYS IN AMERICA

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION The annual Convention .of the United Irish League of America, which was held at Buffalo during the . last week in September, was attended by Messrs. John Redmond, : T. P. O'Connor, Joseph Devlin, and Boyle, M.P.'s as the representatives of the Irish Parliamentary Party. On Monday morning, September 26, the four envoys proceeded by train from New York to Buffalo, a distance of about 400. miles. Green .flags waved from every shop in the principal streets (says a correspondent of the Freeman's Journal at Buffalo). The envoys were surrounded by surging crowds and hailed with cheers and exclamations of welcome, not only from Irish-Americans, but from German and American residents. The front of .the Iroquois Hotel, at which the delegates are staying, was ablaze with an electrical illumination enclosing the portrait of Mr. Redmond. A meeting of the National Committee and the envoys was held at the Hotel Iroquois on Monday night, and on that occasion, as well as before the Convention opened on Tuesday, the envoys met many of the delegates. Their reports were most encouraging, and were unanimous in their character. , . •.-.,

At 10 o’clock on Tuesday morning the Convention assembled in the Convention Hall. The attendance of 800 delegates was officially recorded. This is the largest gathering at a National Convention since the first Home Rule year in 1886. The Convention represented all parts of America, and there was a strong contingent from Canada. At the outset the official welcome was tendered to Mr. Redmond and his colleagues by the Acting Mayor of the City of Buffalo. Mr. Henry W. Killeen, President of the Parnell branch, Buffalo, also delivered an address of welcome. Mr. Redmond’s reply was loudly cheered. His claim to the goodwill of Americans generally was instantly endorsed, and his hopeful view of the prospects of the Home Rule struggle was hailed with delight. He declared that the House of Lords was doomed. As soon as the Veto was removed the main obstacle to Home Rule would have disappeared and Home Rule would come

The Bishops of Buffalo, of London (Ontario), and Rochester were presentand they spoke for his Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, and for several other prelates whose sympathy with the work of the Irish Party has been frequently expressed, and who sent telegrams of congratulation to the Convention. Other telegrams read included many from Governors of States and Mayors of cities. One of the great figures of the Convention was that of the Hon. John Costigan, formerly member of the Dominion Cabinet in Canada and now member of the Senate. It will be remembered that he carried the first resolution in favor of Home Rule for Ireland in the Canadian Parliament as far back as the year 1882. The report of the National President of the United Irish League of America presented to the Convention stated that the financial results of the last two years' working had been up to the promises made. They expected to see Home Rule soon realised. There was a large attendance of representatives of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America at the Convention. Mr. James Dolan, a former president of the organisation, declared that 98 per cent, of the rank and file were in favor of the party. _ Tremendous enthusiasm marked the whole of the Convention proceedings. The delegates again and again all rose to their feet and, in American style, cheered for several minutes. 'I never saw anything like it, nor, I believe, did anybody else.' This, says the Freeman's correspondent, is what Chairman Ryan said during the remarkable, indeed startling, scene of enthusiasm at the Convention of the United Irish League of America on Wednesday. It was the day fixed for the agenda for the annnouncement of subscriptions to the Irish Party funds "from the delegates on behalf of those whom they represented and themselves. Nearly a thousand men and women of Irish birth and extraction crowded the great Convention Hall. .The four envoys occupied seats on the platform near Mr. Michael J. Ryan,: of Philadelphia, who has been president of the League since he was elected at the Philadelphia Convention in 1906, and who also presided ;at the Boston Convention in 1908. A feeling pervaded the Convention from the very start that a resounding blow would be struck for unity and Home Rule, and excitement grew. as. this took solid shape

and actuality. President Ryan himself contributed largely to the dazzling success of the . subscription roll-call. Now making a sympathetic appeal for Ireland's sake, then with a joke sending the whole assembly into fits of laughter, he stood at the table all the time, and was never quiet for a second. If there was the slightest pause in the flow of subscriptions he would, in his own imitably persuasive magnetic way at once set it going again at full tide. First came > . ,- : - ■' . v . ' . , ,-■ ■, r A Round of Big Sums. The Irish World led with a promise of £2OOO. Massachusetts State capped this with £3OOO. Pennsylvania again went one thousand better with £4OOO, and there was a roar of acclamation. It was now the turn of Illinois. Two thousand, cried its representatives, but they added emphatically, As a minimum,' and there was again cheering. Montreal also spoke for £2OOO, and there. were exclamations of 'Canada! Canada!' St. Louis promised £IOOO. Buffalo, the seat - of the Convention, put up £4OO, followed by Syracuse . with £SOO, and Albany ' £4OO. All at once the subscriptions leaped into big figures again when New York planked down £4OOO, and the president of the Board of Erin Ancient Order of Hibernians pledged . £2OO for himself. City after city for a time competed at about £2OO to £250 each. Pittsburg topped them with £3OO, and there was a renewal of cheering in augmented volume when there was another jump in the amount. The State of New Jersey called out £IOOO. 'More if necessary,' shouted the delegate when the first burst of applause had subsided, and he got a great cheer. There was now a brief pause to see who would give a lead with individual subscriptions. Mr. Thomas Reilly, a leading architect of Philadelphia, fixed a, high level with his £2OO. Mr. T. Fitzpatrick, treasurer of the League, went beyond, him with ' £2OO from myself, £2O from my wife v£2o from: each of my children.' "--•,.. - ; ; . President Ryan had remained standing throughout, spurring on everybody by appeal and joke. He broke down at this point. As ho called out £31,000, he added fervently: 'Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.' He sank to his seat, and wept silent tears of happiness and. thankfulness. ' • ■■ : '■■"■'.■'■■"-'- The New York Meeting. New York gave a great lead, to the country by its reception of the Irish envoys on October 2. The Carnegie Hall, which was engaged, is the largest in the city. It is like a vast theatre, with its tiers of balconies and boxes, and it presented a brilliant appearance when Judge Morgan O'Brien, of the Supreme Court, called the meeting to order. It was packed to the ceiling, and the enthusiasm was indescribable. Every seat was paid for, and the 65 private boxes were crowded with leading citizens. All the well known Irish names of New- York were represented. Something like this had been seen before, to almost the same extent, but what was most remarkable and significant was the great assemblage ' of Americans of all parties. It was the greatest Home Rule meeting seen in New York for twenty years. When Mr. Redmond, Mr. Devlin, and Mr. Boyle appeared on the platform it seemed as if the cheering would never stop. The success of the Buffalo Convention had put everyone into the best possible spirits, and again and again, when it seemed that the audience had exhausted their welcome, the cheers would break out again stronger than ever. Judge Morgan O'Brien was supported by a most influential platform. No other cause than Ireland's could have drawn together so varied and representative a multitude of New York's best men. There was not space around the chairman for half of those who wished to show their active support of the Irish Party. There were many priests and Catholic dignitaries. Clergymen of all denominations attended in exceptional force. Congressmen, Sena- . tors, professional men, business men, all sat or ! stood together, irrespective of party ties and the peculiar social distinctions, of the city. Mr. Redmond delivered an eloquent speech, much on the lines of his previous utterances here, taking a hopeful view of the political crisis in relation to Home Rule, and declaring that the policy of the party would be directed to Home Rule only, and that they would not be diverted from that policy by minor considerations. This deliverance was just what was wanted, and it was endorsed in the most emphatic way all along. The collection was then. taken, and in half an hour 10,000 dollars were handed in. Mr. Patrick Ford then created a tempest of cheering by announcing 10,000 dollars from the readers of the Irish World, making over 20,000 dollars total. On Saturday the city, of New York paid another official compliment to the envoys. On the invitation of the civic authorities, Mr. Redmond, Mr. Devlin, and Mr. Boyle attended with their friends at the City Hall, and the freedom of the city was conferred on them. It was a happy • circumstance, entirely due to accident, that the ceremony was performed by Mr. John Purroy Mitchel, grandson of John Mitchel, who is Acting Mayor in the absence ' of Judge Gaynor, due to the injuries he received at the hands . of a disappointed office-seaker., . > . :''!' Mr. Mitchel welcomed the three envoys in his own name and in ', the name: of the whole city, . and said he had been specially asked by Judge Gaynor, the Mayor, to express his good wishes to them in , their work for Ireland, and his regret that he was not able to attend the ceremony

himself. \ Mr. Redmond ‘received invitations from President Taft and Mr. Roosevelt to pay each a visit. ; The Daily Mail Toronto correspondent, telegraphing on Sunday, October 2, says:—Mr. T. P. O’Connor, M.P., in a speech here last night in connection-with his mission of collecting funds for the Irish Party, said that there was a possibility of Home Rule by January next. If the Conference on the House of Lords was successful, its award must make a provision that legislation of a Liberal Cabinet must be as safe in the House of Lords as Conservative legislation. If such a revision were made, Mr. Balfour would recognise that the next Liberal Government would give Home Rule. Recognising this, Mr. . Balfour might decide to make Home Rule a free gift of the whole English nation lather than of one party. The Home Rule fight had reached a stage when Canadian opinion was important; because any scheme of an Imperial Parliament would necessitate Local Governments lor different sections of the Empire. - ■ ,