THE “ ULSTER ” DELEGATION IN AMERICA

New Zealand Tablet, 13 May 1920, Page 33

THE “ ULSTER ” DELEGATION IN AMERICA

HOSTILE RECEPTIONS EVERYWHERE. According to a recent cable message, Carson complimented the “Ulster” Protestant deputation to America on the good work it had done in changing American opinion on the Irish question. The following extracts from recent American exchanges will show what kind of success it had and how it evaded all challenges to dehate the matter (says an exchange): One of the first excursions of the so-called “Ulster Delegation” to the United States was across the river to the Jersey shore. On their arrival in Jersey City they found themselves greeted with full-page advertisements in the daily papers headed, “Men of Ulster, you are welcome.” The advertisements were inserted by the Friends of Irish Freedom and associated organisations. “Americans believe in fair play and always desire to hear both sides of every question,” the advertisement was headed. It then went on to say: —“The Ulster Protestant has qualities of mind and heart that are not surpassed by any other people. For adherence to principle as the principle is understood by them ; .for devotion to duty as they recognise their duty they are the peers of any race. We produce the strangled form of Robert Emmet to testify that the Irish Protestant knows how to die for a principle. Great Britain sent him to the scaffold for daring to assert the principles in Ireland that Washington fought to establish in America. Wolfe Tone—lrish Protestant was sent to his death for striving to bring freedom to Ins native land; his memory lives in Ireland, as an inspiration to men who dare he free. Lord Edward Fitzgerald— Irish Protestant—shot to death by a British soldier for asserting the American principle (hat Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. For a century and a-quarter the Irish Protestant showed his Catholic brother the road to freedom. Call the roll if you —Answer, Grattan; answer, Davis; answer. Smith O’Brien; answer, Mitchel: answer. Parnell. Tell these, your mistaken Ulster brethren, ‘that there is no more fitting place for men.’” The advertisement closed with this “Practical Suggestion—that the issues involved may he made clear to America, we respectfully urge that both sides of the Irish question ho submitted from the same platform. Our committee* will agree to any arrangement which suits your convenience, and will -delegate one or more speakers to meet the same number of our Ulster friends at any time and before any forum of American opinion.”

Religious intolerance stood out like a sore thumb, says the New York Gall, describing a meeting addressed by the Ulster Protestant delegation in tin* Moravian Reformed Church at Port Richmond. The delegation, we are told, offered to answer questions, but withdrew the offer in confusion when men and women got up and really asked some questions. “What right has England in Ireland was fine of the questions. Air. C oote, ALP., in his reply, said": “Ireland is too important to England to think of England giving her up, even if she wanted to. If England could afford to give her up to-morrow she would do so, and be very glad to get rid of her. “The clerical associates of Coote, the G all states, “confined themselves to assaults upon Catholics and to the love of democracy that they said filled their hearts. Maguire, Presbyterian, said flatly that “Ireland’s sorrows will cease when the people of the south and west come to know Christ, through a religion based upon Holy Scripture.” One of the ministers, Air. Crooks, said if Ireland becomes free he will leave it. • w h a Georgo Washington told the Tories to do in 1776, said a voice in the rear of the hall. The Washington Post, referring to the “Ulster” delegation, writes that “American opinion does not count,” and that it is proper to hear both parties, especially as both have apparently made up their minds to establish the public opinion of the United States as a sort of Supreme Court, whose decision, as a determining factor, each invokes in its own favor. The omission of any Catholic representative from the visiting delegation is 'to bo regretted, because of its liability to arouse suspicion and cause prejudice.” 1 Lindsay Crawford, editor of the Statesman, Toronto Canada, president of the Independent Orange Lodges onetime member of the General Synod of the Protestant Church of Ireland and former editor of the Ulster Guarthan, arrived m Seattle recently to confront Carson’s bigot brigade of Ulster clergymen-who were sent to this country to becloud the Irish struggle for freedom with the smoke screen of religious bigotry. fro < 3fA hVe Jf en / 01l 1 °' v ; in K these men everywhere they to o, said All. Crawford to a representative of the Pro-

gress. .'“They are very rsecretive about /their ' itinerary, but we have managed to get to their destination ahead of them or at about the same time. In order to make it more difficult to follow them they divided, and one group went south while the other came west. Rev. James Grattan (Episcopal) is in New Orleans. to-night answering the Carson delegation in that city. It is our purpose to show that the loyal Protestant Irishmen are devoted vto their country and to liberty and that religion or religious bigotry has no place in the struggle between the Irish nation and the British Empire. “We have addressed in the past few weeks large gatherings in Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Boston, Chicago, and Denverin fact, wherever the Ulster delegates hoist the Union Jack the green, white, and orange of the Irish Republic may bo found proudly waving not far away. “These gentlemen persistently ignore our invitation to debate, but wo are making it plain to the people that they are sailing under false colors when they claim to represent the Protestant Churches of Ireland. I happen to know that they were not selected by the Protestant Churches of Ireland, nor even by the Protestant clergy of Ireland. The only credentials they have is a letter of introduction, carried by the Rev. Louis Crooks, written by a single Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and a letter from the clerk of the Presbyterian Synod. Letters of' introduction are easy to obtain; a mandate from the Protestant Churches of Ireland to preach religious hatred in America is not so easy, and they have not such a mandate.”

It is but fair to Protestants in Ireland to say that there are among them those ‘who are entirely opposed to the anti-Irish attitude of their religious leaders (says the Catholic Times). The Gaelic. Ch urch man, an organ of the Irish Protestant Episcopal Church, in its January number, disavows sympathy with the deputation of Ulster Protestant ministers, who, headed by Mr. Coote, ALP., are striving in the United States to resist and damage the movement in favor of liberty for Ireland. The Gaelic Churchwan thus frankly addresses the Ulster bigots:—“We have often challenged, and we challenge again, anyone to produce an instance of a member of our* Church interfered with in modern times solely on account of his religion in the predominantly Roman Catholic parts of Ireland, where no questions of politics or of proselytising were involved. No; we honestly believe that these Ulster qualms are the outcome of a guilty conscience, and that the champions of civil and religions liberty’ mean by that blessed phrase that they are on top and intend to remain So. Now. sarnie lout e'esf tout pardon tier , . and when we see the loaders of our Church holding such benighted views we really must excuse the ordinary Ulster man of the rank and file. Although he does not realise it, he is completely controlled bv the old landlord ascendancy class.” It is clear from the results of the recent elections in Ireland that Irish Protestants generally are beginning to see these truths.