The "International" in Cork.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 143, 6 August 1872, Page 7

The "International" in Cork.

[From the Freeman's Journal.] A meeting, convened by the working men of Cork, was held on Sunday in the Athenseum for the purpose of denouncing the International Association, a branch of which had been established in Cork. The building was densely crowded in all parts by the working classes ; but the meeting resulted in one of the most riotous and disorderly gatherings that ever took place here. The platform was occupied by representatives of the parties—the International and the anti-International —and for three hours there was one uninterrupted fight between the factions as to who would retain possession. Edward Murphy was moved to the chair, and was endeavouring to show that Internationalists and Communists were identical, when some persons belonging to the former body interrupted, and denied that there was any connection between them. The promoters of the meeting resented this interference, and the first row of the meeting commenced. The loader of the International here is one Professor de Morgan, and occupying a seat on the platform he took part in the interruption, for which he was about being Hung bodily into the hall, when rescued and placed under the protection of the chairman. From this point confusion and tumult continued, but the chairman still persisted in speaking. He was proceeding to read extracts from papers showing the identity of the International with the Commune, when the International party on the platform, having received reinforcements, made a movement to eject the promoter’s of the meeting from their position. A fearful melee ensued. The tables and chairs were smashed and the fragments used as weapons, several people getting cut from blows from the leg of a table or being pitched off the platform on to the floor. The hand-to-hand encounter between the factions lasted for a quarter of an hour, both sides being tolerably evenly matched. During this period the chairman was four or five times routed from his position by the Internationalists, but was speedily reinstated. He made no further effort to speak, and a tradesman named Cronin proposed the following resolution : —“That while we claim for the working classes the right to look for remunerative wages or shorter hours of labour, we regret to find that there are persons in this city trying to induce them to connect themselves with the International Society, and we deem it onr duty to express publicly onr condemnation of it, and call upon the working men, particularly Irishmen, in whatever country they may be, to avoid a society whose teachings are subversive of religion and morality, and

which proposes to justify all the atrocities committed by the Communists of Paris.” This resolution was read amid a scene o f tumult and disorder, and the proposer made no attempt to speak to it. Daniel McCarthy, secretary to the Cork Working Men’s Association, seconded it, and made some observations, the effect of which was that there was no objection to the International if it did not ignore God and if it took the national cause of Ireland. While he was speaking at the corner of the platform the wrangling between the two parties continued with varying success, the occupiers of either side being ejected as their numbers became weaker. They rallied at botli sides repeatedly, and the taking and retaking of the platform w r as conducted by leaders who were armed with bludgeons. The chairman did not put the resolution, and declared the meeting dissolved, but the dissolution did not occur for a considerable time after. There is no doubt that the International had organised a party to break up the meeting, and the result proved that they were the stronger party. The building was very much damaged. The stools were smashed, cornices wex-e torn down, and even some of the flooring was pulled up to make weapons of.. All the rowing was confined to the parties on the platform and in the immediate vicinity, while the occupants of the galleries and three-fourths of the body of the hall were passive spectators of the proceedings. Some of those in the hall were hurt by chairs being flung in their midst from the platform. One man’s nose was broken in this way. The police made no appearance, and, no doubt, thoroughly tired after a couple of hours of uninterrupted fighting, the people left the hall about six o'clock.