THE AMERICAN FENIANS Violent Speech by Father Mcglynn.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 243, 25 February 1888, Page 5

THE AMERICAN FENIANS Violent Speech by Father Mcglynn.

A meeting was held in New York on 23rd (reports an English paper) to celebrate the anniversary of the execution at Manchester of the threo Fenians who wero concerned in the murder of Sergeant Brett. Some of the features of the meeting were unusually significant. One speaker referred to Patrick Ford as fi. traitor, because lately his dynamite doctrines have been less prominent, and because he did not support Mr Henry George's recent candidature in the State elections. This disclosed the double fact that the large audience was mostly composed of MiGeorge's adherent. 0 , and that they are also dynamiters. Ford's name was roundly hissed, and when a man among the audience rose to defend him disorder followed, and resulted in the forcible ejection of several persons. The excommunicated priest, McGlynn, shocked many people by the levity of his references to tho Pope, and startled all by the boldness' of his advocacy of violence. For instance, he said : — "Irishmen and Irishwomen, here and every : where, assert your rights to the land God gave you. Deliberate, plot for the liberation of your country, for the assertion of your inalienable rights, so that no power on earth or in hell can effectually frustrate them. (Applause.) If tiriosfc, bishop or propaganda »ay you are aoing wrong, tell him to mind his own business —that you are act good a judge of that as he. Fenianism and the Clerkenwall explosion helped the Irish cause more than all *the speeches that had been delivered for a long time. (Applause. ) Let Irishmen help Ireland with all the moans which God and nature have given them ; or let us cease applauding fights for freedom in any land until we applaud Irish patriots such as those whose tnemory wehopour to-niglit." Immense cheering accompanied and followed this, speech. Besides indicating t the tm* 'suspected recriidesee'ne© ef " dynamite doctrines, this meeting, says a correspondent, attests the depth and persistence of a politico-religious schism which is <^uite sufficient to be a factor in the national politics. The adherents of Mr Blame must be dismayed by the open' repudiation of Patrick Ford, who Was subsidised torment the defection of. the Irish Catholics from the Democratic party in the state of New York, where the election te : often decided by a majority of a thousand in a poll of one million.