THE IRISH DELEGATES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2702, 5 November 1889, Page 3

THE IRISH DELEGATES.

TO Till-: KIHTOK Siii, —[ understand that subscriptions are l.oiiif,'gathered tor tliu [.nirpnvis of obtaining a, visit to the Waikatu nf one or more of the Irish delegates. I mucli regret that our Irish btutiii-un should try to introduce this clement of discord into our midst, but if they succeed I hopo that every township in the Waiknto will follow the example of Auckland and lwlrl meeting, not only to e\[irc:s our loyalty, lint to utter an indiffiiiiut pvotest affiiinst Ihe introduction into this colony of the bitter party strife now so prevalent it. Enelaud, America and Ireland. Wo all know the bombastic- utterances of ♦hi 3 Irish paid agitators, and if some such steps as I have suggested be not taken throughout the colony, we shall soon hear of the discontented Irish peasantry l-ieinc deluded and encouraged in their »trnt,'i,'lo by the statement, that they have the sympathy, and will have the practical assistance of the Australasian colonies. Moreover, we have had proof in New Zealand of the mischievous effects of I he establishment nf Irish I'olitical Societies in the country. Twenty years uro Feniau Lodges were stin tad all along the West Coast of the South Island. At first no danger was anticipated from them, but as they grew in strength they increase:! in boldness. Numerous outrages wi-.ia committed, and ,i .•vigil of terror existed iilonj,' the Coast, and il was not till tho attempted assassination of the I lake of Edinburgh in Sydney cutsed the law-abiding citizens to tako .steps for tho suppression of the organisation, that order was restored, and this was only accomplished by the enrolment of thonsandsol special cimslables, and tho arrival in llokitikaof a large detachment of the armed Constabulary, when the riußluiirlui'H were arrested and afterwards convicted by the Supreme Court. The utterance of the delegates may be smooth and polished enough, but we cannot trus 1 . them. Anyone who has read and studied the speeches of the leaders must understand that the goal to which they are looking is the complete separation of Ireland from Groat Britain, and 1 would ask Irishmen in the colonies to pause before giving further aid to this movement, and consider their own position, if, in a time of England's difficulty and aided by some Foreign Power, Ireland should become an independent nation. ! apprehend that all Irishmen in the. colonies would then become aliens and foreigners. That the thousands of comfortable billets held by them in the Public Service would become vacant, as most of them could only be held by British subjects they would lose the right of citizenship, they would be in a worse position than other foreigners owing to the distrust with which they would be. regarded as men who had assisted in the dismemberment of the Km pi re. England is honestly striving at the present time to redress the grievances of which irishmen in the past have had so much reason to complain, and it is only the action of the League and the outnpes which are now so unhappily disgracing Ireland that prevents Miein from receiving the .same measure of freedom and local self-government enjoyed by Scotland and England. In conclusion, I hope and believe that si large number of Irishmen in New Zealand will show their love for their adopted country, and their belief in the justice of Englishmen, by letting tho delegates see that they will not assist cither by their money or influence in support of the seditious practices of the Plan of Campaign, or in bringing discord into these peaceful colonies,—l am, &c, Unity. Hamilton, November Ith, IBSII.