hat these men were doomed to death
(cheers). And it was as Irish patriots that they met their death
(cheers). For these reasons, my countrymen, we here to-day have
joined in this solemn procession to honour their memories (cheers).
For that reason we say from our hearts, 'May their souls rest in
peace' (cries of Amen, and cheers). For that reason, my countrymen,
we join in their last prayer, 'God save Ireland' (enthusiastic
cheering). The death of these three men was an act of English policy.
[Here there was some interruption caused by the fresh arrivals and
the pushing forward.] I beg of all within reach of my voice to end
this demonstration as we have carried it through to the present time,
with admirable patience, in the best spirit, with respect, silence
and solemnity, to the end (cheers, and cries of 'we will'). I say the
death of these men was a legal murder, and that legal murder was an
act of English policy (cheers)--of the policy of that nation which
through jealousy and hatred of our nation, destroyed by fraud and
force our just government sixty-seven years ago (cheers). They have
been sixty-seven sad years of insult and robbery--of
impoverishment--of extermination--of suffering beyond what any other
subject people but ours have ever endured from the malignity of
foreign masters (cheers). Nearly through all these years the Irish
people continued to pray for the restoration of their Irish national
rule. They offered their forgiveness to England. They offered even
their friendship to England if she would only give up her usurped
power to tyrannise over us, and leave us to live in peace, and as
honourable neighbours. But in vain. England felt herself strong
enough to continue to insult and rob us, and she was too greedy and
too insolent to cease from robbing and insulting us (cheers). Now it
has come to pass as a consequence of that malignant policy pursued
for so many long years--it has come to pass that the great body of
the Irish people despair of obtaining peaceful restitution of our
national rights (cheers). And it has also come to pass that vast
numbers of Irishmen, whom the oppression of English rule forbade to
live by honest industry in their own country, have in America learned
to become soldiers (cheers). And those Irish soldiers seem resolved
to make war against England (cheers). And England is in a p