en" so far as concerns these Irish in the United
States.
As to those who remain in Ireland we again hear of coercion, are told
that there is to be some more legislation for them which is to be a
"final settlement." An Englishman has just written a book to prove that
all settlements with such people as the Boers and the Irish should be
"finalities" and settle the question. This, he says, is very important.
I notice also that some Irish representatives arrived the other day in
New York to collect from Irish-Americans subscriptions in money to
enable them to discuss this "final settlement," which has been
progressing for 700 years without arousing the least sense of humor in
any Englishman whom I ever knew or heard of.
I know however of one settlement which is supposed to have been final.
It was a document signed in Paris in the year 1783, by an Englishman
whose name is of no importance, but the persons who signed on the other
side were Franklin, Adams and Jay. I am wrong to call this a final
settlement. It gave us only independence on the land. England still
ruled us on the ocean where she searched our ships as she pleased and
claimed a suzerainty over us as she has claimed a suzerainty over the
Boers, and for the same contemptible purpose, to enable her to watch her
chance to destroy our independence.
We remained semi-independent until 1812 when we fought what used to be
called the Second War for Independence. There were a great many people
in your part of the country who thought we ought not to fight that war.
They used your argument. They said what is the use? It will waste money
and destroy valuable property, both English and American. What is the
use of fighting for a mere sentiment? Let us be governed by sense rather
than sentiment. Let us be content with the substantial advantage and the
liberty we already have rather than risk it all, and our material
interests besides. And you carried this argument so far that you
threatened to secede from the Union.
England had secret emissaries here at that time to encourage secession
and dissolution in the hope that at any rate she could turn New England
and possibly the Middle States into dependencies again. A few years
afterwards in our Civil War, she again did her utmost to dismember us;
and she would to-day seize with eagerness any similar opportunity. She
never gives up her purpose to destroy the political manhood of any
people.
If she had the courage of her
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