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Show CLERGY AND PEOPLE UNITED. ; During a recent visit to Newmarket-on-Fergus. county Clare. Bishop Fo-garty Fo-garty of Killaloe. in reply to an address ad-dress from the United Irish league branch of the city, said: One. of the blessed things in Irish history for which we cannot be too thankful is that the same hands which offered up the holy sacrifice and disposed dis-posed the mysteries of religion to the people have at all times been among the most strenuous workers for the temporal freedom and prosperity' of their devoted flock. As far as i" am concerned, everything which affects the well-being of the dear people committed to my charge is an object of my concern, con-cern, and therefore, It is that your powerful organization, which was I wrought such splendid benefit for our I public interest, appeals to me. And I am glad to meet its representatives, men whose aims are honorable and methods just. . Ireland cannot afford to dispense with an organizaed association like ours. Individual In-dividual effort, however, high-minded ! and patriotic, as long as it remains j isolated and unorganized, can make j but little impression or. the solid forefs which lie behind and uphold our public grievances. Your organization has brought within measurable distance of complete emancipation the Irish farmers farm-ers w hom the land league at ita inception incep-tion found in a state little better than slavery. But there is much still to be' done on the land question, the labor question, the education question, the industrial in-dustrial question, local improvements of publi caspect, and above all, on the fundamental question of self government, govern-ment, and nothing but combined action proceeding from an organized source, like your association, can effectually remove the obstacles which obstruct the movement of Irish progress along these different lines. v You have done our country the inestimable ines-timable service of trivintr it a united parliamentary party, which has done and continues to do good for Ireland. But that party is powerless unless backed up by the pfople.- The action of the parliamentary party will have precisely the fire and enthuaiasm Avhich the country puts into it. -It is unreasonable to find fault with out-members out-members of parliament, unless by supporting sup-porting we help to improve them" You have heie in this parish of Newmarket the richest land in Clare occupied by farmers remarkable for their thrift industry, sohriety and respectabiiitv, but who, notwithstanding all their industry in-dustry as a body, find it difficult, if not impossible-, to make ends meet, who certainly, in recent years, have been unable to make any headway. |
