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Show PROCLAMATION OF THE IRISH. Want United States to Offer Sympathy Sym-pathy to Boers. Washington, Jan. 7. The national officers of-ficers of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Hiberni-ans met in this city today and issued the folloMing statement to the public: "The national officers met in Wash ington to discuss a demand on tne part of the majority of the representatives of our 150.000 members that the order render some assistance to the Boers in the Transvaal. It was agreed to render any assistance compatible Mith our loyalty as American citizens, and which Mould not interfere M'ith the neutrality neutral-ity laws of the United States. We are I impressed M-ith the splendid precedent I shown by the republic in going to M-ar j Mith Spain to free Cuba from the oppression op-pression of that oountryr We believe that American sympathy is1 with the Boers and that M-e are acting in accordance ac-cordance Mith the principles which urged the United States to carry the flag in a struggle for the liberation of the gallant Cubans Our people Mould I flock to the arms of America if the I government marched to the assistance of the South Africans. Claim to Be Loyal. "It is unnecessary for the Hibernians to proclaim their loyalty to the UJiited States, but it becomes them to rotate that no act of theirs will be contrary to the laws. Know ing the character of the British government, its cruelty, its ambition, we are desirous to assist the citizens of a sister republic in their struggle to defeat English aggression. What kind of aid M ill be given we cannot can-not state at' the present time, but certainly cer-tainly it will be of a practical nature and acceptable to the Boer government. Were this nation the antagonist . of Kr.gland M-e could from our ranks send fifteen to twenty regiments of the best fighting material the M-orld ever saw-. In fact, in any 'Just cause in M hich the United States may see fit to , draM- the SM-ord, the society M-ould respond re-spond as it did in former Mrars. The Irish regiments of Illinois, Michigan. Massachusetts and New York M'Pira largely recruited from our' ranks, and in some of the regimenag of United States regulars recently sent to the front are. divisions of the A. O. H.. duly affiliated M-ith the parent order in this country The order at large is hopeful hope-ful that the government will yet rise to the wishes and hopes of the Irish-Americans Irish-Americans and extend to the brave Bopc-s the sympathy France gave to this country in 1776. v (Signed.) "JOHN T. KFATING. "National President, Illinois. JAM KS K. NOLAA, "National Vice President. New York. "H. P. MORGAN, "National Treasurer, Washington. "JAMES T. SULLIVAN. "National Secretary, Philadelphia. "National Directors: P. J. O'Connor, Georgia: P. K. O'Neill, Philadelphia: E. J. Slattery. Massachusetts'; Rev. M. J. Byrne, Indiana." - |