The prospectus of The United Irishman, established by Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, in New York, 1876.
Success in all movements, social, national and political, is only attained by Union; and how invincible the Irish people would be if they were united in the great cause of Irish Nationality! As we are today, we are almost a disintegrated race, scattered all over the world. By Union we become solidified. What made this country a great Republic; Union in sentiment and Union in action. What has sustained the bright little mountain Republic, Switzerland, but Union? What keeps the great French Republic a European power? Union.
The primary object of this Irish-American Journal, THE UNITED IRISHMAN, is to cement the Five-and-a-half Millions of our race now rotted in Ireland, the Three Millions transplanted in England and Scotland, the Ten Millions – native, adopted, and descended – in these United States, and the Two Millions in Canada and Australia. Every section of the Irish people, by Union, could do their part in striking to the heart our British Masters. England’s boast is, that the sun never sets upon her flag. The sun never sets upon the Irish Race. England thanked God we were “gone with a vengeance,” and wherever the English flag floats the Irish “vengeance” could be felt, if we were only united to crush the enemy as that enemy is united to crush us.
It is then that England would consider us a power in her international relations, if the scattered CLAN-NA-GAEL would only strike her flag whenever she struck Ireland.
This is the creed – the Holy Creed – we preach; this will be the Mission and Crusade on which we enter, and we depend on our people to aid us in this great cause.
A hundred years ago it was, and today in Ireland and this republic it is, “letter-patent” for high-toned patriotism and respectability to be a UNITED IRISHMAN, or the descendant of a United Irishman. You walk down Broadway in this great city of New York, stop at the gates of the stately old church, St. Paul’s, or old Trinity, and you are struck with the splendid monuments of Gen. Montgomery, Thomas Addis Emmet, Dr. McNevin and others, who were United Irishmen in ’98. Charles O’Conor of this city has gained more fame from the fact of his being the son of a United Irishman than from his great legal reputation. Why should we not all be United Irishmen? There is a sacred Irish National glory in the hallowed name of “United Irishman.”
No true Irishman in principle, in nature, and in the God-given love and fealty which he owes to and feels for his country, can shirk his duty as a man and a patriot. He should do his part to help free his down-trodden native land from England’s lion-jawed usurpation and tyranny.
In London and Liverpool there are more Irish people than in Dublin. In Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, the Irish are proportionately scattered in every city, town, village and parish. If our people were “united” to help the “men at home” when driven to the wall by the English garrison now in Ireland, what a chain of strength they would be.
The political creed of THE UNITED IRISHMAN is: that by the sword alone can the National Independence of Ireland be wrested from England.
That one essential point being kept in view, and labouring to create resources and to unite the Irish Race to attain the object named at, THE UNITED IRISHMAN will encourage any and all organisations of the Irish people that contribute in any manner to the end in view.
It will give weekly correspondence from patriots in England, Ireland, Scotland and America, who are in the national ranks. It will reproduce the ballads, poems, essays and other writings of the men of Ninety-eight, Forty-eight and other times, who kept the old Flag flying while they lived.
Its Irish news will be national, and the Irish exile from every county of Ireland will find in THE UNITED IRISHMAN whatever is occurring “at home” that may be interesting to him.
“Ireland for the Irish” is the motto of THE UNITED IRISHMAN, and it will be careful to avoid saying or doing anything that would tend to prevent this Union of Irishmen of different creeds and classes.
England’s historians tell us we cannot get Ireland for the Irish without first “striking England at her knees.” If that be the price of Ireland’s freedom we advocate paying it, and we ask the help of every man of Irish blood who desires to see Ireland “Great, glorious and free.”