: - A Chinn Chomhairle agus a mhuinntir na Dála, sé an gnó atá le déanamh agamsa ná Teachtaireacht do chur os bhúr gcomhair - teachtaireacht chum na nÉireannach i gCéin. An Teachtaireacht so atá agamsa níl mórán cainnte ann; tá sé chomh gearr agus chomh bríoghmhar is d'fhéadfainn é dhéanamh, agus sé seo é:-
"Do chum a bhfuil de mhuinntir na hÉireann agus dár ngaoltaibh ar sgapadh i dtíorthaibh eile, beatha agus sláinte! Ó Dháil Éireann atá ina suidhe i gcathair Átha Cliath cuirimíd sgéala chugaibh go bhfuil muinntir na hÉireann ag siubhal ar aghaidh i mbealach na Saoirse, gur ghabhamar an bóthar mór má's olc maith le cách é.
" An dlúth-cháirdeas do bhí riamh idir Éirinn agus a clann atá sgartha léi, is mian linn a nearthughadh agus a dhaingniughadh. Is mian linn báidh agus páirt agus caidreamh do nasgadh eadrainn féin agus sibhse, chun go gcabhrochamaoid le chéile d'fhonn Éire do chur i n-áird réim, agus gach aon mhaitheas agus ollmhaitheas is dual di do sholáthar feasta dhi, le congnamh Dé. Go mairidh ceart agus saoirse, go meathaidh éagcóir agus daoirse, ar fuid tíortha an domhain mhóir. "
Ní gádh dhom moladh dhíb an Teachtaireacht do chur i bhfeidhm. An dlúth-cheangal so atá luaidhte, is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé ann cheana féin. Táimid ar an mbóthar gceart anois, agus tuigeann Clanna Gaedheal a chéile níos fearr ná mar a thuigeadar a chéile riamh. Tuigid siad cad tá uatha agus cad is ceart dóibh a fhághail níos fearr ná mar a thuigeadar ariamh. Táid níos daingne chun a gceart féin do bhaint amach ná mar bhíodar ariamh. Chomh luath is a thuigeadar an ceart d'eirigheadar i n-aon tsluagh amháin chun an chirt sin do bhaint amach. Bhíodh congnamh le fághail ó cháirdibh na hÉireann thar lear i gcomhnuidhe, acht ní raibh ócáid ann riamh go dtí anois gur eirigh Clanna Gaedheal i n-aon bhuidhean amháin chun cabhrú le hÉirinn.
Nuair a bhí daoine i nÉirinn ag iarraidh "Home Rule" fuaireadh an chabhair ar shlighe, acht níor eirigh leis an lucht stiúrtha croidhe na hÉireann do mhúsgailt i gceart. Níor tuigeadh "Home Rule"; acht anois tuigeann gach éinne, gach fear, bean agus páisde cad é an rud bheith saor ar fad, agus a dtír do bheith dá riaghlú do réir a dtola.
Níor cheart gur gádh aon mhíniú i dtaoibh gur mhaith an rud neamhspleadhchas. Ba chóir go mbeadh fhios ag cách gur fearr go mór eireochadh le lucht aon tíre dá mbeadh a ngnó dá dhéanamh aca féin i n-ionad é bheith dá dhéanamh ag lucht tíre eile. Ní chun cabhair d'fhághail uatha atáimíd ag glaodhach ar ár gcáirde tharlear; is maith a rinneamar gan aon chabhair. Ní ag iarraidh déirce atáimíd ar chor ar bith, acht táimíd lán-chinnte go mbeidh an chabhair le fághail uatha- agus is maith an ceart dóibh é - nuair a chífidh siad go bhfuilimíd dílis dáiríribh, agus nuair a thuigfidh siad gurb amhlaidh atáimíd ag iarraidh ortha bheith páirteach i n-obair an tSaor-Stáit anso sa bhaile.
Tá comhacht mhór ag na daoine atá sgartha ó Éirinn, agus beidh siad céad uair níos láidre nuair a chífidh siad go bhfuilimídne sa bhaile ar aon inntinn agus sin fáth eile le comh-cheangal eadrainn féin.
Tuigimíd an droch-staid 'na bhfuil Éire; tá sí bochtaighthe, brúidhte; tá gach aon nídh goidthe uainn le fada ag an namhaid agus an lá atá indiu ann tá an namhaid abhfad níos measa ná mar bhí sé ariamh. Chím go soiléir na sgéimeanna atá ar láimh aige chun greim d'fhághail ar gach slíghe orainn, agus chun gan leigint dúinn leas do chur ar ár dtír féin. Caithfimíd troid 'na aghaidh sin, caithfear saoirse do bheith i slighe bheatha na ndaoine, chómh maith le saoirse sa stát, caithfeam saoirse do bheith againn chum ár n-earraidhe féin do chur thar lear, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh ár gcáirde thar lear ullamh chum congnamh do thabhairt dúinn san obair sin.
Nuair a chuirfimíd tús leis an obair sin ní dhéanfaidh tús beag an gnó. Má bhímíd ag tnú le rudaí beaga ní árdóchaimíd croidhe na nGaedheal thar lear. Má dheinimíd tús mór, maith, tuigfidh siad go mbeidh maitheas ann. Tá sprid na saoirse ag eirighe anáirde ar fuid an domhain, tá tír amháin, ámh, agus is é sprid na daoirse atá ann, agus sí sin Sasana do réir mo thuairme, agus ó buaileadh na Sasanaigh fé chois ag "William the Conqueror" 800 bliadhan ó shoin tá sprid na daoirse ag dul i méid i Sasana.
Sílim gur ceart dúinn ár lámha do shíneadh amach, ní hamháin chun ár muinntire féin, acht chun muinntir gach tíre 'na bhfuil sprid na saoirse ag fás. Léighfidh mé anois giota as páipéar i dtaoibh ceist na leasuighthe chun an méid atá agam do cruthugha. Baineann sé le Clár Leasuighthe a chraobhsgaoileadh ag Easbogaibh Aimeirice le déidheanaighe:
"That no woman should retain any occupation which was harmful to her health or morals; that if employed they should receive the same pay as men for equal work; that there was no reason why workers should not have more than a living wage if industry could support it; that bad housing should be abolished by the State; unjust manipulation with unnecessary middlemen should be suppressed by law; the curse of incessant profiteering should be frozen out by co-operative enterprise; that until the worker has been made self-supporting insurance against unemployment and old age should be provided by a levy on industry supplemented by the State when necessary; that there should be vocational training for the young but not to the detriment of a measure of liberal education."
Caithfeam troid do dhéanamh le gach dream, caithfidh athaireacha agus máthaireacha na bpáistidhe smaoineadh gur ceart dóibh fir agus mná do dhéanamh dá bpáistidhe agus ansan tuigfidh siad an sgéal i gceart.
Tá aigne na ndaoine athruighthe, tá solus na saoirse ag teacht chúcha, agus má eirighean linn caidreamh ceart do chur ar bun idir sinne agus lucht na saoirse thar lear níl fhios ag éinne acht ag Dia an méid tairbhe a thiocfaidh dá bharr.
The following is the message we propose to send to our kindred overseas:—
"To all the Irish race and to all our kindred dispersed in other lands we send our greeting. From Dáil Eireann to-day, assembled in the City of Dublin, we send you tidings that the people of Ireland are marching on the road of freedom, that ‘we have taken the highway, let others think it good or bad.'
"That close friendship which has ever been between Ireland and her children that are separated from her we desire to strengthen and confirm. We desire to bind fast the love, partnership and comradeship between you and ourselves so that we may work together to place Ireland in high degree and to earn for her all good and prosperity that is hers by natural right, with the help of God. ‘May right and freedom flourish, may wrong and bondage perish in every land of the world.'"
Messages had been sent abroad before, but, so long as they were concerned with proposals like Home Rule they failed to open the heart of the Irish Race, but there is not a child of the tenderest years that cannot under stand what is meant by what the Dáil stands for—complete national freedom. Freedom needed no explanation. There was no need to announce that things done under freedom are better done than in any other way. Hence the present message would be understood by every Irish mind. The message, however, was not one appealing for help. They in Ireland had done much of late without any help from outside the shores of Ireland. But if help be sent they would be grateful. They did not ask alms, but they believed that the Irish abroad would be all the more eager to assist them when they saw those at home earnest, and loyal, and determined.
Hence the Dáil look to the Irish abroad to make themselves partakers in the work of freedom.
The plans which the Dáil had made would be carried out in a spirit of high national dignity, and so would they arouse the heart of the Irish people overseas. The spirit of freedom was now rising throughout the world, and the only land in which the ideal of liberty appears not to be progressing was that land which sought to maintain Ireland in bondage.
It should be their part to welcome the rise of freedom and to hold out their hands to all who stood by liberty— particularly their own people — in foreign lands.
A programme of social reform and reconstruction that not long ago might be looked upon as revolutionary, but must now be regarded as practical and moderate, has been recently issued on behalf of the American Bishops and is destined to have enormous influence in evolving a new social order. Amongst the declarations included in that manifesto were the following:—"That no woman should retain any occupation which was harmful to her health or morals; that if employed they should receive the same pay as men for equal work; that there was no reason why workers should not have more than a living wage if industry could support it; that bad housing should be abolished by the State; unjust manipulation with unnecessary middlemen should be suppressed by law; the curse of incessant profiteering should be frozen out by co-operative enterprise; that until the worker has been made self-supporting insurance against unemployment and old age should be provided by a levy on industry supplemented by the State when necessary; that there should be vocational training for the young, but not to the detriment of a measure of liberal education."