|
|
|
215
pals civilized governments to act under its imperative dictates
as exhibited in the popular vote taken in the case, of Sqvoy
before its annexation to France, and which vote was clamor-
ously demanded of Louis Napoleon as an international oblig-
ation by the press, Parliament, oligarchy, churchmen, politi-
cians and people of England, in the jealous hope that the
people of Savoy would cast a negative vote to the mortifica-
tion of the French.
More recently, and to carry out the spirit of this popular
and international principle, Venetia after being conquered
from Austria, was called on to take a formal popular vote be-
fore her annexation to the Kingdom of Italy; so that no pre-
tence should be left for opening up future discussions as to the
willingness of the people to the annexation and removing ef-
factually any excuse on this question for disturbing the peace
of Europe hereafter.
While writing, the telegraph announces the Government of
Canada "the people of the separate provinces having been'
called on to vote for or against the confederation." British
injustice by this substantial act, voluntarialy admitting the
correctness of the principle as regards the Canadas, and at
the same time denying it as to Ireland.
The commanding necessity of compelling nations to ad-
here strictly to this international principle, is fully illustra-
ted by the position which the omission to take a formal vote
of the Irish people at the time of the fictitious union between-
England and Ireland, has placed both countries in, as re-
gards their relations to the sister nations. Governments civ-
ilized and uncivilized, whose interests are for the maintenance
of peace, without being in any manner parties to this omis-
sion, but which, owing to those many besetting complications
surrounding national interests, know not at what moment
that the Irish people, scattered abroad by the million and ful-
ly alive to the international detect of the Union, and exasper-
ated by the last sixty-seven years of brutal legislation and
misgovernment of Ireland, by the Imperial Parliament of
Great Britain, may burst into a conflagration, involving not
only British interests, but also those of innocent and unof-
fending nations, in a desolating and universal war with eve-
ry indication of its being a war of retaliation and extermina-
tion between the original parties Because there is no dis-
guising the conclusion that this question "of not having tak-
en the popular vote" of the Irish people in the year 1800, or
a refusal on the part of the Crown of Ireland to restore the
Irish Paliament which it has the exclusive right of doing by
the easy process of taking at some future, but not far distant
day, the vote of the people of Ireland for ar against her do-
|
|
|
|
 |
