28 APRIL 1883, Page 2

The Irish-American Land League resolved on Wednesday to merge itself

in the Irish National League, which met on Thurs- day, in Philadelphia, for the first time. The Convention, which includes eight hundred delegates, elected a Catholic priest, Father Maurice Dorney, as Chairman, a selection which is held to make it certain that the Convention will not openly sanction dynamite. It is believed, however, that although, in view of the opinion of the American Government, dynamite will not be mentioned, the Extremists will master the Convention, and that something like a "declaration of war" will be the result. We shall know in a day or two, but this is most impro- bable, the majority of the Convention being old members of the Land League, who, as their President, Mr. Mooney, said, "hate England with an intensity of detestation unequalled by any class of Irishmen in Ireland," but are of opinion that it is wise,

ia preparation for Irish independence, to win local self-govern- ment and the abolition of landlordism. They are devoted to. Mr. Parnell, and even according to the Irish Nation, which expressly declares that morals have no place in the struggle, they, though willing to employ dynamite, think it will injure Ireland. There is a large section of Moderates in the Con- vention, and the leaders are evidently alarmed at the attitude of American opinion., "There is a flavour of Knownothingism about it, says the Irish Nation, referring to the old explosion of American feeling under which the Irish immigrants were so nearly deprived of the suffrage. The result should be known by Sunday, as the five-minutes rule was adopted, though after some fierce protests from orators who felt their eloquence suppressed._