The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-05-18

that Ireland Scotland and England are now but
geographical terms; that you could no more re.
store the Ireland of Fenian aspirations than we
could restore the Saxon Heptarchy; that if by
force of arms you expelled the present (not Eng
lish) government from Ireland, you would still be
no more Irish than now; that you would still have
to abolish your English language, and to define
what constitutes the difference between an Irish
man and an Englishman, parentage place of
birth. Set aside, say, all this as not worth con-
sidering and still remain the twoquestions of orac-
ticabi1ity and ropriety the wisdom of this or that
method of asserting your absolute right and that
generous for the welfare of Humanity, that
respect for dutybe mere "right" which distin-
cuisines the heroic warfare of the republican from
the brutal struggling of savage
The question of practicability may be worth
some thought, though men involved in plans are
not often moved from them by argument If any
think seriously that they will free Ireland by pre-
pairing Canada for annexation to the United States,
or by any possible pratcal Interference with Eng
lish and Irish commerce (the two again not capa-
BILE Of Discrimination, they are beyond the infu-
ence of words of mine. Nor will it perhaps be of
much avail to say to those who committed to
against you? Have you even majority in Ire
land itself, taking count at all of Britain Do
you think that the British empire car, consent to
dismemberment, or have you reckoned the force
which will be brought to bear upon any part
Tor division, if you wiD which might seem in any
way likely to secede? Have you learned no les
son even from this war in which you have al
ready had your share :? What the Union party has
done here in America, the Union party in Britain
would also do, and more, if Ireland Scotland,
or Wales, or any part of England, should threaten
the Union with secession. That perhapsmere bru.
tu,,a f,tAne,a of the " Times "-the stamping out
of rebelon-woud be the determined act of Eng
fish, Scotch, and Irish, if dismemberment were re-
ally feared. 1t is of no use to close our eyes to
certainties because do not like them. Make it
question only of union or disunion, and while you
shut out all republican sympathy and help, you shut
yourselves out from the remotest possibility Of
success.
But make your challenge from the higher plat
form of Republicanism. Be the mode of arbitra
ment what it may, your success is certain and un
der the rule of the Republic, when the voices can
be fairly counted the question Of union or disunion
the inevitable question of nationality will obtain
it's righteous settlement. The question of nation
atty is only the question of the natural and best or
ganizaton of the various races omanknd in order to
carry ON that work of progress for which Humani-
ty exists and moves and lives. How far geograph-
ical boundaries shall be respected, what weight
SHALL be attached to traditions and to smilarities
of character growing partly out OF common his
tory, that itself perhaps the outgrowth of geo.
graphical necessity peoples shall cohere yet
more closely than hitherto what be merged in 9th
ers, what separate-escaping from arbitrary
connection-all this awaits the judgment of the
Universal Republic; and cannot be prematurely
solved by any appeals to the antipathies of peope