The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-11-29
was of the highest Importance to the
conntrv.-Connaught Telegraph.
AS THE TWiC is BENT" ETC.
Britain Trying Still to Bend the Irish Youth
towards LOYALTY" and the Poorhouse.
Correspondent Irish World.


| have been interested in the cor
respondence in your journal relating
to school teachers as instructors OF
patriotism. | have felt the truth and
pertinence Of the remarks of Mr..
Ryan and others, for l am in posi-
ton to know to Il great extent the
facts on the subject. What an inval-
liable assistant in the national cause
the Irish teacher could be we all feel;
but that this opportunity for helping
ireland is not used by a large part OF
the school teachers in Ireland IS only
too true.
| got my small share of education
from three different teachers-head
teachers in the national schools. one
succeeded the other, but not one OF
them ever taught me nor the boys
that with me looked to them for
knowledge. that we had any II ghts
which our alien masters were bound
to respect.
That we were ever destined by COD
for any other purpose. as nation,
than to pay tribute to England and
get drafted into her army and navy
any time we were called upon. Never
told us that the millions OF acres OF
land in .Ireland, now owned by a
comparatively few ''lords ana
"esquires," belonged once to the
whole people and belongs to them yet,
by every right Of nature, justice, and
civilization.
That the millions Of human beings
in ireland who live a life of hungry
toll. WHOSE CHIEF OBJECT IN LIFE Is
TO PAY THE RENT, are living under q
huge wrong.
That the poverty and ignorance and
excessive hardshipS of the large body
Of the people Of Ireland are unnatural,
and legislated on them by Il wicked
system of government; or govern
ment, too. to Which they ore 10 dlle-
gi0nCe.
We were told nothing of the kind;
on the contrary we were carefully
taught submission and respect for the
laws that unnamed us without any
questioning as to who made those laws
for us or how or why they were forced
on us.
Not u word about our ORR right 10
matte the lars we should obey.
Since / have grown to the age to
read and study and find out for my
self. ! have learned to love my land
with an lmdying love and hate the
oppression forced on her with a
hatred that can be appeased only
with the downfall of the wrong
/ know your teachers for miles
around. | often converse with them
on the subject. but many, many of
them are utterly ignorant Of their
country's history: indeed of the pres
ent state Of Ireland.
one particular gentleman, Mr.. Ryan,
knows him too, for he halls from his
quarter, and prides himself on having
his tongue tempered with silver, had
the audacity to deliver lately lying.
loyal prosperity speech from off
public platform; but he was soon
brought to bay and his plagiaristic,
false language scattered to the wind.
He and his like are hardly to be
blamed. They are educated 50. They
have never had an Irish history or 4
patriotic lesson from the systematic
series of school books they went
through.
Grecian valor on the plains of Mara
then, Saxon valor at Agincourt. and
Persian valor before the walls of Bah
ylon: but never a word of Irish valor
at Benburb or Fontenoy. or anywhere
else are chronicled in those books.
Fortunately there are numerous
exceptions to this class of teachers
and of training; but uAier govern
ment that never trusts freedom of
speech. nor the use of weapons. nor
the use of books or colleges without
her inspection even the most
patriotic of those teachers ase muz-
zled.
Nothing gets patronage or encour-
agement from the government that
does not tend to teach ''loyalty to the
people. The Christian Brothers
Schools are loyal ones. Obedience to
the British lars and respect for royalty
are taught in them. Hence the gov
allies than anything else, and they are
quite sure of being unmolested. Di-
rectly and indirectly the youth of
Ireland are piled constantly with loyal
weapons. Loyalty ! Loyalty to Il
government that forced its authority
on them and only to rob them. is
taught to them and preached to them
and forced on them. The British
government is active. Her annual
income from Ireland is too large TO
let il he taken from her through care
leSSnesS. She pays her spies we'll to
keep her subjects under. She gives
them share of the plumber. and
manages things So that after while
in her service they are unfit for any
thing else and have to keep on wheth-
er she pays them or not.
In the whole programme there is
danger for the future of Ireland. We
need to organize. To work. to sacrifice
time and means to counterfeit the
influence and perseverance of Britain
and her allies in Ireland and with the
youth Of Ireland. Organization is
s0relv needed in every town. hamlet
and. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it we cannot
dream of thousand men or even five
hundred men of the rising generation
mastering if liberty were TO call