The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-06
.IREIsANI,.
Ia Univeralty Student Pcrtrays the Mis-
cries and Sorrows Of the Emerald Isle.

cries and Sorrows OF the Emerald Isle.
We clip the following extract from an
article in the Mote Book" department
of Ariel" the sprightly little maya
zine published by the students Of the
Minnesota State University:
Her fields teern with milk and honey,
but her children dare not taste. Her
produce, everything, in almost incredi-
BILE abundance, passes from her interior
to her coasts in large and continuous
streams. She sees this cross the waters
TO feed the other nations, even her OPP
pressor. The scraps and crumbs only
are left to her own children. The pro
eeeds, alasi OF her sales 90 to keep the
possessors of her contiscated lands lly-,
ing in luxury and debauchery III for
eign cities, eating from the fesh-pots
sent them by their rack-rented tenants,
She is sure that if her lands were In
the possession Of her own children, as
the land of any nation should belong TO
the children Of that nation, she could,
by her wonderful fertility, feed well and
clothe. not the i've millions who now
suffer from hunger and cold but twenty,
yes, twenty-five millions more. Her
Indignation rises as she turns to the
pastand sees how, and for what reason,
the invader first set foot on her shores;
under what specious preJext he main
tanned his authority; how the sword has
always been his argument. She sees
her lands contiscated and parceled out
among ner conquering foes, and her
own children TO go to s'Hell or Con-
naughtn She is wildly reminded Of
this because she knows that the land
lords to-day are the descendants and
heirs of the original despoilers.
It is no balm to her wounded spirit,
as it moves over the past, to recall her
experience under the awful penal codes
Of the conquerer as be held his iron
5eel upon her neck. She can testify TO
The truth Of Edmud Burke's remark
that, ",rhese laws could have been de-
yised only by tends, they should be
written in blood and registered in Hell. )"
She sees all her institutions trarnpied
III the dust by race having no sympa-
thies in common with her. In her soiil-
oeuy she comes to the destruction Of
her language, the nnifying principle OF
nationality. Her conqueror seemed to
study and to systematic the
means Of national destruction. and saw
a secret source of strength in her Ian
guage. So effectively has ne accom-
pIished his purpose that we, the chill
dren of her children, can lisp scarcely a
sound of her classic tongue. She re-
members the time when she held the
proud place of teacher Of the nations,
and when the scholars Of Europe
tlocked thither to drink of her pierian
springs; and, as she ses5 with what in
difference she is now regarded, she
wonders if, IN the eyes of an Intelligent
world, tine can justify wrongs. In her
distraction she turns often to the past,
then contelnplates her present, and
then casts q glance with hope and with
fear toward her future. The sun. in
MS 1irii.fdf glare, psgrtsking OF the anger
of the sea out of which he rises, in
spires her with determination and
anger, if not with revenge; the moon |
and stars look down III peace, and bid |
her hope. Her unconquerable spirit
again kindles as she thinks Of the thou !
sands who have been sent into exile, |
sold as slaves in the West Indies, or
deprived of life only because they loved .
ler: Twas treason to love her, and
1eath to defend" She sees Torture,
exile, and Death busy, till even the
King Of Terror, in surfeit, raised his
.eeking hands, and cried enough! She
s the most signal example on earth of
III outraged nation: she feels the shame
II having been humbled and disgraced
n the flesh, but knows that the spirit
lever yielded. Her conqueror knows.
90, that she never consented to become
lis, but that, on the contrary, she al
Ways hated him. Snch union is de
estable, and In It's contemplation she
Tows sad; yes,
So oft has she echoed the deep sigh of sad
That even In her nlirth it win steal from her
Etill.',
a prolific mother, she sees her chill
rem in all chimes, always fighting on
he side of liberty and against oppres-
ion. When the pressure of centuries
removed from them they rise to hon X
r and distinction LII her chains she
lrns with revering eyes to Columbia, :
le Goddess OF Liberty. She saw here i
ne shackIes of tyranny burst and cast J
/ the dust, the grandest nation on
arth springing into existence under
le release. 4 hundred years behind
he times, her master still begrudges
er taste of like justice. She knows
lat if America had TO endure for a
ngle day what she has endured for
snturies, and still endures, the next
orniug's sun would rise to be-
Did a sickeniilg scene or car
age; iandlerdism would go. and 10
Il self government come. For zone who
IS not experienced it, his eye hath not
en, nor his ear heard, nor hath it en-
red into his heart to conceive the con-
ton Of that people, goaded at times
desperation, and then repunished
T lack Of. fertitude. But Lew day
dawning upon Erin. She has the
L. .{r.i.a "A