The Irish standard., 1888-03-24

they shall be allowed to govern them
selves in matters of local concern by a
legislature of their own selection. To !
the American people, whose polity is
based upon the fundamental idea that
general government is the proper de-
positorY of those sovereign powers
which are of national and imL eriai
scope, and that in all matters Of local
concern the states are sovereign and
supreme, there is little need of argu
ment to prove the simple justice of
lreland's demand for Home Rule. A
century has hardly passed away since
the people of the thirteen colonies, with
rot 1.-THE of the grievance that Ireland
suffers, on the rejection Of their petit
ton for Home Rule, arose in their
majesty and with the holy sword Of
revolution cut tine tie forever that
bound them to the mother country.
Ireland to day makes no demand for
separate existence, but it may be we'll
for short-s,ghted statesmen TO remem-
Der that history is full OF instances
where struggling peoples, alter denial
Of modest and moderate requests, have
III the hour OF triumph, which comes at
last to every patriot face, spurned as
mean and little the boon for which
they prayed in their hour OF weakness.
The prayer Of Ireland to-day Is that
she may no longer be the Cinderella Ut
the British Empire. She asks for the
same measure Of liberty that has been
granted TO the Channel Islands, to the
Isle OF Man, to the SJuth African Col
| onies, 10 Australia, to Canada, to all
the other Christian dependencies Of the
British Crown. She seeks to occupy
substant TALLY the same relation to Far
lament aud the Crown that the State
Of Minnesota bears to Congress and
the President Of che Quilted States.
She demands her Parliament, not as g.
matter OF grace, but as g matter OF
right. Hislor. cannot forget and ages
cannot wipe out remembrance Of the
crime by which the Irish Parliament
met its death eighty seven years ago.
With all lis imperfections, when judged
by the standard OF this age, THAI Par
lament merited and received the love
ct a patriotic people. About the noble
pile that stands Gil College Green, III
the city OF Dublin, are. clustered some
Of the most sacred memories Of the
Irish wace. This Was their Senate house
in the glorious hour when tins manhood
of Ireland flashed from the swords OF
3d. 900 ut the Volunteers and voiced it's
demand for liberty in the words of
Henry Grat all and the artillery of
Napier Tandy. Tne dark hour came
at last, when the deed Of shame was
done that struck down the legally ap-
pointed guardian of a nations liberty.
Iha act OF union was passed, accord
ing to NIL. Gladstone, "by a union Of
force and fraud of unexampled base
ness.'' Ireland has never acqdiesced
in the robber act which deprived her Of
her right OF local self government, and
has spurned the uuhailuWed connection
shat Lord Byron ti.ly described as the
tsuniep Of the shark with its prey
Eighty seven ye&cS have passed since
the crime was committed, and the his
tosy Ut all these years is a history Of
protest aud struggle against tbs deed.
It was to repeal tbs Union that Robert
Emmett went in the morning Of his
noble life, and without sign, TO Eel
on's death and q grave without an epi.
taph. In that sacred cause the mighty
strength Of Daniel O'Connell spent it's
force, and when repeal was denied his
great heart broke in sorrow. William
Smith Q Brien died because the Union
lived. The men Of '48-Di]lon, Gavan
Duffy, Davis and MCGEE, Thomas
Fraacis Meagher and John Mitchell
kept up the fight, reckless OF penal col
ouy aud lowering scatfold. When these
meu were beaten from the field iercer
and ruder spirits Il the cause, and the
great Fenian Society, terrible in it's
mystery and the perfection Of its Or
gauization, with circle in every ham
let and member beside every hearth
place III the land, nenaced the govern
ment with terror it had never felt
before. And now, in our own day, the
banner of Repeal is raised again, aud
the nation marches at the command Of
leaders who, during nine years Of a
stubborn and fearful contest, have
never known defeat.
We haye seen that the Irish people in
thi, fight for Home Rule are but de-
mauding that which is a freeman's in
alienable right, and that they seek the
liberty which was stolen from them by
strong hand and cunning guile. The
inherent justice Of their cause requires
no argument TO commend it to an en-
lighted age. It is proper, however, to
inquire into the means which the Iyish
people have adopted to attain this end,
and to consider whether in that very
choice they have not demonstrated to