The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-07-21
Mr.. JOHN BOYLE 0'REILLY.
United Ireland's Tribute to the Liter
ary Merit of the Boston Pilots
Gifted Editor.
WHY IRELAND SHOULD BE PROUD
Oh the Man Who Stands Conspicuous Fig
ure in the Land Upon Which He
May Never Set His Foot.

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, nre in the Land Upon Which He
May Never Set His Foot.
OMITTED Ireland.)
Among all the men of to.daY-ani
they are many-of whom. Ireland has
reason to be proud JOHN Boyle O'Reilly
: takes his place amongst the highest
AS a patriot, as a poet, as writer Of
romance, as a man he stands conspicn-
Gus figure of pride to Ireland, to the
Ireland upon which he may not set his
J foot. 1t is curious to think that the
man who in America has made himself
name and fame and fortune, wEo is SO
passionately admired by his fellow
countrymen at home and all over the
world, would be arrested as felon if he
set foot On English or Irish soil, on it
/ he crossed the frontier line which di-
vides the dominion Of Canada from the
Great American Republic. Boyle
O'Rsilly loved his country and suffered
for her, and went to transportati0n-
prisonhood, and was witty enough and
wiley enough TO escape from prison,
and to find, as so many thousands of his
countrymen have done, welcome and
shelter and an abiding home among the
free American people. The time is. no
doubt. near at hand when Boyle O Reilly
will be as free to tread the soil of Ire
land as Mr.. Balfour is; but the time is
not yet. and for the hour, as for long
hours and years past, the gentleman,
the scholar. the poet is only free man
so long as he is in no land where a
British flag flies and where British laws
prevail. We hate The British flag no
longer, for it is the flag Of far more
friends than enemies, but just yet it
would be hard to expect Boyle O'Eeillg
to love its blended colors.
In this age of journalistic fever and Of
journalistic triumph there are no doubt
many vino would prefer IN the first
place to claim Boyle 0 BELLY as jour-
nalist, nor is the claim in the least
degree able nor uncompliment-
ary. Journalism nowadays takes rank
we'll nigh with the fine arts. Men Of
genius are neither unwilling nor
ashamed to devote their best energies
to the service OF this newest Of the
muses.. In the great newspapers Of the
world we shall find in every day of the
week writings that reach the highest
standard Of prose excellence. Work
now appears as matter of course in
the columns of the press to live the
ephemeral existence Of the midge which
| in other times would have been scrupu-
lously preserved for the dignity Of
quartos, folios, and octayos and the
solemn lines of librarles' shelves. ''We
have changed all that, " as the man says
in Meliere's comedy. Journalism is an
honored and illustrious profession. and
Mr.. John Boyle 0 Reilly one of it's most
honored and illustrious professors.
But it is not as journalist that Mr..
Boyle O'Reilly's warmest admirers first
and chiefly think of him. It is not the
name of the Boston Pllot-most ad-
mrable Of newspapers THAT comes
quickest to their lips when they think
of him; it is the name of s'Moondyne, .
Of ;sIn Bohemia. = Of 'the Statues in the
Block" and the ''Songs from the
Southern Seas,'' that they think of in
connection with the most brilliant of
living Irish exiles.
''Moondyne'' is q romance Of the most
romantic kind. An epoch which revels
in sensational fiction, which delights in
'.treasure Island" and exults oyer
/ .'King Solomon s mines, = ought to revel
| in the charm Of "MoondYne." This
charm is largely due to it's essential
truthfulnsss; it Is romance, indeed,
delightfully."- fanciful. deeply tragic, but
lit is inspired and informed by the
strong breath Of personal experience
land personal knowledge. What Moon
Idyne suffered Boyle O'Reilly suffered,
what Moondyne saw Boyle O'Reilly
saw, what Moondyne is, that in a large
degree Boyle O'Reilly is. To all lovers
of the noblest kind Of romance the
wisest advice would be, IF you have
not already read 'Moondyne' read it
now and be grateful.
But it is as poet that Boyle O'Reilly
makes his most abiding mark. His
lssSongs from the Southern Seas,'' with
their wonderful pictures of life and
mature il the underworld includes him
among the poets Of the Austra ALASKAN
world. His other volumes place him in
the frent rank Of American poets All
alike entitle him to the proud distinc-
/ ton Of q high place in the poetic
Literature of IRELAND. It iss tempting to
4 quote and quote again and yet gain,
,IIyet5 5we dare not and need mot: Irtiishmlfsgn