The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-11-23
IRELAND'S FIERY PARROTS.
A People That Have in Them His-
tory q Prophecy and
Hope
1.-THE BIRTH OF A NATloN.'''

5 ~ : :
An Able and Eloquent Vindioation by an
Englishman Of Home Rule for
Ireland.
TIE subjoined eloquent vindicatl0n
of Ireland's claim to nationhood is from
the pen of the Rev. John Page Hopps,
an Englishman, who, from the very
first inception of the Home Rule move.
ment, twenty years ago, has been
earnest and energetic on the Irish side.
Mr.. Hops. who writes under the head
ing, "The Birth of a Nation" presents
bis views i'll the following patriotic
language:
Mr.. Balfour exists to smite OH the
mouth the advocates of atiOnality-
so precious an asset in the worlds
wealth and so mighty factor in its
history. He would fain persuade US
that 1t is possible to make an end of Ire
lands longing for national existence,
and, il one of his late speeches must be
taken seriously, that Irishmen should
even take the English name! But why
should we wish 1t? ''Ireland nation"
is toast which has long sounded IN
English ears like foolish boast or a
pitiful wall; but it has IN it a history, a
prophecy, aud hone. Why should any
Englishman scott at it or resent 1T? We
who are proud OF ourselves-shouId re-
joict to see The signs Of the making Of
the Irish nation, and to rightly value
the characteristics that lead on to il.
Why should we wish Ireland to be poor
spirited and supine, easily yoked and
hard to provoke, a beast of burden or a
contended slave working for others but
making no way for itself? The people
OF ireland have the stuff out Of which
nations are made-passlonate love of
country and home, lyric gladaess and
sunniness of spirit, tenaclty, indignaTr
.tion, herc- worship, wondrous depths Of
smiles and tears, selfrestralnt under
EXTREMIST pl lovocation, loyalty to Lead
ers, gratitude, affection, subtility and
courage, readiness to make sacrifices
and boundless endurance; and the men
they have chosen to represent them
prove their organizing and admins
tratlve skill. 1t is the sober truth 20
say that tomorrow, if Ireland had home
y, no foH
ranks of the Irish representatives men
enough to form ministry at least AS
good as that which now insults aud
smites them from the Treasury Bench.
Why should we rebel against all this?
Even the men who are fighting against
the NATURALIZATION Of Ireland to-day, it
they could shake themselves free from
the old traditional policy Of mere mas
terfulness, might come to see that the
birth of an Irish nation would be a gain
to Ireland, to us, and 20 the world.
But the mere officials are not likely to
see that. The business of mere officials
seem to be to hit out agaiast ''rehels,' =
and in their eyes every man is rebel.
who is opposed to 'the powers that be-
They cannot, therefore, make terms
with revolution, and the revolution IN
ireland is, to them, an outburst of sheer
''cussedness." The restlessness OF the
people, their resentment, their very
clinging to their leaders, are all treated
by them rs signs of criminal contumacy.
They cannot believe In the unseiish
devotion OF the men they imprison. liz
their eyes they are rowdies or rebels,
tools or fools. They do not understand
what is happening. But it is an old
story. though a story not we'll enough
known. Not for the first time has Ire
land had her fiery patriots, her fervid
prophets, her passionate ''reDels." For
scores of years these have come and
gone gone, and not seldom by our
bloody bridge Of sighs;'' and now,
with some faint recognition Of their
worth we are beginning to dwell upon
the names of Tone, Fitzgerald, Emmet.
O'Connell, Duffy, Smith O'Brien and
many more, as the names of wasted
statesmen, reformers, poets, patriots,
broken and crushed as t.rebels." in the
effort to lift Ireland from the dust.
And all the time England looked on
the tragedy with blinded eyes; though
some saw the truth and renewed the
old sad prayer, "Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do" .
But what a sight it will be to look
upon some davl England, that reproved
Austria and howled at Russia and Wept
for Poland and encouraged Hungary
and applauded italy and backed up Bul
garia and Greece, abusing Ireland, at
its very doors, and calling its lovers
and patriots mere NOISY demagoguesz