The Irish standard., 1890-09-20


are some Irishmen in the House Of
Commons whose eloa auence and whose
debating power maintain adequately
the very pest traditions of Irish politi
cal oratorY. In eloquence alone does
the Ireland of our day hold her own
with the Ireland Of the past. The Irish
eloquence of to-day is above all things
else parliamentary eloquence. It goes
to the front-Where it is 1eeded-where
it has Its battle to fight.
ireland has some very eminent names
ia the departments OF graver literature.
Mr.. TYndall is an Irishman; Mr.. Leckv
is an lrishman. do not know whether
can call MIR. Bryce an Irishman, al
though he certainly was born in Ire
land. If we are to regard him as an
Irsshman, then we must say that Ire
land has given to literature one of the
conpletest Of living historians. am
not quite certain. however, whether l
am entitled to claim Mr.. Bryce as q
fellow-countrYman. Mr.. Lacky has
position which no man will dispute. He
ranks among the first historians OF the
day, and his history is phllosophic and
likewise practical 1t is pride to Ire-
land to have sent such man to the
literature of England. But, of course,
there is nothing more dlstinctively Irish
in the influence Of these men on litera-
t,lrs and thought. Their nationality
does not shine through them. When
we saw Irish, we really mean Celtic,an
these men are not Celtic. There is no
great Irish author in this sense al the pre-
sent hour. There is no great Irish poet,
no great Irish novelist, NO great Irish
dramatist. There is no graat Irish mu"
sician--altho ough I believe that, con-
trary to general opinion. Ireland may
claim Sir Arthur Sullivan as a son of
her soil. Sir Arthur. Sullivan. however.
would hardly be called great com
poser. There is no great Irish wit or
humorist. Wit and humor seem to be
imported now, like mlliionalres and
heiresses, from the great American re-
pubic. l confess that L. for myself,
am not sorry that Irishmen have ceased.
for tho present at all events, to be the
buffoons and merry makers OF Eng
land. T. think we did that work long
enough, and ought to give turn to
some one else now.
The stage Irishuaen of the music halls
are gentlemen who. while probably
Ccckney in the fact That they were born
within the sound Of Bow Bells. belong
to more far descended race than my
counsryn1en can claim But we have
no great hnmorist Of any order now.
We have no Charles Lever; we have no
Samuel Lover; we have no Father
Prout. Yet NO one at all acquainted
with the subject or the people will sav
that the intellect OF Ireland has diulin
ished Of late years III the least.
There never probably was time
when so great a number of highly gifted
young Irishmen we're conspicuous be
fore the world. Then we must not for
get ths unseen work that irish literary
intellect is doing i'll the journalism OF
many countries. lrishmen seern 10 be-
born journalists, Here In England"
in London-there across the
ocean in the United States and Canada
there across the ocean in Australia,
the Irish journalist is EVERYWHERE
writing, editing, contributing he is
dramatic critic, literary critic, war cor
respond snt, descriptive writer of politi
Cal leading articles, In the United
States and Canada aud Australia it has
long been his way to rise into public
life and high political place through the
ascent of journalism, and OF late we are
BEGINNING to see something Of the same
kind happen in England. All this
proves that the intellectual power OF the
Irish race is not diminishing or Ian
gushing, and even while we NAV regret
to see it shredding itself away 600 much
in leading articles and descriptive
and paragraphs, it is some,
thing to know that It's influence is more
widely spread. more broadly felt than it
sver was before. Again. we have some
lrishmen almost everywhere over the
world now going in for an entirely new
trade and taking to becoming million
aires. We may expect to see
what is left Of the landlord class iyng
[n complete reconciliation with the
class who cultivate the soil. We NAV
expect to see all orders and classes and
parties co operate IN the work Of ma
tional reorganization. This is the sort.
Of healthy rivalry which makes a com
great. Ihcpe to see Ireland
= great commonwealth yet in that ex-
allied sense.
Teacher nv did r@ sar hesitate on
The banks Of the Rubicon?
Bad Boy Because he didn't have any
bathing suit.
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