The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-16
HOME RULE TALK.
Hon. John Arthur on the Cause
of Ireland.
SCOPE OF cLAOsToNE's BILL.
An Eloquent Description Of Ancient
Ireland, the Home OF Learn
ing and . Prophecy.


who heard it that the Irish American
Club has requested its publication. The
address was largely extemporaneous, but
In substance was as follows:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: More than
swift, Dean of ST. Patrck's cathedral in Dublin.
in one of his celebrated "Drapier Letters said
to the Irish people: 81 havo digressed in order
to refresh that spirit so seasonnely raised
amongst you and to let you see that the remedy
is in your own hands, and that by the laws OF
God and nature, and oi nations, and of your
country. you are and ought 20 b, as free people
az your brethren in England"
For the utteraIcs OF these sentiments Dean
Swift was prosecuted by the British govern.
ment, but so highly had he excited the manly
spirit OF the people that no jury impaneled in
Dublin would dare to convict him. Even the
Quakers OF the city became be!ilgerant support.
ers OF his, and one of them a. the time of his
trial had this quotation printei ard pasted
around the court and the city: l. Samuel, 1916:
and the people said, shall Jonathan die? GOD
forbid. As the Lord liveth, there shall not be
one hair OF his head fall to the ground, for he
has wrought with God this day. So the people
rescued Jonathan and he died not" In all her
vieissitudes Ireland from that day to this has
kept this national declaration of the great
churchman and patriot emhlazoned on her oan
ner aud engravcn on her heart.
Dean Swift knew when he uttered these words
that he was addressing people of keen pride.
OF ancient spieudor and OF honorable historic
renown He knew that he was addressing a
people whose ancestors had attained high
grade OF civilization at period when the an
cestors OF the English nation were i'll a state of
savagery. 1t was he who had previously said to
the English people;
" Britain! confess this land OF mine
First gave you human knowledge aud divine;
Our letters and our sages, sent from hence.
Made your sons converts to God and sense"
He spoke to a people of whose literature a
great American scholar of our own day, Pro-
lessor L. Clarke Seeiye, OF Amherst College, uses
this language:
"At period when all the languages now
spoken In Europe were just beginning to be
formed. here are the Celts with a language al
ready develOped-a language OF great variety
ana richness, fitted to express the subtieuess OF
philosophy and the highest flights of imagina.
ton: We see poets boasting OF the correctness
OF their verse and eyntax and manifesting a
metrical skill and rhythm far In advance of
surrounding nations. Does such diction
spring full grown into existence? Must there
not have been m earlier literature in order to
account for this proficiency?
"Never has q literature been obliged to fight
so long and so unsuccessfully for recognition.
It's history in modern times has been one of con-
tinued controversy. On one side, enthusiastic
Celts have maintained the existence of a ma
tionat literature rivaling the classic in an
tiquity and wisdom; on the other doubling
Saxons have denied them auy writings older
than the Middle Ages, and have ridicued these
as clumsy .pagarisms OF foreign produc-
land was distinguished for learning. Her schools
were the most renowned in Europe.
"Aldhelm, at the close of the seventh century,
speaking of Ireland, says: Fleets bore thither
legions of British students'
"Bede. in the eighth century, also relates how
the Saxon clergy and mobiles went to Ireland,
where they were Hospitality received and sup
piled gratuitiousiy with food, books and instruc-
ton.
"Alfred could not satisfy his ambition to be-
come learned man without passing some time
vvrf hacn yR Gnhn
"The earliest characters in Saxon manuscript
are in the Celtic form, rs ii most OF our early
writers had received their instruction from the
Celts.
secured by her position from those barbarian
invasions, which deso,ated other countries, Ire
land was able 70 give her sons an education
which made them the chosen teachers all over
Europe. Pepin invited them to his court, and
Charlemagnc made them the directors in the
schools which he SO literally established. Hell
ric, OF Auxerre, on his return from Charlie
magne's school OF the palace, says: Shall 1
speak OF Ireland, which, despising the dangers
of the sea, has almost emlgrated to our shores
with its troops OF philosophers?
teresting picture OF the arrival OF two OF these
Irish teachers at the court of Austrasia. They
are represented as entering the public square OF
the city at the busiest hour of the day, and
without exhibiting any merchandise, address
ing the crowd, whom their singular garb and
manner had attracted, in these words: If any
one present is in want OF knowledge, let him
come to us; We sell it,
"Clad in the same outlandish dress, these Irish
monks, who were also poets and orators, wan.
dered all over Europe, giving instruction and
establishing mOnasteries. which became noted
for their learning and independence. One
hundred and twelve European monasteries can
thus trace their origin to these first Celtic mis-.
sionaries.
"These statements OF foreigners are confirmed
by numerous references in Celtic manuscripts
to ancient schools, where ali the languages and
sciences were taught and thousands of scholars
gathered Instruction. They
ton, for instance, in the house Of Bricin, III the
seventh century, law school, a school for gen.
eral literature ana n school of poetry Celebrated
schools are also mentioned mt Bangor, Cionfert,
Lsmore, Armagh, where more than seven thou.
sand are said to have gathered.
"Johanne. scotus. or Ergena-translatins
ises on philosophy and phiiology, aud introduce
ing Neo-Platonism into European schGols-is d
notable example OF Irish scholarship. From the
fifth to the ninth century the Irish took the
lead throughout Western EurOpe in nearly all
departments of learnilg.'
beg you to indulge me while add to these
words OF Professor Seeiye the admissions of an
English writer of high rank, William Sampson
who, i'll treating Of the part which Ireland tool
in preserving and advancing civilization in Eu
rope, sums up in these words:
at is certain that within the time of anthem
tic history, when darkness prevailed over En-
rope generally. learning and piety were cher
ished in that hospitable island tlrelsnd). and
that light did radiate thence AZ from divergine
point over the rest OF Christcndom. And il
Irish writer's have been somewhat vain glorious
t was a yenial fault con, pared to that OF calu m
MES invented for the ends OF spOliation, and
perpetrated by bgotry and malice. Much hal
been lost TO science by the willful destruction
OF Irish manuscripts. and the encouragement
thrown upon the study of q Language
which might have been cmnently useful a: this
day in that interesting branch OF Learning calle
linguistic history-a language which il now
written and spoken without mixture or adulter
alton it was written and spoken 5000 Year,
ago. and which, though long hanished from this
seats of academic learning, from the forum, the
senate, and from scenic use, remains regular in
It's construction. copious and expressive apt for
the purposes OF poetry aud lofty eloeution, and
Tor the utterauc. o. such elegant turns O!
thought and tender and delicate sentiment "A
never could have originated with any Int q
civilized aud highly polished people. This IAN
gusge. too. has been found TO possess the tech
Mica. terms OF ali the sciences known TO the
civilized nations OF antiquity, and has been
traced by its atiiniiies 10 that in which the
word OF cod was delivered TO Moses ana the
prophets
The grand work of national revival thus be-
gun By Dean swift has eliminated during the
past week III the overthrow of British III nistry
hostile 10 ireland aspirations Tor se.f-goyern
neuf, and the install tion in power OF a
ministry pledged % give legislative effect 70
those aspirations. Lord Salisbury has been
overthrown: William Ewart Gladstone has been
called 10 the al min strative head OF the British
government. Home ruc for Ireland WAS the
distinctive issue in the recent elections. 1,
carried the day by INA ority of forty members
III the BRUSH mouse o. commons
What is this home rule which Ireland de-
maRdss Ii Is generally said that Ireland de-
mands of England such control OF her own at
fairs as state OF the American union Ell
joys in this republic, with the same free
dom from the interference and diciatiou
of the British parliament that an American
state enjoys frnra the Interference and dlctation
nj congress. This IL too strong a way to state
:hc purport ana extent o! the demand for home
rule Gladstoncs aome rule bill does no. con.
template so large grant OF freedom aud auton
omy To ireland. As nearly as possible, il simply
proposes 10 give Ireland the rights aud priv.
ileges which a territory enjoys in the United