The Irish standard., 1893-02-11
Resurrect John Mitchell.

TO the Editor of The Irish Standard.
What b,ok can do! progress and
Poverty" Looking Backward" and sin
Darkest Englan are three present-day
instances Of how book can revolution
izs the world. Now, after all the revolu-
tions there is one still needing to be
made, and men, women and children Of
the Irish race, and all the more if they
be also of the Catholic religion, have
down deep in their. souls and all their
life long desire, a want, to make it. 1t
would be more than the gratifying OF a
racial aspirations; it would bs justice,
charity, reli gion, christianity, salvation,
blessing all round. The Irish race has
been robbed, prosecuted, largely exlled;
and what is felt moro keenly than all the
rest, slandered and vili6ed bsfore the
civilized world The true and inside
"Story of Ireland has been told to
thousands by the sympathetic pen of A.
M. Sullivan and men OF his views, but
the false aud nnlsle adiDg story has been
told to millions, through the English
book and newspaper first, and then, aud
eversomuch mere mischievously and de-
plorably, through the influence and re-
of that English story in
America. Readers Of John Mitchell's
"Jail Journal" can never forget how he
smarted aud worried over just this as
worse than any of the mishaps that had
befallen not only himself but his coun-
try and his race. And vita ali the re-
sources he had, scant funds, but pro-
genius, he tried to remedy the
wrong. to overtake t. he could not fore
stall the English slandsr and put the case
of Ireland truly before the world, and
before the sople OF the United
States. M.tchsll did this, did it glor-
iously, did it as could only man OF
genius, and such genius az any conn
try or race may be very grateful to be
favored with In q th ousand years. tie
did it in 'sTne Last Conquest, and even
more effectively in his Gail Journal
and it's masterpiece of a preface. How
reioiced were the early Christians at the
defences made of them and their faith
by such works as the Apologize Of st.
Justin. How we all warm to any maker
of good, strong, slashing defence OF the
country or religion or cause We love.
Now. from no writer, ancient or modern,
has any cause got such an Apologize,
such a defence as has the cause OF Ire
land, and incide atally Irelaad's religion,
10 the preface of Mitchell's Gail Jour
nal" An Am erican banker happened 9
few years ago to get one OF several copies
I had procured all thu way from Gias-
cow. and was 80 interested in the story
Of the hero's work and sufferings that he
read it along into the small hours Of the
and was so worked up with in
dignation at the doings of"Cathage"
(England) against Ireland that he was
ready to use gun or sword, it not even
dynamite, to right the wrong. The read
ing of that book would, more than any
thing else know of, SOW the souls OF
millions in America with hot and active
sympathy with the Irish cause. At the
same time it would open their eyes to
the b!under millions have been and are
entertaining, that it is God
who has, in the relations between the
two countries, favored and prospered the
stronger as reward and approval OF it's
Professionalism. More than we generally
reckon on do American Professionals find
the reason for the faith they profess in
just the glamour OF Protestant Englaud's
success They would be disabused and
disillusioned if they. read MitchelPs ire
sistible showing of the scoundrelism and
shamefulness of this success.
. But to do all this Mitchells book mnst
be read; to be read it must be around; to
be around il must be gettable, and to be
- - 10 v,r11 io1,of7 IN Arnnrina