The Irish standard., 1894-05-12
HER BITTER FOE;
Theobald Wolfe Tone and the
Blow He Struck at
England.
CAUSE FOR WHICH HE DIED,

Asked to Be Shot Like a Soldier,
But the Request
Refused.
cit is part of the tragedy Of Ireland
that her best and wisest sons have 90
often been compelled to bold aloof from
any lack of sympathy, still less from any
affection or even liking for the English
party, but solely owing to their sorrow,
ful conviction that Ireland, much as they
loved her, did not contain within herself
the materials out of which could be built
up an honorable separate existence. The
reflection must always have been sting
ing one, says E. j. NJ. in Chicago Trib-
ene.
These significant words are from Mr..
Augustine Birrell's preface to Il Barry
O'Brien's ''The Autobiography of Theo-
bald Wolfe Tone" One does not wish
to discuss the truth OF the observation.
IF it he true that makes it all the more
out of,place in volume devoted to the
gl riGcation of an Irish rebel. Mr. Birrel
is delightful essayist; he is e noted up.
holder of the Liberal party in England,
aud is accordingly in sympathy with the
movement for Home Rule; but, not ,ith-
standing all this he ia an Engliehman TO
the core. and it is impossible that he
should sympathize with the sentimental
side of Irish patriotism. In accepting
the satuous invitation to write a preface
to this autobiography it wss only natural
that Mr.. Brrel should administer slap
to the broad good natured face OF Mr.. r.
Barry O'Brien-a slap in the face OF that
Irish party which believes that national
aspirations should be cherished as su-
pericr to material considerations. "The
truth is," wrote Wolfe Tone, with
bluntness, when in Paris in 1879, Il hate
the very name of England; / hated her
before my exile; hate her since; and ]
will hate her always" This expresses
the antegonistlc racial attitude of the
Irishman to the EnglishmRn; and yet the
woody Irish editor Of this book permits
a supercilious English critic to speak
sliahtingly of the cause for which Wolfe
Tone died. As far as Mr.. Birrell'e pre-
face is literary it is in admirable taste;
Wolfe Tone is commended as ''a true
humorist as we'll as distinguished rebel;'
but this does not alter the fact That Mr..
Birrell's patronizing of the Irish rebel
should never have been permltted.
The conspicuous deed Of Wolf Tone,
which immortalized him and now gives
vitality of interest to this 'Autobiog-
raphy," was his procuring the Bantry
Bay expedition from France with the
purpose of wrestling Ireland from Eng
lish rule. This was in the closing years
OF the last century. ''No deadlier blow
has been aimed at British pride since the
Amanda" says MIR. Birrsll in that pre-
face in which he eprinkles cold water on
Irish national aspirations. "Wolfe Tone,' >
says the Duke of Wellington, "was q
most extraordinary man, and his history
is the most curious history of those
times. With a hundred guineas in his
pocket, unknown and unrecommended,
be went to Paris in order to overturn the
British government in Ireland. He asked
for large force; Lord Edward Fitzger-
aid for q small one. They listened to
Tone" For the failure of the Bantry
Bay expedition Tone was not responsible.
He had organized victory; an incompe-
tent French General .contrived defeat
Quoting Froude in "The English in Ire
land:" "The army was composed of $1,000
of the best troops which France pos.
sessed, with heavy trains of field artillery
and sufficient spare muskets and powder
to arm half the peasants in ireland. The
reputation of Gen. Roche, the command
or. was second only to that Of Napoleon
The next officer in command was
Grouchy." The ship bearing Hoche
never reached the Irish coast. But Dec
81, 1896, Grouchy, with thirty-five sal
opened Bantry Bay. At any time during
that day or the next had he ventured t.
act on his own responsibility he might
have chosen his own point of landing
and Cork must inevitably have fallen
Then, as twenty years later, on another
occasion no less critical, Grouchy wa,
the good genius Of the British Empire
He continued to cruise he was directed
standing OF and on upon that uncertain
coast, until q storm arose and swept hi
,et to sea." Grouohy's incapaeity 4
great opportunity lost Ireland q
Waterloo. Il ID
Z this event Mr.. Goodwin
j.. said Of Tone: Though hi
s..ss. known arnong English
s.is sdventurou1s sanRuin.s 'i.s'