The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-01
Archbishop Howell, Of WreXham, Contributes
an Eloquent Communication,
INTELLECTUAL life OF Wales
1t Has Been Greatly Stimulated During
Recent Years by the Development
of q Sentiment Favorable to Strong
National individuality - But This
Sentiment Is Not Hostile to the In
tegrity of the British Empire.
For the Saturday Tribune.


part of the "powers that be" in church
and state. A spring cannot for ever be
kept under, and the longer it is sup
pressed the more copious and irresist-
ible will its outflow become. So it has
been in Wales. Something may also
be said for the fact that men of char
acter, intelligence and position, such
as the late Henry Richard, the late
Dean of Bangor and others, became
the champions Of the Welsh national
ism, and by them the cause was lifted
up to higher level and made to COM
mand the candid consideration of our
public men. Moreover, practical di-
rection was given to the feeling of
nationality by setting before it objects
of great utility, such as the closing of
public houses on Sunday, the estab-
lishment of the University Colleges of
North and South Wales, and latterly
the promotion Of intermediate educa-
tion in Wales.
But far more than any of the influ-
ences combined must be ascribed to
the extension of political privileges to
the great mass Of the people of Wales.
With the passing of the act of 1865,
there came as great change in the at
titude of the Welsh people as had al
most ever been known in the history
of any nation Of modern times. The
nation rose in its might, as "a giant
refreshed with wine," and asserted its
rights with an energy that astonished
none more than those who were lead
ers on the popular side. / simply
mention the fact historically, without,
of course, any opinion as to the results.
But beyond anything and everything
else, is the revival of national feeling
in Wales due to the power of the
Welsh press. The population of Wales
and Monmouthshire is estimated at
1,570,0O0. OF this it may certainly be
said that fully one-third speak Welsh
only as the language of daily life. An
other third may be said to speak
Welsh and English indiscriminately
in social and commercial intercourse,
but who use Welsh only for devotional
purposes, and for the discharge of re-
ligieus duties in the house hold and on
the Lords Day.
THE WELSH NEWSPAPERS.
The Bishop of st. Asaph, in calcu.
lation made some time ago, estimated
that only 3S per cent. Of the inhabit-
ants of Wales and Monmouthshire
worship in English, leaving the re-
maing 81 per cent. to be worshippers
in Welsh. And what is the mental
food provided in the vernacular for
those whose reading is Welsh? With
out wearying you with statistics [
may say that there are seventeen
weekly newspapers published in the
vernacular in Wales, with a circula-
tion of fully 120, 900 week. There are
twenty monthly and quarterly publ
cations, one of them having a circula-
tion of 81, 700 month, and the circu-
lation of the magazines published in
the vernacular is said to amout to 150,-
900 month. A firm of Welsh pub
fishers, some years ago, laid out no less
than $4,000 in the production of q
single Welsh work, and with such sat
isfactory results that they are now
bringing out second edition. A
Welsh-Engllsh dictionary, now in
course of publication, has taken q hulf
guinea quarto volume Of 400 pages to
reach the end of the first letter in the
alphabet. Three leading firms of
Scotch publishers have taken to pub
lish Welsh works, and one has already
sold to the amount of S1Sl $50.
On fair computation the Welsh
reading public, in and out of Wales,
spend 81 100000 year on Welsh liter
ature published in the Welsh tongue.
A firm of publishers in my late parish
of WreXham send some hundreds OF
pounds worth of Welsh books to the
Colonies every year. In the United
States there are twelve Welsh newspa-
pers published every week, and the
sale of Welsh books in America is
steadily on the increase.
THE WELSH AS READERS.
A year ago, Principal Edwards, then
of Aberystwith, was induced to write
his commentary on the Hebrews in
Welsh. An edition of 5000 was an
nounced, every copy of which was
sold within five days of its publication
A second edition of 5000 was put into
the press, 5000 copies of which had
already been paid for-13,OO0 of a work
of this description in three months
All this affords ample proof of the
vitality of the Welsh language, of the
extent to which it is cultivated, and
the undying attachment of the Welsh
people to their ancient mother tongue
even when scattered over the world
and dwelling in foreign lands.
Such, then, have been the influen
ces at work in producing such q quick
ening Of patriotic enthusiasm as has
rarely, If ever, been known in the his
tory of any nation in modern times
Looking at the past it would hav,
been no wonder if the very last sparl
of national life had died out from tn,
hearts Of the Welsh people. 1t is hare
to conceive how more Determined
efforts could have been made thar
were made during several centuries t.
crush out the characteristics of tn
Welsh people to exterminate thei
language, to root up their patriotic In
stincts and to blot out their existenc
as nation from among the nationali
ties of the civilized world,
WELSH RICH LANGUAGE
For nation to lose its language
to lose that which is an importont par
of itself. Not only so, but it mus
never be forgotten that the Welsh Ian
guage is admittedly one of the riches
of all the ancient languages of tn
world. 1t claims close affinity witt
Sanscrit, Greek and Latin. 1t is pre-
eminently rich in root-words. Dl
Owen Pughe's Welsh-English diction
ary is said to contain $4,000 words; an
the dictionary of Canon Silvan Evans
now in course of publication, will con
tain 10000 more, This speaks highl
of the resources of our language, whe
l remind you that Webster's Englis
dictionary contains only some 43,5G
words. Nor is this all, for while two
fifths Of the English language Is mad
up Of foreign elements, the Welsh die
tionary is almost wholly made up {