The Irish standard., 1897-06-26
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those Of the largest size,
Holding his pocket handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

tlotulHS MS pocket nanukcrCnleI
Before his streaming eyes.
Natural historians aver that the croco-
ollie weeps copiously after devouring a
human being. thus deploring the sad
destiny which compels him to crafty his
appetite in that way. We think that the
natural historians lie about that fact
but crocodile tears" are tradition from
time immemorial, whether they proceed
from remorse or Indigestion.
About the Queens sudden display of
lachrymoseness we are. of course, unable
to speak. If, after sixty years Of mis-
governing Ireland. she has just discov-
cred that some millions OF her subjects in
that unhappy country died of famine,
and many more millions fed from her
gentle rule to seek shelter in a country
that
lies far beyond the say,
Where the rich and poor stand equal in
the light of freedoms day."
and where they and their descendants
cordially hate the rule from which they
have been emancipated, even to the ex-
tent Of blocking sundry extradition and
arbitration treaties framed in the inter-
est of Her Majesty's government, we do
not wonder that she weeps. ''Tis the
sunset Of life gives me mystical lore"
and perhaps Her Majesty foresees time
when England, without a friend in Eu-
rope, shall turn in vain to the country
which she first peopled with exiles from
her tyranny and then drove into rebellion
and undying hatred, hatred reinforced
every year by new victims of the old
oppression.
There are two ways Of mitigating that
hatred. but they are both alike foreign to
British traditions-by abandoning the
policy Of coercing or deceiving the United
States in international affairs. and by
ceaslng to make Irishmen the discon-
tented and irreconcilable enemies of Eng
land all over the world. Either measure
would involve a surrender of the primary
British principle of self-interest or that
which passes for such. The successor of
George the Third. who rivals him in
longevity rivals him no less In obstinacy.
She knows that her revolted colonies Of
North America cannot b. beaten into
submission, though she or her ministers
irly hot bo irln TN
renewal of their old allegiance.
But lrelatid is another matter. The
Irish. unhappily,' cannot go into rebel
lion with any show of success. But they
are a soft ahd Sensitive folk, and it is
barely possible that they may be moved
to tears as Moore was when Fat George
condescended tolvisit them and evoked
from the most mHsical of Ireland's bards
travesty ON tile national air, entitled
Our Princes bay"
Let us hope that Victora's tears may
not inspire any other Irish bard to twang
his Tyre. What the world today requires
is lyrist of The practical school. one who
shall sing in me4odious strains the fact
that $12,5O0, 900 per annum are being paid
out unjustly by the people of Ireland to
the government of England. As Old
Rough and Ready said to his aide-de-
camp, Give 'em the small change for
that in Spanish" and tell it to the enemy
every day until he understands it, Her
Majesty's tears are beautiful as those of
any sacred saurian. Let lis see them
converted into acts Of repentance and
restitution and they will become alto
gether lovely.