The Irish standard., 1897-07-03

man to cast off the Stoop from his should
ers, the whine from his voice, the insin-
certify from his words, and to stand up.
ec-spokcn, self-respecting, and sclf-re-
liant. fearing no man and making none
afraid. (Applause.) And when that
change would have come about, as soon
it would, Ireland would begin to be en-
riched by the energy and industry of her
own sons, and by the genius and talents
which they now squandered in every
country but their own. (Applause.)
Beside their laziness Irishmen were held
up to scorn and contempt of the world
for their lawlessness. Hardly week
passed that some English newspaper
didn't draw contrast. In which they
compared the law abiding English peo-
pie with the lawless Irish. The law-a-
biding English people! II was we'll
known fact that of all the people In
history there was never any so restlve
| under laws made not by themselves than
tho "lawabiding' English people. OHcar
hear) They killed one king and they
banished another, and reduced the sue
ccssors OF those monarchs to political
impotence because they could not stand
the rule of the rulers under laws not
made by themselves. (Appluuse.) Com
ing down to the present day, was there
any Government or any people that has
done so much to fomcnt rebellion and
revolution in Europe. Asia, and America
as the English? 1t was Il most slgnn-
cant thing that of all the nutionulilles
In the world there was not one that
showed such contempt for and such de-
tiance of any laws that came in their way
In the least degree as the English peo-
pie. (Applause.) If an official repre-
sentative OF any country in Europe were
asked what people gave the most trou-
bic by their insolent contempt of laws
that interfered with their comfort or
convenience the reply would be that The
English people were the most lawless of
all. (Hear, hear.) Like Sir Anthony
Absolute, they were all compliance when
they were not thwartcu. lLaughter.)
Tho English Acknowledgements that they
heard SO much of simply meant that they
wcrc law-abiding SO long as the laws
were made by themselves, and so far as
their showing respect for the law there
were no people In the world who showed
such utter disregard for law us the Eng
lish people. (ApplauscD If then, Irish
men were to be preached TO about their
lawlessness surely the English were not
the people who ought to do It, and it
should be from some pulpit other than
the English press. (Applause) Was
law to be rcvercnced as n fetish merely
because II was law? Did any man mean
to tell him that the Catholics should rev.
ercncc the penal laws? C'No, no!D
Law was to be obeyed and respected on
ly when it represented and expressed
and embodied a principle of Justice
(Applause.) Even enemies of Ireland
had been forced to admit that Of all the
people on earth the Irish had the most
extraordinary respect for law. Cap
plausc.) But how could the Irish people
ing administered to them just now?
The law was administered In these days
according to the political cxigencics of
Dublin Castle (hisscs) and from Ed
ward Ill. down to Edward of Saxe-Wci-
mar, one could not tell where he was
with regard to the law u.aughtcr)
What respect could the people have for
the law that was administered by magis-
trates who were as mucn in the service
of the Castle as the Royal Irish Constab-
ulary themselves? Hiear, hcar.) But
the day was fast coming when the
law. not befouled by corruption or injus-
tice, would be administered according to
the will of the Irish people. when the
people would no longer be robbed by the
organized brgandage of the law, and
when the law would be administered, not
in the interest OF II class but for the ben
eft of all classes without distinction OF
creed. loud applalse.)