The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-12-04


the city of Dublin in 1888; today there
are over four hundred thousand people
in the Irish capital. Considering these
facts, what splendid and brilliant re-
public Ireland would make, with her
gallant record, her witty and industri-
GUS people, If she could only get rid
of her supercilious and selfish oppres-
sors. In an Irish republic, her chief
cities. thrifty Belfast, gallant Galway,
unconquerable Limerick, witty Cork
and proud Dublin. would shine as stars
Of culture and prosperity. But let us
hear how the English defend their
claims. They say, ''The Irish people
cannot govern themselves"
Well, answer, If they cannot, that
Is their affair. 1t is none of your bust
ness. 1t is fact that they do not
want you to govern them. They call
not govern themselves worse than you
have done.
You have crushed out their COM
merce and their industry, you have
you have prosecuted and starved them.
In Gods name. then. go home to your
own island and take your red coats with
you.
But I say further, that the Irish can
govern themselves. The history OF Ire
land shows this. Her history will bear
comparison with that Of any country
in Europe. Irish discussions and divis
ions have been no greater than those
of England herself. What is the his
tory OF England, but one of brutal civil
war? What is the history of the Hep
tarchy. when seven kings governed wha.
slant war of Anglo-Saxon, and Briton
against his brother, history of saw
age ferocty and fratricidal hate? What
is the history of the Norman Kings. If
the civil wars of 1.-The roses" or of the
civil wars from the death of Charles I.
until the present century, but one Of
murder, confiscation and persecution of
Englishmcn by Englishmen?
to those of William of Orange, the
English changed their religion and tilei'
prayer books half dozen times, and
signalzed every change by religious and
political persecution of their own co,ln-
trymen. Englishmcn murdered other
Englishmen for three centuries for dar-
ing to worship God as their fathers had
worshiped Him. The history of Eng
land at home, without speaking of her
colonies, or of Scotland. Ireland and
Wales. by the testimony of the best
English historians. is one of treachery,
Englishman betraying his brother Eng
l1shman; of cruelty, Englishman per-
scouting his brother Englishman for po-
litical or for religious reasons.
And what monsters English kings and
rulers have usually been by the test-
mony of English writer's What a dark
story is that of England, during The
reign of terror under Henry Will; under
his unfortunate daughter Mary; under
his daughter Elizabeth whom Green
and other English historians describe
as meriting a vile name; under the
'goggle-eyed drunkard" James L. whom
Dickens calls his sowship;" under The
narrow minded Charles l., under the
brute. CromWell; under the iibcrtiuo
Charles H.; under the cOwarlly James
H.; down to the last Of the royal black
guards and blockhcads, who Immediate
ly preceded her present gracious ma
jesty There is nothing amuscs mo
more than to find English historians
writing. and English orators speaking
of the wild" and "barharous" Irish on
the same page in which they record
the Infamous crimes of their own people,
and of their own rulers. They see the
mote in the Irish eye, but never look
at the beam in their own English optics.
Yes, the Irish can govern themselves
Before the Norman invasion, they gov
erned themselves just as we'll as any
other people in Europe. Before that
invasion, they were united. and expelled
the Danes from the country, the very
Danes who conquered and ruled Eng
land by Danish kings. The Irish have
shown what they can do for themselves.
by what they have done for others.
Without going into greater detail, may
say that the Irish race has within the
last fifty years given to the world some
of Its ablest rulers, for 1t has glvcn
Mcmahon to France, and Mckinley to
the United States.
1t gave O'Donncll to rule Spain and
Taafe to rule Austria. In England, too.
the Irish have shown their talent :or
government. 1t was an Irish statesman
who crossed the channel a little over
seventy years ago. took the English
parliament by the throat. shook it as a
bulldog would shake cur, and COM
PEELED 1t and it's Hanoverian king to
grant Catholic emancipation to the op-
pressed peasantry of his native land. It
was another cool, persistent, courageous
and indomitable Irishman who, a few
years ago. compelled that same parlia-
ment to listen to Irish grievances, forced
the greatest living English statesman to
accept the principle of Irish Home Rule.
The present supreme interpreter of
English law is also an Irishman