The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-01-16
THE HOPE FOR IRELAND.

The agitation in Ireland for relief
from excessive taxation by England is
the most formidable popular movement
that has taken place in that country dur
ing, the present generation. 1t exceeds
in interest and intensity the Land Lea
que crusades for the reason that it en-
lists the active sympathy of men of all
classes, creeds and political associations.
Wings and Tories, Unionists and Ma
tionalists, Rednondites and Healyites,
Protestants and Catholics are to be seen
at the public meetings, acting in concert
and appealing to the people to unite for.
the protection OF the country against the
barefaced robbery which has been and
which is being perpetrated by the i'm
perial taxgatherer, says the Boston Re-
public.
The Irish in Ireland and throughout
the civilized world were recently thrill
ed, as they have not been for years, by
the bold and defiant words uttered by
Lord Casseltown at the Cork meeting.
His Lordship warned the Tory govern
ment, of which he is a supporter, against
hoped that no statesman would try to
stop this movement. If there were such
he would ask him to think solemnly and
seriously Of what nation could do, a
nation such as united Ireland could do,
when justice was on their side, and when
their very welfare and their very life
depended upon the result, very possibly,
of this contest. He felt so deeply on
this great question that he would like
to draw attention to the fact that history
sometimes repeated itself, and that an
obstinate statesman and a cruel unfair
greatest colonies, the United States.
He hoped, and every man in
that room no doubt hoped, that
Cork might never have to follow
the example Of Boston; but if it was ne
cessary they would be right because they
had justice on their side, They were
right in adopting any means they had in
their power to prevent the sapping of
their life blood and to cry and retain the
laboring men and the bone and sinew of
the country who ought to contribute to
the welfare Of their commerce, the sue
cess of their agriculture, and the nation
hood of Ireland.
1t was q speech somewhat like this
which made Parnell the leader of the
great agitation for home-rule in the ear
ly eighties. Like Lord Castletown he
was landlord and an aristocrat by pop
ular concensus But he broke from the
trammels of official station and from the
cries of social afIiliation and proclaimed
himself the champion OF the people,
Castletown is an Irishman. His family
name is Fitzpatrick. He is a. grandson
of peer and the son of former privy
councillor. He served as an officer in
the life-guards and went through an
Egyptian campaign. He is q landowner
and O. capitalist, His speech stamps him
as a man of independence and courage.
What a lesson his address teaches!
Tory statesmen should reflect upon what
nation could do--a nation united! Do
the warning parliamentarians realize the
full meaning of this nobleman's words?
Do they comprehend their full signif-
canoe? They have been exhibiting
themselves for two or three years as the
opponents Of factional division. They
have divided themselves into warning
groups and sections, each of which
claims to be the true and only conserva-
tor Of the national honor and the nation
al patriotism. As q matter of fact, the.
leaders OF these groups are thinking only
st their personal ami ,tion. silse line 90