The Irish standard., 1897-10-23
IN THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH.
Letter to Westminster Gazette
Quite Outspoken.
NOT ENAM0RED WITH ROYALTY
Fenian Patriot has No Admiration
for Queen Victoria.

The ex-convict, Michael Davitt, now
member Of parliament, gives his views
as follows to the Westminster Gazette
on the question of a royal residence in
Ireland
With the expected publication of her
majesty's message to Lord Cadogan,
the well7advertised and well-organized
royal visit to Ireland is numbered with
past events The government has given
the "retort courteous" to the Irish Ma
tionalist declarations and attitude on
the occasion of the diamond Jubilee,
and the whole British press, with Irish
Un1onist organs Ginning in, are sing
ing the praises Of Irish loyalty" and
urging in a chorus of wondrous unan-
unity, "Give Ireland a royal residence"
All this is very edifying, and it will
seem like striking jarring note in this
journalistic song of triumph over Irish
Nationalism for me to ask, what,
after all, has this visit of royalty to Ire
land accomplished, and what is expect
ed from the Irish people as conse-
quence Of adding the expense of royal
residence to the existing extravaganza
of Irish misgovernment?"
To contend, as the special correspon-
dents have loyalty done, that Irish Ma
tionalists joined with Irish Unionists in
m fhair k1,D
face of it only a pleasing fiction. Not
a single public body in ireland of dis
tinctive Nationalist character took any
part whatever in the functions associ-
ated with the visit. The corporation Of
Ireland's capital city declined to pre-
sent an address Of welcome, and has
since then virtually granted one of the
handsomest sites in Dublin for statue
of-Wolfe Tone. The general feeling
among the people was one of passive
Indifference, tempered by some natural
curiosity. They rightly made no hos
tile display. Any discourtesy Of the
kind would have been under all the
circumstances unseemly and uncalled
for on the part of those who want the
world and his wife to become acquaint-
ed with and to admire the gems of
scenic beauty with which nature has
richly endowed their country. But,
why, may I ask, is this attitude Of
Enthusiastically hospitable nation
termed "loyalty?"
In ireland loyalty spells Unionism-
something you have to pay back for be-
ing allowed to rule the roost in govern
ment offices, law, land and anything
else worth having. 1t is the feeling of
gratitude toward England for securing
the rule Of the minority over "the mere
Irish" majority. Its roots are in the
selfish instincts of class bred to feel
and pay, In kind Of Janissarian spirit,
the price Of their protection-that and
nothing more. Hence the fact that pos
sibly half a million Of the million of
pro-British residents in Ireland were
convincing the travelling correspond
ents of English and Scottish papers
from Kingstown to Belfast that all the
country was participating in the series
of loyalist demonstrations which was
carefully arranged for the occasion.
Take, however, the mass of Ireland's
population, those who have made and
will continue to make Engands diff
culties in their own country so long as
their national demands are denied
You, at least, will admit that there are
no grounds or reasons why "Unionist"
loyalty, such as 1 have defined, should
assert a violent hold upon the political
affections of quick-witted and imag-
inative race like ours There is, how
ever, the higher kind Of loyalty, the
Imperial sentiment, for not sharing
which with other parts of the empire
you Tin friendly spirit, 1 admit) lee
tured Irish Nationalists a short time
ago. But what is this sentiment? Does
it grow or should it grow in all the
minds within the radius of England's
dominance, irrespective of government
conditions and circumstances? Are the
people of Connemara, for instance, to
feel and hold it like, say, the people of
Canada as voiced SO eloquently by Sir
Wilfred Laurier? Is loyalty not con-
ditional part OF the social contract be-
tween government and governed a
reciprocated feeling of mutual trust for
mutual defense and support of national
rights and interests? No light-minde:l
citizen could refuse the obligations CT
loyalty to the chosen sovereign or the
head OF q state, who would be the &C.
mcnting symbol Of his oountry's liberty
and of the political and civic freado.a
Of his fellow citizans Loyalty in suah
q CAGE would be bat the natural and