Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-09-10
He Sends One Hundred Dollars
to the Wolfe Tone Monu-
ment Fund.
Writes a Splendid Letter Urg-
ing Unity of Action i'm
the Future.
COURSE OF IRISH AFFAIRS REVIEWED


structive letter of Archbishop Walsh, of
Dublin, which was crowded over from
our last issue. 1t was written in response
to an invitation to participate in the re-
cent great demonstration in Dublin, and
is an additional indication of more united
and wiser action in the future. The letter
was as follows:
beg to thank you for the invitation
which you have sent me to be present at
the laying of the foundation stone of the
national memorial next Monday and to
speak on that memorable occasion. 1
regret that it will not be in my power to
be present. l assume indeed that the in
vitation has been sent to me mainly as a
matter of personal kindness; for it is, I
think, very generally known in Dublin
that have always acted upon the princi-
pie of not attending any meeting or as
semblage of political character however
strongly l might sympathize with the
purpose for which it was held.
l can not therefore be with you on
Monday, but feel it as privation that I
thus lose the pleasure of witnessing the
spectacle, now so rare in Ireland, of so
many representative Irishmen, differing
no doubt in their views even upon some
vitality important points of national pol
icy, but coming together in cordial union
for the accomplishment of one great pur-
pose of national interest as to which they
are all agreed. 1 venture to express the
hope that the spirit of unity that has thus
been evoked may not be allowed to pass
away with next Mondays ceremonial.
May it endure until it leads to the estab-
lishment of an effective unity of purpose
and OF action among all who are solicit
GUS for the establishment of a system of
genuine legislative independence for
Ireland.
The course of Irish public affairs in the
hundred years that have passed since '9S
has served to make more and more evil
dent from year to year the truth, so far
as Ireland is concerned, of those striking
words which Wolfe Tone wrote in his adj
dress to the Irish people.
THE misfortune of Ireland is that we
have no national government. In Eng
land the Government is English, with
English views and interests only; the
people are very powerful, though they
have not their due power; whoever is, or
would be, Minister can secure or arrive
at office only by studying their will, their
passions and their very prejudices.
But is it so in Ireland? What is our Gov
eminent? 1t is a Government de-
rived from another country, whose inter-
est, so far from being the same with that
OF the people, directly crosses it at right
angles. Does any man think that our
rulers here recommend themselves to
their creators in England by promoting
the interest of Ireland when it can in the
most remote degree interfere with the
commerce"-or, let me add, with any
other interest-"of Great Britain?r
Now, is it to be said of the people of
Ireland-will they allow it to be said of
them by their enemies that, although
willing to raise a monument to Wolfe
Tones memory, they are unwilling to
take to heart those other words of his in
that same memorable address, where he
goes on to say that, while "the proximate
cause of our disgrace is our evil govern
ment, the remote one is our own intestine
division, which if once removed the
former will be instantaneously reformed"
The monument that is now at length
about to be raised in our city by Irishmen
Of so many varied shades of Nationalist
opinion will serve more than one purpose
of national Importance. Among the rest.
t will be OF use to all of us by confront.
ng us with the remembrance of the
words that have now quoted. Thus II
will stand in our midst as perpetual re-
oroach to any Irishman of Nationalist
sentiment who by giving countenance to
he spirit of discord and dissension NAV
make himself in any degree responsible
or the continued postponement of all eff
ective effort for the restoration to his
country OF that right of self-government
which, whether on political or on re-
igious grounds, was struggled for. and
n the end, was fought for by the men
# '98.
| assume that fund for the erection
# the national memorial in commemora.
ion OF the heroism of those brave men
vii be opened without delay, and | en-
lose check for go as my subscription.