Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-04-15
IRELAND'S CRISIS.

were the Irish people more thor
oughly aroused and their spirit of
nationalism more fervent. All or
carnations, no matter what their
special purpose; all parties, ire
spective of their policy; all leaders,
regardless of their particular meas
ures for redress or advance of Irish
interests, are being pushed by that
irresistible force, the will of the
people, to recognize that land re-
forms, tenants rights, education,
taxation, poor relief, and all other
matters to be reformed and griev-
ances to be redressed, are to be laid
aside for the present or embodied i'll
the one prevailing desire, the ever
lasting and unquenchable ambition
for Irish nationality. The party
that fails to heed the voice of the
Irish people at this time is doomed
to disintegration, or, if it dares to
oppose, to be classed among the
enemies of their country.
The many evils which the Irish
people suffer, and the organizations
and parties formed to seek redress,
all patriotic and commendable, have
contributed their part by organizing
and instructing the people how to
contend for justice, and by their
speeches, writings and agitation
attracted and forced the govern
ments and the people of the world
to listen to and consider Ireland S
condition and her rights, if not
under the laws of nations, at least
of humanity. But these various
organizations and leaders, each urg-
ing different measures, though all
sincere and just, conflict with each
other and confuse the question,
and have been productive of but
meagre results. Which of these
measures should have precedence
and the united support of the Irish
parties and leaders was the rock on
which the splendid and effective or
ganization of the old Home Rule,
and later the Parnell party split
into warning factions, and did what
England could not do, rendered
them ineffective and powerless for
any good to Ireland or her people.
But neither the Home Rule or Par
nell parties, as a result of their con-
tentions, loss of prestige and power,
left any traitors whose partisanism
made them enemies of their coun-
try as well. They may have retired
from active participation in Irish
affairs, or continued to advocate the
policy they approved, ignoring but
not opposing other parties or move
ments, following their own policies
and chosen leaders, and the result,
though it be more organizations,
policies and leaders than probably
ever before in Ireland's history, is
not one to encourage her enemies;
for all those organizations, far from
being antagonized and thus induced
to do the enemies work of destroy
ing each other, have developed, fos-
tered and are imbued with a senti-
ment above all others that will in
duce the leaders to bring about
unity, or, if they refuse, will bring
unity despite the leaders and par
ties. Regardless of everything else
the Irish people want, they are
unanimous in the desire and anxious
to begin and push to success the
cause of nationality-the right to
govern themselves.
Thus with high hopes they looked |
to the conference called to meet in
Dublin April 4, of representatives
of all the parties, to endeavor to
map out SON policy, plan of organi-
cation, leadership and action to at
tain this end. The acceptance of
the proposition by all the leaders
led to the belief that the desired
result would be attained. But it
n--flsa--