The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-10-21


republic was blazing, after the victo
rous termination OF a war i'll which the
yelled hostility OF England had all but
compromised the existence, as we'll as
crushed the commerce, OF the Union.
A single nsolent word from England as
to the Alabama claims, such as MIR.
Chamberlain does not hesitate to fling
at President Kruger ancnt the Trans
wall claims, might have at any moment
caused a conagration as wide as
continent At least 100000 OF the dis
banded veterans were lrishmen, fresh
from campaigns which probably made
them the best seasoned soldiers in the
world, nourislling a quarrel OF their own
with England, compared with which
the purely American grievances relating
to the Alabama and the Sldell and Ma
son surrender were as moonlight unto
sunlight
1t was not the deeds OF Fcnianism
which counted, but the spirit-and Tor
that my admiration remains as warm as
it was when | had the honor OF express
ing it TO the judges OF the Parnell COM
mission court. These worthy person.
ages thcreupon jumped to the concu-
sion that | and others OF the like mind
had Joined the constitutional movement
in order to bring about total separation,
and so reported to the gricvous dscdi-
fcation OF the men who employed the
late Mr. Richard Pigott. One Cat least
a mere Irishnan) would suppose that a
more obvious conclusion would be just
the contrary one--tl,at is to say that it
was the knowledge OF all the hidcous
suffering and splendid sei-sacrifice
spent in vain attempts at armed insur-
rccton that led many OF us to make it
the dearest hope OF our lives to bring to
Ireland the reality OF scli-govcrnment
by paths OF Cancellation and peace and
so free the young Irshmcn OF the iu-
turc from the Generalization, treachcry
and incapacity which secret societies at
their best bring in their train. When |
say "in vair,' bien entendu, | mean only
in the military sense; for the true JUST
tication OF l'cnianism is that all the
measures OF Irish reform which have
come since-religious equality $50 far
as it has Gomez, the shake given to the
icll tyranny OF landlordism, the power
OF clecting parliamentary representa-
lives without the terror OF eviction, the
formal passage OF home rule bill
through the elective chamber OF the I'M
pcrial parliament, the official confession
OF the spolation OF Ireland under Eng
lisll rule-havc all been brought about
by the manifestation OF 'the intensity
OF Fcnianisn1." and have been very
largely brought about by the very men
both i'll parliament and in the country
who were among the most stalwart
| figures in the Fcnian ranks. That some
such demonstration OF the reality Of the
| Irish ditlic,lltvaionc could have. brought
about reform in the past will not be dis
putcd. That some other such period OF
national agony may be necessary again
to convince llngisllmcn that the aspira-
tons that gave Fcniarisn its vita
strength remain still unsatisfcd, a
speech made by the CHIEF secretary in
Leeds as | write may well inspire with
serious iorcbodings' anybody who
knows the vicious circles OF English
dealings with Ireland
The late Lord Carlisle used to make
enthusiastic speeches alter the Leeds
pattern at time when the whole corn-
try was mined under his feet with the
fires OF Fcnianism No doubt. there is
comfortable feeling in certain Dublin
Castle minds that the Irisl, population
has been weakened down by 100000
souls in the meantime. They do not
care to remember that the 100000 have
simply been transferred from where
they could do England least damage to
where they can do her most; from an
isllnd where they were disarmcd serbs,
with not so much power OF scli-rulc as
an English board OF guardians, to free
continents where they are a governing
Gil | should not say the govcrnlng)
race. In the Nineteenth Century OF
Nav last | vcnturcd to point out that
even the signing OF the treaty OF arbitra
ton with tho United States would not
see the end OF England's Irish Amer
lean troubles. Events proved should
not have erred in going still further
and predicting that these troubles would
prevent :hc treaty from ever being
signed at all. | don't envy those who
think the anti home rule reaction i,
England has been chcaply purchased a
the price OF turning the American en-
tllusiasm oil five years ago Tor MIR. Glad
stones England into American dctcsta
ton oil the England OF Mr. Chamber
lain. We read the other day that two
Irish regiments are among those or
dcrcd to the Cape in an emergency tina
may decide the late oil South Africa
Who will guarantee that Irish regi
mcnts are not compact OF the same tlcSl
and blood in 1907 as in 1906? Will cvcl
dcporting them as far away as India b
as effective NOW As i, was then? III
, native Indian ucWSnaDcrS are as StrOn