The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-02

very shame, conceded the privilege OF
education to the Irish people, and
adopted +he so-called National Schools,
she s. reful to exclude from the
pupil Noef1ko< >ntion OF Irish history;
50 that, ss'1 SAiiszxdent of the Irish
National Sch. 0ty.,d, his coun-
try has no history ~ Is it any
wonder that out OF tn. ty-fve mil
lions of Irishmen and then descendants
who inhabit this country, there is, COM
paratively, only handful that would be
willing to stand up and be counted as
Irishmen. No, the most OF them, if
they admit being Irish at all, would
qualify it by saying they are Scotch
Irish.
And when prominent Irish leaders in
the late elections in ireland advocated
the election of Unionist landlords to the
county councils, is it not time that
1rishmen who have not yet been con-
taminated with the virus OF Anglicanism
should arouse themselves and take the
proper steps to apply an antidote.
While giving due credit to our race
for its courageous endurance for CEN
turies in defense OF faith and country,
say to you that no people who allow
themselves to be robbed of their Ian
guage and OF their pride in their coun-
trys history, and who have no other
literature but that OF their conqueror,
can hope long to retain their status as a
distinct nationality. History has no
record OF such; in fact, it is moral i'm
possibility.
What Ireland needs to-day is COM
plete revolution in her school system.
The United Irish League, under God,
her only stay and hope, should bend
itself to the task of having the youth of
the country thoroughly educated in the
history OF their race.
They should make every effort to pre-
serve the native language from destruc-
ton; see to it that in the Irish-speaking
districts competent teachers be secured
to teach the children in their native
tongue, and that the English language
be relegated to its proper place as the
tongue of the alien enemy.
Let the men of the Irish race here do
their duty as we'll, not only in aiding
their countrymen in the old land, but
in breaking down English influence in
this.
Let preconcerted and determined ef-
fort be made by all Irishmen, but es-
pecially our order, to have Irish history
taught in our parochial schools at least,
and if possible, in our public schools.
Let every effort be made to have Amer
ican history written from an English
standpoint relegated to the lumber
room, and that the growing youth of
America be taught that Europe, not
England, is Our mother country. Such
course of procedure, steadily adhered
to, will soon settle the Irish question.
Such painful and disgusting chickering's
as we have witnessed in ireland during
the last few years will be impossible.
No self-constituted leader will be able
to prevent harmony. The new Irish
man educated under that system won't
have it. ireland will then be what she
has never been since the days of Brian.
She will be truly united Ireland.
Neither will she beg her freedom from
an English parliament, for, by the eter-
nal, she will take it and all the power of
England and all the Kings horses and
the Kings men will not be able to pre-
vent her.
Then, indeed, will Ireland be "First
flower of the earth and first gem of the
sea-" Then, indeed, will the prophetic
hopes of her own Tom Moore be real
lied:
The nations have fallen and thou art
still young,
Thy sun is but rising when others are
set:
And though slavery's cloud DER thy
morning hath hung
The full moon of freedom shall beam
round thee yet.
Erin, O Erin, tho long in the shade
Thy star will shine out when the proud
est shall fade.
Unchilled by the rain, and unwaked bv
the wind,
The lily lies sleeping thro' winters
cold hour
Till springs light touch her letters un-
bind
And daylight and liberty bless the
young flower.
Thus Erin, Oh Erin, thy winter is past
And the hope that lived thro' it shall
blossom at last.
A wildly turbulent peasant was once
witness in trial before Chief Baron
O'Grady, tells the San Francisco Argo-
naut. The counsel, after pestering him
for some time, put a question to him