The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-05
A Plain Statement of Misrule in
Her Majesty's Name.
ALARMING FACTS TO Be REMEMBERED
In Contrast with the Philippio
Of Miss Maud Come.

The following dutiful address from
VIM. O Bricn to Queen Victoria ap-
pearcd in a recent issue of his paper.
the Dublin Irish People, and is we'll
worth reading:
May it please Your Majesty
Perhaps it may not-but as inl1abi-
tants OF that portion OF your empire
called ireland, we venture to lay some
| plain and incontrovcrtibe facts before
you on this most auspicious occasion,
iecling that as we are compelled to pay
our share OF the taxes that maintain
your crown and dignity and enable YOU
TO wage your wars, we are as we'll en-
titled to claim your royal attention as
any seekers after notice or title who
have up to the present worried your
august ear.
Our purpose is to tell you some of
the truth. In common with all that
part OF the world which depends upon
English intrigucrs or servilc Irish
dupcs and knaves for information, you
have been grossly mislcd ever since Won
honored Ireland with your royal pres-
ence.
Every strip OF gaudy bunting which
met your eyes on the long road from
Dunleary to the viccregaI lodge lied to
you all unconsciously. Every man and
woman who subscribed towards the cost
OF thus decking few of the streets of
Dublin helped to deceive you. For,
though you abide for the time on Irish
soil, we humbly beg to assure your
most gracious majesty that you are not
in lreland-you would never know the
suffering stricken Ireland which out of
her agony and poverty gave the Dublin
fusiliers and Connaught Rangers to
your empirc-and to dcstruction-were
you to breathe the atmosphere of the
mock court of this city for hundred
years to come.
ireland, as your majesty ought to
know, is not land OF cringing flunkeys
and howing cxpcctant slaves. 1t is not
nation OF Piles, and Mcadcs, and
Joneses, and Hegartys of Cork. 1t is
an island where common people have
been plundercd, and tortured, and mis-
governed most vilcly for many centuries
by the sovcreigns and statesmen OF the
country from which you came-and
never so sl,amcfuly, never so grossly.
never so cffectually plundcrcd, tortured,
and misgoverned as under your own
auspicious rule.
While my Lord Cadogan and all his
dependents are amusing and entertain
ing your majesty, we beg leave to recall
lew OF the events of your reign for
which ireland is asked to be grateful.
Not that we blame you personally for
! all we have to relate.
But you are the head and representa-
tive figure of the system OF government
pursued by your many ministers during
your reign You are here to "concili
ate us. 1t is only meet that you should
be made aware OF the magnitude of the
task.
No less than 100000 of the people
OF this little island died of famine-mav
it please your majesty, fell down and
died Tor want OF even the coarsest food
that ever was produced by the soil
during your occupancy OF the throne of
this United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland" Now, 100000 are not
to be found to-day in all our cities and
towns and hamlets. Humbly and re-
spectfully we ask your majesty to re-
member that population greater than
that OF all the cities and towns from
Ballycastle to Castletownbere died in
their own fair island of sheer starvation
since you ascended your uncle's throne.
Can your majesty's tender heart feel
Tor the lot of the poor emigrant-the
helpless "wanderer DER the worlds
h'ghway'-who is obliged to leave his
own country, his home, his friends and
relatives-the father and mother who
love him and all the dear associations
that cling to his heart-and take his
chance OF earning the exile's black, Bit
ter bread amongst cold and cruel and
contemptuous strangers thousands of
miles away? Your most gracious ma
)esty has daughters-therefore you can,
perhaps, realize in some small degree
the agony of the humble Irish mother
who sees the train bear away the pride
ot her little home-the fair, pure girl