The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-03-10

THE IRISH
lands honor, for how are we, who pro-
Tess so much hatred for England ane
do so little to prove it, how are we tt
dare raise our heads? What are we
doing now to strike England or free
Ireland?
'Englands difficulty is Ireland's op
portunity' has been so often said thai
the phrase seems simply to lose it.
meaning England's difficulties art
here now. Irishmef. what are you do
ing? What are we all doing: CA voice
"Notling.'') The brave soldiers OF the
brigade arc saving Ircland's honor, and
when they are taken prisoners | do not
believe they arc treated as prisoners OF
war. l know that when they have been
taken prisoners OF war they have been
shot down in cold blood because they
were Irisll1nen English papers pub
lished the following letter from an Eng
lish soldier:
"Thcrc was one OF the Boer Irish
brigade who gave himself up. He said
to me that he was an Irishman. There
was iusileer with me- Hc had no
sooner said it than the fusilcer ran him
through the body with his lance Then
James Quinlan, because he would not
take up arms against South Africa, be-
cause he refused to take up arms
against the Beers, was ordered to be
shot. He was first made to dig his
own grave and he was then shot into
it, He died as purely and bravely for
Ireland as Emmett died. Private Sharpe
writes to the Birmingham Daily Post
in this way:
"'Scvcn burghers and two Iristmen
who had been captured we're placed in
row with their hands tied to sticks
and Our men shot them into the graves
that they had dug! The villainous
cruelty OF Lord Roberts has been
proved by his own soldiers, and for his
cowardly villainy the Transvaal COM
mittce signed a request, which they
sent to President Kruger, asking him
to issue a proclamation that for the
lives OF every Irislman or Boer the life
OF an English officer who was a prison
cr in Pretoria should pay. (Applause.)
"In ireland we are doing what we
can, and l am glad to tell you that the
spirit OF our people has never been bet
ter or more determined for national
freedom than it is to-day. (Applausc.)
l have seen the Transvaal flag carried
through the streets of Dublin, Cork
and Limerick by enthusiastic marchers
and we have burned the union jack in
most all the public places, and in Cork
crowd tore down the union jack in
front OF an English regiment going to
South Africa. (Applause.) We con-
slider it a disgrace for English uniforms
to be seen about the streets and we
have pretty nearly cleared the streets
OF them. Only a week before I left
Dublin l saw a soldier, think of the
Manchester militia regiment, running
down the street in his red coat and two
Irish fshwives following, throwing fish
after him. (Applause.)
"Thc Beers example is taking effect
The people are beginning to recognize
the fact that no nation ever yet has
won freedom without sacrifice and with
out bloodshed. If freedom is worth
having it is worth fighting for, it is
worth dying for. (Applause.) All
along the people of Ireland have been
led away by the alluring delusion that
it is enough to hold out their hands
and ask for justice from the English
people and that parliamentary action
will win for lis an everlasting freedom.
For the last fifteen years we have trust
cd to the English people. What have
we got by it? Nothing but the pity
and contempt OF the world and the
reputation of being takers and not
workers and, perhaps, also, a reputa-
ton OF having few good orators, if
that is any good to us.
To-day, with the example OF the
Beers to fire them, the Irish people see
that they must return to the stern con-
ditions Of 1898 if we ever wish to free
Ireland (ADn1,usc1