The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-05
IN REVIVAL OF GAELIC LITERATURE
One Landlord Who Has Shown
an Independent Spirit.
SCATHING LETTER on ENGLISH RULE
Edw. Martyn of Galway Throws
His Commissions Away.

One of the most hopeful signs OF the
future is the spirit of nationality which
is gradually spreading through the "up
per" and cultured classes of our people,
says the Dublin correspondent OF the
Chicago Chronicle. Even the landlords
are imbibing it-at least many of them
no longer think it disgraceful to show
that their feelings and their sympathies
are with their country and their people.
OF course with most of even these the
feeling of patriotism is little more than
academic as yet, but it will grow. In
old days the descendants of English in-
vaders and freebooters after breathing
for spell Ireland's air and getting an
admixture of Celtic blood coursing
through their veins became, as we are
told, more Irish than the Irish them
selves" For this new influence in our
public life the revival in the language
and the literature of the Gael Is mostly
to be thanked. The young Ireland
movement in the '4o's was primarily
literary and educational one, but it was
the brilliant germ from which Fenian-
ism and Parnellism sprang. The nota-
ble Irish literary societies OF Dublin and
London, the Gaelic league, which is
making the old Irish living tongue
again; the Oireacthas and the Feis
Ceoil, which are popularizing and fos-
tering the literary treasures and the un-
equaled music of ancient Irelnad. All
these are putting a new life into the
old land and creating spirit that can
not be subdued. The scholars of the
race are relighting the fires of patriot
ism in the highest planes of literature
where they cannot be quenched and are
giving new light and purpose to the
struggle for nationhood. Moore with
his melodies made the heart of the
world feel for the woes of Erin. This
new band of poets and publicists is re-
storing to the Irish people the proud
and ennobling ideals of the past and
compelling England to read anew and
sympatheticaiiy the story OF the disin-
herited sister. Among the evangels
and interpreters of this literary and ma
tional renaissance are such men as Ed
ward Martyr, w. B. Yeats, Alfred Per-
cival Graves, DR.. Douglas Hyde, Ka-
tharine lyman Hinkson, Alice Milli-
gan, George Moore, DR.. Todhunter,
Rev. Stopford Brooke, Barry O'Brien
and many others, to say nothing of
such veterans as Sir Charles Gavan
Duffy, one of the convicts of 1848 and
leader of the young Irelanders.
A rather curious fact about nearly
every one of the above mentioned is
that they have become intensely ma
tional through the study of the history
and long-forgotten literature of their
country Nearly all of them, too, are
Protestants, and of social class and
surroundings that used to be regarded
as an element of the garrison" 1t is,
to the genius and great souls of the
dead, not of the living, that their con-
version and inspiration are due. Their
breaking away from an existing order
of things in which patronage and social
position was the birthright of most of
them is unique movement They do
not take their stand on the field OF
ordinary politics, but they are none the
less aggressive in their demands for
Irish nationhood. Some of them, like
Edward Martyr and W.-B. Yeats, are
very outspoken. The former is gentle
man OF large estate, and some time ago
lie said that his patriotism was first
aroused by reading one of w. H: E.
Lecky's books. Mr.. Lecky, who repre-
sents Dublin university in parliament, is
less liberal now than then. Mr.. Mar
tvn'. rebellious nationalism was first
shown last Christmas, when by request
he placed his castle at the disposition OF
a party who wished to celebrate the
day there by an exhibition. Among the
numbers to be sung on the occasion
were "God Save the Queen" and Kip
linp's "Absent-Minded Beggar," and he
forbade both. He possibly might have
stood the former, but he did not throw
open his home to listen to the vulgar
and immoral doggerel of the poet laure-
ate of the slums and Tommy Atkins.
At the time he was holding commits
sion of the peace and the deputy lieu-
tenantcy for the County Galway, and
one OF his friends, Lord Cranbrooke,