The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-17

lorce coercivc laws 1t is curious to
hear Englislmen talk that this country
is under the same laws and has the
same liberties as their own, and vet they
dare not trust this people. The present
war. however, is opening their eyes, and
the National Rifle Association would
now like to see every able-bodied man
instructed i'll theuse of the rifle" 1t NAV
also be said that there is not an able
bodied man in Ireland to-day who is
not willing and anxious to be instructed
in its use. But will they be grati6cd?
OF course not. England, as matter OF
sentiment, may think with Burke that
the best militia is an armed nation"
but she will hesitate long before she
makes ireland an armed nation or re-
peals the acts prohibiting the carrying
OF arms here. Ii she trusts Ireland and
regards her as a loyal portion OF the
empire, as her statesmen and newspa-
pers boast when they wish to reach the
ear OF the world, why does she send
English militia over here?
There is no country OH earth irccr
from crime to-day than ireland, so their
mission cannot be to preserve the peace
and protect citizens. But to come back
to tho Royal Irish constabulary, the in
formation is now given out that the hos
pltal orderlies in Lord lvcagh's field
hospital arc entirely taken from that
body-fftecn in all So these heroes OF
peaccablc meetings are willing to go to
South Africa, not as warriors but as
hospital attendants. They have doubt
less been reading about the deadly aim
OF those Dutch burghers and ignorant
farmers" Several Irish officers who
have sent home accounts OF the fights
under General Mcthucn say that al
though the Bocr fire is most deadly and
accurate "wc all have seen a Bocr only
now and then One of these Irish
officers letters gives a new reading and
meaning to the famous threat OF Prcsi-
dent Kruger that the price of England's
conquest OF the Transvaal would Stag
ger ilumanty' He says that it refers
to the determination OF the Boer wo-
ncn to take the field the moment the
frontier OF their country is crossed by
the enemy. He adds that the belief j.,
that these women are irst-class shots
with the Martini-Hcnr rifles. which,
their husbands and brothers discarded
for the Mausers. Should such a new
complication and horror be added to
the war, would the United States or
other great world powers stand by with
out intervening?
| The importation OF arms and amlrn
milton into Ireland, which has always
been closely watched, has been mad"
sub .cct to new and more stringent raeu-
lallons. This looks to many as ii the
authorities arc uneasy at the possI,il
ty OF trouble in this country because Of
the few troops now here. One would
think that the regulations regarding
arms and ammunition already existing
could not be added to except by pro-
l,ibiting altogether their entrance into
this island. In all aspects the posses
sion Of either is made difficult enough
| For instance, one cannot own Il COM
mon fowling piece without permission
from the authorities and then cannot
Use it without license. Even common
blasting powder cannot be purchased
without permission, while no one not
government official can own revolver
under any conditions. Seeing that the
ordinary garrison OF Ireland has in great
part been sent to South Africa Dublin
castle is not willing to take any chances,
but then the officials there ought to
remember they have the Royal Irish
constabulary to protect them. They are
practically a military force in all re-
spccts, and they are much more MI
mcrous than needed for ordinary police
duties. But what magnificent chance
there is for some enemy OF England to
land an invading column in Ireland with
some thousands of arms to put into the
hands OF the pcasantry.
A writer in the Dublin United Irish
man is indignant over the entrapping OF
the Irish militia for the South African
war Referring to the North Cork he
says:
According to English law, every in
tending recruit must be taken before a
magistrate, and there, in the presence
OF witnesses, must have his obligations
explained, his readiness to serve asccr-
tanned and certified, before the recruit
ing sergeant can claim him for the most
urgent war. What guarantees were al
iordcd the kidnapped lads and men OF
North Cork? None. In the huggcr-
muggcr OF some barrack yard, without
witnesses, without magistrates, without
attcstation, without the presence or
consultation OF rclativcs--of fathers, OF
mothers, OF wivcs,~wthout single
record Of the contract, the induccmcnt
or the iulfllmcnt--tlcsc poor fellows,
| because they arc Irish, are severed from
| their homes, are handed over To death.
are imprisoned like slaves, are driven
on board the slave transport, while dc
graded police, foreign militia and SOL
dcrs, and even artillery, form a Gordon