The Irish standard., 1902-05-17

! lt lEISll .\llltIEtI movement HIS
once again advanced to II front place
in the political life of the British cml-
vast ma njurity of the Irish people been
so Thoroughly united in the home rule
cause. and 50 admirably represented In
the House of Commons as we 500
them at the present day. Notwitll-
standing. or perhaps To II certain rN
tent because of the excitement caused
by the events in South Africa, tho
Irish question has assumed Il position
of Importance such us il had never
held since the death of Charles Stew
art Parncll. says Justin Mccarthy in
the New York independent.
the division in the Irish party which
preceded ii. the cause of home rule
appeared for a time to hc in Il lan-
gushing ana ulScrrlitr,l condition.
The National representation of Ireland
in parliament was divided into two
parties. one hy far the larger in num-
l"rS and the other although nuncric-
ally very small yet strong in the in
trnSity OF its emotions, and Whit
attitude. 'Nllc country itself was di-
viled in much the same way. The
great majority of the Irish National
lists were anti-ParnclliteS. as tn"
phrase then went. while there was still
an effective minority of uncompromiS-
ing rHrncllitcs. need not enter at
length into the history of the mclan-
choly ami dislnmrtcning interval of
something like political inaction which
followed. Most of the Irislmrn en-
gagged in the movement saw perfectly
well even at the ElOomicSt moment of
itself was founded upon II rock of
principle. ANA that no unhappy ncci-
dents could prevail against ii. I'll"
heart, the faith, and the intelligence
of the Irish people at home and abroad
are set on accomplishing the National
claim of Ireland to govern her own
affairs by means Of an Irish parlia
mrnt. The demand is that Ireland
shall have such Il domestic parliament
to deal with her own work as the DO
minon Of Canada has long enjoyed.
and as the Australian Commonwealth
has lately obtained. Such a demand
us this, so reasonable in principle. so
well approved in living example and
illustration, is too just to fail of ult-
mate success, and therefore at the
darkest hour of depression We Irish
men. whether living in or out Of Ire
land, never felt the slightest doubt
that success must come in the end.
The sudden and complete revival Of
the United National movement is,
stance To the patriotic energy anl fer
vor of one Irishman, William O'Hricn.
This man who has been imprisoned
more than once in Ireland fOl. deliver
ing speeches against the existing gov
rrnlncnt and against some acts of leg
isIatiOn which any Englishmnn might
have delivered in England ana any
American might have spoken in Wash
ingtOn. had won Il reputation even in
the hostile House of Commons for sin
crrity, for llnscllisll devotion to his
cause and for thrilling rloqucncc. lie
had won the affection and the conf
dcncc of his own people to the fullest
extent O'I,ricn became inspired with
the idea Of undertaking a sort of cru
sadie throughout Ireland against dis
union Of whatever kind ana of Great
ing 81 new National organization which
should take the direction of the move
mcnt into his own hands. He devoted
his energy and coIucnce, such re-
mains of health and strength as he
had. and his personal means to carry
on this new agitation. He founded
the Irish National League. which has
its representative and ruling bodies in
every town and village of Ireland, and
is now all-powerful in the choice OF