The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-09-16
IRISH PORTRAITURE.
Writers Who Are Too Often Con.
troIIed by Preiudices.

of letters on "The Green Sphinx" by
which he means ireland, which are
said to be attracting a good deal of
attention from members Of Parlia-
ment who always have this sphinx be-
fore them in one way or another, says
the Indianapolis Star. Whatever the
merits of the letters so far as setting
forth social and political conditions
is concerned, Mr.. Kennedy, with
whom the undertaking is doubtless a
labor of love, certainly presents the
Irish character in an interesting light.
Many writer's have sought to por-
tray the Irish, but too often their
comments suggest preconceived preju-
dice or superficial knowledge This
student OF their traits writes as if
from intimate acquaintance and SYM
pathetic study. AS a people, he says,
they have the strangest and most
paradoxical national character in the
world. "They are at once high spirit
ed and full of gloom. They are warm
hearted and at the same time full of
Indifference and reserve. They are
conservative and clannish to the last
degree, but still they are polite and
friendly to the stranger. They are
neither genial, nor have they any real
sense Of humor but they are quick
and witty and droll To the casual
eye" he goes on, 1T might appear
that the Irish were gay. But they are
not gay at all. Beneath the express
sion of what appears to be gayety is
always a sadness. In fact, they ar
the most melancholy people in t:iv
world.''
They are people with the most
charming manners, he AYERS, because
they have the sense of right to others
which is the foundation of manners.
They have better manners than the
French and Infinitely better manners
than the English But they are very
hard to get along with, he says, be-
cause they are extremely sensitive
and because they lack the sense of
humor that enables them to give
events and the utterances of others
the proper weight and proportion.
the stranger must take no liberties
with the conventionalities, he must
make no jokes, for they will not I'M
derstand and will take offense. Nor
will they take kindly to argument on
things that touch them deeply.
They hate England with a bitter
hatred, they have no intense race feel
ing, they are more religious than even
the people of Southern Euope, they
are brave in a military sense, and are
naturally loyal and conservative. IT
they had been handled with the least
intelligence, says Mr.. Kennedy, they
would be the most loyal subjects of
the British Crown. With all their con-
Trajectory and not always agreeable
traits, they are, he insists again, a
people unvaryingly good hammered
and altogether charming.
So much for the people of Ireland
proper. To an imaginary question as
to what about the North Of Ireland, he
replies: "Ah, spare me. The people
of the north of Ireland are not Irish!"
In another letter he describes these
northerners, and though he seems to
know them thoroughly and credits
them with many good qualities, it is
evident that he does not like them as
well-this, for one thing, because
they have no manners and are abso-
lutely the rudest and toughest people
he ever met. But altogether the por-
trayals are clever, and if they are not
absolutely accurate or just the lack
is plainly without intention. He means
to be Photographic, and gives the ef-
feet of being,so. People Of the United
States have tender side for the Irish
and fresh glimpses of them are al
| ways of interest.