The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-23
- liz ARAKfNINe.
Judge KeoEh's ThOuGhtfu and Eloquent
speech 20 the Friendly sons.

| Revival. not In New York, where our activities
never slumber. but IN Ireland. | have no
I grievance 20 bewail, no message Of misery 70
deliver. But. like thousands Of my race, I see
In tho ireland Of to-day signs OF an intelligent
self-relance; sec In the remnant Of the race
still left there signs OF an Weakening, spiritual,
industrial and racial. They have found an
outlook a. well a. memory; they are facing
tho future. not In the vengeful spirit OF the
past. but IN good heart TO reconstruct a coun-
try that In speech and In spirit shall be Celtic.
and not Saxon: an erect, a self-respecting
people whose eyes shall not be forever set on
the British Parliament. bullying when they
can and begging when they may. a people
who have less political zeal than native spirit.
This awakening Is most remarkable. No
message bore II from the great seats OF learn
ing no clear call from leaders OF men awak-
eled it. no light appeared In the heavens 70
startle the faded senses and hl.dle the mag
nation OF our waiting race. Ala chat was done
before with genius and with heroism, but this
revival Is not their fruit. The Gaelic and
native revival has sprung from the national
lOins; its life breath Is native spirit and It's
goal is a country Irish and un-English in its
marrow. IL Is not political at all, and will
cease 10 be national when II becomes political.
Nearly all former popular Rwakenings in
Ireland we're political. GTattan, o'Connel,
Parnel, each led the people In political strug-
giles. O'Connel led q nation OF slaves up 10
the foot Of the throne. where they duplicated
for liberty OF conscience. Parnell personiaed
In his weird and majestic leadership the bitter
hate OF q people who felt the lash on their
backs and the brand OF serfdom on their brows,
and who fought like animals at bay In defence
Of the novels that sheltered them and the bit
Of land on which they were born. But each
political struggle led the people as mendi-
cants 10 England. when they should have
been helping themselves. They we're taught
that the maHc Of an act OF Parliament could
satisfy the yearnings OF nationhood and sup
ply the comforts OF prosperity. It's true that,
even a. the lamp OF faith was kept burning
In lts holy sanctuary 80 too was the torch OF
Irish nationality always somewhere kept
alive by the few constant hearts who wor-
shipped OF ia shrine.
This was the state OF affairs not many years
ago, when that most learned, modest and pure
Celt Douglass Hyde, found ed the Gaelic
League. went down 10 the people and found
In their hearts the dormant seeds Of Irish
nationa atty. From small beginnings, by leaps
and bounds the work spread until to-day
Gaelic Is taught In upwards Of 900 schools.
The people are brought into vital contact
With the things about them. They are begin
ming TO think and to read. They are learning
In their native publications that they belong
to an ancient race with a noble history made
UP OF deeds greater than fighting and Of things
higher than the dreary record Of political
factions and unchristiHn religious resent
ments. The peasants are being taught once
again the traditions. the folk lore. the music.
the song, the native epoTts, all OF which in
times Of great political activity were passing
one by one out of the life OF the people.
The land about them the rivers, the hills
the ruins which TO their, melancholy spirit
we're only land, water and Crumbling stones,
are to-day associated In the minds OF their
young with delightful legends Of a brave.
ing for knowledge Of their country and pride
m IL past there has come native call from
that call is being splendidly responded TO by
Lady Gregory, Yeats, Russell. Hyde and a
score OF Others who are making the fields ring
their melody. I he Preside OF the peasant IA
once again the nursery Of rhyme and the
whole land is throbbing with spirit OF native
While all Of this is making the old land a
pleasanter place for the native 20 live in, he is
looking about for work at home at which he |
can earn enough to live In passing comfort, 10 |
marry and multiply. And with this desire 70
AGRICULTURAL revival The people are being |
taught the uses Of cooperation, the rewards |
Of Industry and sen;Eelapoe. The old happy |
lre and hilafity 70 be derived from a sale. Of |
its pToducts In the market is abandoned for /
TecSnieai SCHOOLS are being establisbed |
throughout the land, where the youth OF Ire |
land are being prepared ioE lnd,ustEIai life.
lied and emotionalized from the bottom up, |
because you cannot teach an lTiShmsn through |
q
his memories and his emotions; you cannot |
reach his mind In a way that may offend his !
how 10 use his serious talents without losing ing
his love Of the supernatural, his Celtic dreams
and native sentiment.
old battle for legislative independence which
is waeed as courageously and unselhshly to-
day by the representatives Of the people as Il
was ever before In the history OF our country
The spirit OF to-day should be 10 help any one
Of these works that you think well Of. but the
naVV TaNf MN mot ~ ~ In n
men shall harm the least good work Of another
who is trying TO serve his country by different
means,
The Irishman in this country who has been
euccessiul in industrial life can be Of enormous
6sneht to Ireland A. the pressepTt time. u he
the country and see Il capital may not safely
be invested there. The youth Of Ireland win
than English leadership, and viii respond 20
Irish leadership and enterprise more swiftly |
be UNIQUE result from ST. PstTicks nISbt
dinner II come one or two wealthy Irish
Americans would md an opportunity for in
the industrial resources Of Ireland and thus
help the youth Of the country in the vital effort
they are making to get employment in their
We dwell TOO much in the as hes OF the dead
past recalling the suherings Of our ancestors.
Of stoics and the fortItude Of martyrs. But
does u not occur 70 us somettmes that our
less complaint than do We, their pros porous
descendantsl The memory OF those bitter
lays and deeds has fed, as with an unholy |
flame, the bitter passlo OF national hate until |
to-day wherever an lrishnnn lives he eXuts
in EnRland's msfortunes. Erieves at her sue |
cess and prays for her overthrow. Hate Is |
foreign 20 the Celtic nature. There IL no |
attribute in IL harder 10 foster aud easier 10 |
eface How grievous must have been the |
Injustice and how bitter the memories 10 thus |
chill and embitter the genial current OF the
Celtic soul. The friedman was made for love. |
for eomTadeshp. for forgiveness, When |
will English statesmen awaken 10 this COM
mon knowledge?
The Ireland OF to-day IL UNIQUE, she has
faith In her star; spurred by the spirit OF her |
past her people are putting their hands with !
Intelll gent wit 70 the work about them. In |
~ s,rugis foy HorSs R,s fSI stSSnnHo
University and for peasant proprietary. To- |
day they are working while they wait But |
neither by Home Rule nor by peasant pro-
prietors nor even by a Catholic University |
can you barter for the submission or safety |
he aspirations OF the race. The Ireland Of