The Irish standard., 1905-07-29
AN uNcEAsING CONFLICT.

London newspapers have expressed
an opinion recently that the Declara.
ton of Independence just made by
Norway offered sufficient reason why
Home Rule should not be granted to
Ireland. They have pointed out the
fact that Norway has for years en-
jOyed a separate national legislature
and has had full and complete charge
of it's domestic affairs, and yet it was
dissatisfied and now demands COM
plete autonomy. They argue that the
same would be true in case Home Rule
should be granted to Ireland. Home
Rule they say, would not satisfy the
Irish, but it would be great entering
wedge by which Ireland might event
ually secure its complete freedom.
There may be considerable cogency in
this argument, but even If that should
be the result would not both England
and Ireland be the gamer thereby?
There can be no question that Ireland
AAu AIo pSoPAS uAC AAVSyo q uAlC
favor of Home Rule. Every Parlia-
mentary election held in Ireland dur
ing the last quarter of century has
shown that the Irish people in over
whelming numbers are in favor of the
legislative independence of that coun-
try. While today the various political
parties in England are speculating as
to what the outcome of the coming
general election will be, there is no
ireland will be- The Irish have been
and may be again torn into factions as
to what methods shall be prosecuted
in the attaining of their end, but there
is no division on the question OF
whether or not Ireland should control
it's own domestic affairs. Whether
the Unionists or the Nationalists pre-
vail in England or Scotland it Is q
foregone conclusion that the Irish Ma
tionalists will return more than so out
of 103 members committed unalter
ably to the principle of Home Rule
1t is generally understood in this
country that Ulster, the northern prov
ince of Ireland, is opposed to Home
Rule. Such, however, is not the fact
| Of the nine counties in Ulster five
invariably elect Nationalist represen
tatives, while in the other counties
there Is division, but it may be said
with the exception of Antrim, Dowr
and part of Londonderry, all ireland
is in favor of legislative independence
The Times points out the difference
between the cases Of Ireland ant
Scotland Scotland voluntarily sur
rendered her rights and privileges t,
England while on the other hand it II
a notorious fact that Ireland was rob
bed of her Parliament by the mos
unscrupulous bribery and by the mos
infamous methods of which there i
record in history.
OF one thing there can be NJ
doubt, and that is that ther
never will be peace and prosper
ity between the two peoples under tn
existing condition of affairs. Eithe
Ireland must cease to be Ireland b
the practical banishment of it's entir
population or else England must COZ
sent to Irish demands. The presen
situation is intolerable. Even materis
prosperity would only alleviate thes
conditions. The yearning of natio
to assert itself cannot be smothere
by physical comforts. A century {
oppression has not broken the spir
of the people. It's only result has bee
} to drive from the inhospitable shore
: millions Of people who now make u
an important part of the population
I Of the United States, Canada an
fA..Australia. Centuries Of oppressic