The Irish standard., 1905-11-25
The Value Of an Inherited Language in the
Formation of the Nation Cannot
Be Overestimated.
The Truest Indication of the Survival of
National Sentiment in the Use of
the Native Tongue.

eA1'eI SthA 50 Lew EedllZe tneSe UnQes
niable facts; that the political inde-
pendcnce Of Ireland is impossible or.
at any rate, valueless without her in
tellectual regeneration; that a nation
can subsist only SO long as it has q
language of its own; that IL the Irish
language dies, tho Irish nation dies
with 1t, and, contrariwise, with the
growth of the Irish language, Irish
nationality and Irish culture, in its
widest sense, will flourish and will be
followed eventually by independence.
II is u vulgar sophism that it would
'e well to hasten the day when Eng
lisl would be understood and spoken
by all. This may be very we'll from
the point of view OF those who speak
II as their own. 1t is equally un-
reasonable to object that, if the Irish
language succumbs to the English in
the struggle for existence, it will be
but an instance of the working of the
law of the survival Of the flttest, Such
n law is unknown in the intcraction Of
languages; the predominance of one
language or dialect over another Ian.
guage or dialect depends simply on
the physical or intellectual superiority
OF It's speakers; for instance, mere po-
iitlcal circumstances brought it about
that the Continental Celtic, or Gaulish,
yielded to the Latin though it is quite
possible if the two languages were to
be judged per sc, on grounds of
strength, power and delicacy, that the
former would have deserved to sur
vivc rather than the latter No lam
suage, then, however perfect or uni
vcrsal 1t might be, would repllcc the
Irish language for the Irish people;
no other would render the Irish spirit
and Instincts or in any way deserve
to be called the National" language.
The truest indication of the survival
of a national sentiment among a peo-
pie who are in conflict with stronger
political power is the preservation Of
their native tongue; SO long as they
possess that, though conquered, they
are not assimilated. The native Ian
guage and native literature are alone
sufficient to mark off the Irish people
with distinct history and a distinct
civilization; they constitute their
title deed in the court of nations"
their charter to stand before the world
as political entity.
Ireland has now, for some time. en-
tered upon the third stage of her
struggle for nationality. She first
tried to win her independence by force
OF arms, then by parliamentary agita-
tion and constitutional diplomacy. She
now strives to resuscitate the dying
idea Of nationality in it's last citadel,
the native language. 1t seems that the
present generation should be alive to
the seriousness of the question it is
called on to decide: whether the Irish
language, after having been spoken
for two thousand years and upward
amid the hills Of Ireland and which
the great crisis Of humanity have
touched but left unharmed. is finally
to pass out Of use, to be utterly an
initiated, never again to be whispered
on the face Of Gods earth and leav-
ing no trace Of its existence but to be
pored over in old books and manu-
scripts. like the round towers and
Ogam stones, q memorial Of antiquity
and one Of the most interesting va
rieties Of once almost universal Eu-
ropean language. or, whether, on the
other hand, it is to be succored and
defended with all the might and en-
ergy OF the Irish from sea to sea and
made their language for ages to come.
The full Significance of the move.
ment for the accomplishment of thia
devoutly to be wished end is only
family understood in the outside
world. The campaign for the dean
glicization of Ireland is in the hands
Of the Gaelic League. The room in
No. 9 Lower o'Connell street, Dublin.