The Irish standard., 1906-02-03
DOUGLAS HYDE IN TWIN CITIES

Two magnificent audiences well
coined Douglas Hyde to the Twin Cit
les. One in st. Paul on Wednesday,
the other in Minneapolis on Thurs
day. The former was presided over by
j. j. Regain, State President of the
Ancient Order Of Hibernians, under
the auspices of which both meetings
Were held. The Minneapolis meeting
was presided over by Rev. Father
Harrington, who is himself an enthu-
siastfc supporter of the principles for
which DR.. Hyde Is contending.
1leland's peaceful strife for true ma
tional independence was graphically
and eloquently pictured by DR.. Hyde.
So intensely interested is he in the
cause for which he stands that the evil
dent sincerity of the man wins for
himself at once the sympathetic at
tentton Of his hearers. No one can
hear DR.. Hyde without being con-
WINGED of how dear to his heart is the
cause of the Gaelic League. At both
meetings he made short speeches in
Gaelic. He is said to be master oG
that language. Unfortunately few IN
either audiences were able to under
stand him, but he is also master OF
the English language and what he had
to say In English was thoroughly ap-
preciated by all. He prefaced his re-
marks by the statement that the
movement in which he Is engaged il
founded. not upon hatred of England,
but upon love Of Ireland. DR.. Hyde is
particularly apt in figures Of speech
and in giving illustrations. He drives
a point home by some apt illustration
or comparison. He convinced his
hearers that the movement Is not that
of few faddists. He pro-
duced facts and figures which prove
that the movement Is not a fad. A
dozen years ago he said Irish was
taught In less than a dozen schools.
Six years ago 1t was taught In one
hundred and five schools: today 1t 10
taught in something like three thou
sand of the eight thousand schools in
Ireland. There are not less than a
quarter of million of people now
studying to read and write the ancient
language. A few years ago the strang-
er visiting Ireland would have seen
little to tell him that he was not in
England. Now in Dublin and the large
towns the names of the streets and the
roads are printed in Irish. Not week
passes now but what some new book
appears in Gaelic. At the present time
one can not obtain employment under
the corporations Of Dublin, Limerick
Cork or Mayo unless he can read and
write the Irish language. Six years
ago the products Of Irish hands and
Irish brains in order to ind market
had to come back with the mark OF
London" or Paris" on them. The in
dustrial feature Of the Gaelic League
Is considered quite as important by
DR.. Hyde as the literature and Ian.
guage. DR.. Hyde described the failure
of Ireland in recent centuries to the
fact that it has ceased to be Irish with.
out becoming anything else. He says
no enc can compare the Ireland Of to-
day with what it formerly was with.
out being struck by the fact that the
nation which was at one time the mos
classical, learned and cultured in Eu'
rope is now one of the least SO. Tha
a people which was once the mos
reading and literary peoples Of thu
world is now the very opposite. These
changes he. ascribes to loss Of nation
atty. The Irish leave Ireland toda,
because they feel that they have M