The Irish standard., 1906-02-03

Clontarf: that connected them with the
O'Neills and the O'Donnells: that con-
: nected them with Rory O'Moore and
! with the Wild Geese; that connected
! them with the men Of '9s (applause).
They had lost all that those others had,
language traditions. music, genius and
ideas; and now, just at the moment
when we are becoming masters again
of our own land, we find ourselves de-
spoiled and robbed Of the old bricks OF
our nationality, and we must set to
work to make new bricks of new clay
in a new kiln, to build it with.
! Do you believe in burning new bricks
of new clay for the old Irish house?
l do not believe in it. l believe in go
ing here and there throughout the en-
tire island and gathering together, here
and there, every relic Of the past upon
which we can lay our hands and gath
ering them together into one great
whole and building and enshrinng ev-
cry one of them in the temple that
shall be raised to the godhead of Irish
nationhood (applause).
Anglo Irish Literature a Mistake.
| The rise of O'Connell and the estab-
lishment of Acknowledgements is
now, you will be glad to hear, the most
IRISH spot in Ireland (applause), the rise
of O'Connell and the establishment of
Maynooth synchronized with the decay
of Irish Ireland. The Irish race, the
fathers of the present race of Irish
Americans, really lived in the closest
contact with the traditions of the past
and the national life of nearly eigh-
teen hundred years, until the beginning
of the nineteenth century, Not only so,
but during the whole of the dark penal
times they produced amongst them
selves most vigorous literary devel-
opment.
Thomas Davis and the Young Ire
landers came just at the parting of the
ways. when the nation wac, as it were,
Still In state Of fuX and capable of
being turned either to one side or the
other.
Thomas Davis-tlat Irishman With
out fear and without reproach, whose
name shall live forever in the grateful
hearts of his countrymen-and the
Young lrelanders generally, produced a
III <ri,n
1t was literature in which they strove
to compete with England herself upon
England's own lines. The effect was
enormous for time. but it cannot be
said to have been enduring. The fact
is that the bark had been so recently
stripped off the stem of the Irish tree
that this attempt to replace it by new
bark, stuck on. as it were, with Eng
lish gum and glue and stick fast, failed
to incorporate itself with the ancient
stem, and finally fell off from it, as
1t were, in flakes. English gum is no
substitute, and never can be a SUBJ
stitute for Irish sap Fifty years of
bitter experience have taught us that
the Young Ireland heroes did not arrest,
and to my thinking could not arrest,
the standardization of Ireland by n
literature which, rousing and admirable
as 1t was. was still only literature
written In the English language and
largely founded upon English models.
Remember. l am not saying one word
IN disparagement of the Young ireland
movement or of the splendid men who
created it. If we had been in their
place, God knows we might have pur-
sued exactly the same tactics. But l
claim that our fifty years of experience
should now be made use of and that we
go step farther than they went and
allow the natural bark, the Gaelic bark,
thin though ii may be ut first and slen-
der though 1t may be, to grow with the
growth Of nature upon the trunk of the
ancient Irish elm. The greatest mis-
fortune that ever befell Ireland has
been the loss Of her language.
Evidences of National Deaeneracy,
Now do not think, please, that l am
eXaggerating in any way when l say
Ireland was threatened with national
extinction If the Gaelic League had not
stepped into the breach. will tell you
some instances which first drew my at
tention TO the appalling state of public
opinion in the Irish-speaking country.
l remember the first thing that opened
my eyes was one day that as was 60
Ing from the fair of Tuam. was SELL
Ing cattle there daughter and ap-
plause). I am not ashamed Of it: all
1rishnen sell cattle when they have
them to sell; and very glad to have
them 0aughter). l overlook a young
man driving a COW before me and I
spoke to the young man in Irish. and
as was speaking in Irish he was an
sWering In English (laughter), and at
last said to him. Don't you speak
1rish?" And what was his answer?
well, 1 declare to God. sir, that neither
my father nor my mother has one word
of English and still can't spake and
won't spake Irish" Uaughter) And
I, who had just left Professor Georges
Godet, of Brittany. France, and Pro-
fessor Hakon, Of Copenhagen, in Dem
IL