The Irish standard., 1908-12-19

has she not excited the admiration of
|nations at the fidelity with which she
has clung, and still clings to a cause
that has outlived the prosecutions OF
the Tudors, the barbarities Of Crcin-
well and the Vaccinations Of Pitt and
Castlereagh.
Yet, English historians, essayiets.
novelists and journalists have not
scrupled to defame her, and to a.
cuse her of disloyalty and rebellion
when they were cognizant of the facs
that she had been the victim OF the
most brutal tyranny the world has ever
known. Hear what the famous DR..
Doyle says of the penal laws: II have:
read" declares he, "of the persecu-
tions Of Nero, Domitian, Genseric and
Attila with all the barbarities of the
sixteenth century. 1, have compared
them with my own country and pro-
test to God that the latter, in my opin-
ion, exceeded in duration, extent and
intensity all that has ever been en-
dured by mankind for Justices sake" -
And; Edmund Burke, although Prot
estant, in referring to this subject,
says that 1.-THE Irish have been more
harassed for religions sake than any
people under the sum- But, Montes-
quieu caps the climax when he ex-
claims with indignation: 'This hnrcid
code was conceived by devils. written
in human gore and registered ir. hell"
And yet, poor, dear, old Ireland is az
cused of disloyalty to and rebellion
against the long line of tyrants who,
in turn, have occupied the British
throne.
Disloyalty and rebellion! She has
been faithful to her God and true to
herself. She has revolted many times
against robbery. cruelty and injustice,
and she is determined to use all legiti-
mate means to secure that priceless
liberty and independence for which her
gallant patriots have struggled and
died.
have said that she emerged from
the gloom Of bondage with the light of
literature. Yes, with that portion of
it that has escaped the vandalism Of
the ruthless Anglo Saxon. Much Of 1t
was borne to, or written in exile, by
the self -expatriated, or bapislled chill
dren Of the Gael. In the archives of
many countries in Europe afe found
Irish manuscripts Of priceless value to
the student Of history. for they are the
records Of a people who have never
lost sight Of their traditions, never sur
rendered their Faith or nationality ard
have never been surpassed for elo-
.uence in the forum. for wisdom in
the council, or for valor in the field.
Is it not remarkable that while tic
Irish novelists Lever, Lover, Maxwell
and even Carleton, who for a time lent
himself to the enemies of his coun*ry,
have held up to ridicule and contempt
the priests and Catholic peasantly Of
the land for the delectation ami the
amusement of the British public aud
the anti-Irish horde that have flour
ished on the miseries Of the people,
their countrymen Of the >grotestan mt
faith. Burke. Sheridan, Grattan, Cur
ran, Emmett. Wolfe Tone and the
United Irishmen at large, maintained
a glorious struggle in behalf of their
oppressed countrymen, and not oaly
espoused the cause of justice and hu-
Elanity, but many Of them with SUBJ
lime 'heroism faced death at the hands
Of the English executioner for fidelity
to those principles, thus grand'y ex-
employing in the sacrifice Of their
lives the words Of the Irish poet.
whether on the scaffold high, or in
the battles van,
The fittest place for man to die is
where he dies for man."
But the greatest figure in Irisli his
tory since the advent Of the Norman.
i Daniel o'connell. Listen To- what