Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-27

We'll as among the peasants of Ireland.
Her writings ere noted for the simplicity
and beauty of her style, originality OF
expression. truthfulness To nature and
the ingenuity of her situations.
The Gaelic League.
Rathra. near French,prop. County Ros-
common. IS the residence of Douglas
Hyde. the organizer and president of the
Gaelic League. which is intended to re-
vive and restore to co-nmon use the
ancient language and the ancient
toms OF Ireland. DR.. Hyde is the son Of
A Protestant clergyman graduate OF
Trinity College. Dublin. a professional lit
erary man and author of several books
as we'll as lecturer and teacher at diff
ferent times. Although he originated the
Gaelic League movement IL was inspired
by Prof. Hugo Meyer. a celebrated Ger
man linguist. who is familiar with forty
languages. and i'm his studies conceived
profound admiration for the Gaelic. He
came to Ireland lecturer at the
university, and there made tie acquaint-
ance of Douglas Hyde. who became his
disciple and by his advice and with his
assistance. inaugurated the movement
} (which has since been SO successful.
DIR. Hyde visited the United States last
spring. dined at the White House. spent
two or three evenings with the President
and made disciple OF him He is man
of slender stature. delicate health and an
intense nervous emotional nature. He is
said to have the faculty ~ hypnotizing
the people he talks with. and his fascinat-
ing personality has been very effective
In his crusade.
Revival of Native Language.
Irish ideals. traits. customs and super
stitions were fast disappearing; English
sports games. literature and customs
were being adopted. The legends and
folk lore of Ireland were being forgotten,
the native ballads and melodies became
obsolete with the harp. and. although a
hundred years ago Gaelic was spoken by
everybody up TO the very gates OF Dub
lin and Belfast. II has been practically
forgotten by the people. The census OF
1901 showed that 63S.O0o people could
speak the language. but most of them
could not read Ii. and knew only a few
phrases and words they had learned from
their grandmothers. IL was ignored in
the schools and the printing houses. No
Gaelic books had been published for gen.
eratiops. Since the time of Daniel O'Con-
nell the Irish peasantry have been anX-
ious to learn English SO as to read his
speeches.
This was the situation when Hugo Mey-
er and Douglas Hyde undertook TO revive
an interest i'm the native language. litera-
ture and customs. and in 1893 they or
ganiZed what was called the Gaelic
League. non-political. non-sectarian So
clety which has now more than 800 local
branches with 20o.0W members. sending
delegates to the ard-fheiS or annual as
sembly. Since 1898 weekly newspaper
and monthly magazine have been pub
lished i'm the Irish language. and both
have become self-supporting, and the
daily and weekly newspapers throughout
Ireland. almost without exception. have
Gaelic department conducted I'm that
language The names of the streets are
now posted in Gaelic in nearly all the
towns and cities. and the English drec-
lions upon the signboards on the country
roads are duplicated i'm the Gaelic lam
guage.
Gaelic is taught for an hour a day in
all the national schools. although a fee is
charged for 1t. which the league Is now
trying to abolish. In 1907 there were
49, TAI children in the primary schools
and 2.419 in the secondary schools re-
ceiving paid instruction in Gaelic, an in
crease from A,91S primary and 2029 sec
ondary pupils in 1906. 1t is confidently
expected that the fee will he abolished
during the coming year. The commits
siOners of education have recommended
it. Gaelic Is taught in all of the normal
schools and is required in the examna-
tions for teachers. The league maintains
fourteen organizers and lecturers, who go
about organizing classes similar to the
Chautauqua circles In the United States.
and more than 1000 adults are studying
Gaelic in that way.
Approved by All Sects.
The movement is cordially Endorsed by
the Roman Catholic Church. by the
Church Of Ireland, by the Presbyterian
general assembly and the Methodist gen.
eral conference. which is extraordinary.
am told that Ii Is the only movement
except temperance that has ever received
the approval Of all the religious sects.
That indicates very clearly that its man
ayers have carefully maintained the nom
sectarian attitude which Is one OF the
chief planks of their platform And the
fact that the movement has been kept out
of politics is apparent from the indorse-
ment ii has received from the United
Irish League and the Irish parliamentary
leaders as well as the anti-home rulers.
Dr. Hyde said the other day that for the
first time i'm history. and through the in
fiuence Of the league, priest and parson.
landlord and tenant, Catholic and Prot
estant. Orangeman and nationalist were
working together. II cannot be said
that the league has all parties behind IL,
but there is no party in Ireland OF which
some of the members are not with us,
and l expect sooner or later We Will sue
coed in bringing all conflicting interests
in Ireland together in the movement to
restore the language. the customs and
the spirit of our ancestors to modern Ire
land.
Good Effects of the Movement.
In Toomebridge, in the north of Ire
land. where for five generations the Prot
estant Orangemen and the Catholic ma
tionalists have never met at fair or
market without smashing each other and
lighting with fists. stones and Shillelahs,
all parties have come together at the as
semblies of the league. They held "A feis
there last year. at which L was present
AS | looked over the heads of the multi
tude | could not say which were the more
numerous the Catholics or Protestants,
the nationalists or the Orangemen. and
the feis adjourned with the best of feel
ing in everybody's heart and without a
single angry word having been eNchang-
ed / am told that this was the first
instance where such thing has happen
ed but il has been several times repeated
in different parts of Ireland since.
Dr. Walsh, the Roman Catholic Arch
bishop of Dublin. commends the league
in the NerN highest terms. and takes L