The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-27
nothing except darkness and despair

nothing except darkness and despair
when the sacred sanctuary of home Is
polluted and the calling chains Of
paganism are encircling myriads.
-he spirits of darkness and despair are
surely manifested when we have to go
to Norway and Russia for our Ibsen's
and Tolstoy's ideas, to parade for our
mental enjoyment 1.-The mortal shame
of man painted in the living hues Of
art"
A society which gloats over the
dread nauseating realism Of these
would be literary paragons must needs
he in dire straits. They are gliding
downward rapidly towards the dread
nabitations of death. The society
which grows jubilant over the morbid
creations of such authors as thosa
mentioned needs a tonic which would
brace it up. 1t needs an antidote which
would extirpate the poison. A rapid
return to Christian hopes and trad!-
tions is the only and safe escape from
the peril. Our national literature must
be pruned Of that cheap romantic feat
ure and that prurient realism which
destroys while it attracts. The knowl-
edge Of the good must replace the
knowledge Of that mind alluring evil.
Backward we must retrace our steps,
and where shall we turn to find a men
tai pabulum which shall allay our lit
erary curiosity while it neurishes our
mind with the wholesome ideal. In all
your Wanderings you shall find moth
ing to compare in this respect with
Celtic story and poetry. Never in this
range of history has the human race
found it's ideal condition as it did in
the palmy days of Ireland's primitive
Christian epoch.
Ireland was the salt Of the earth, and
her literature has a. charm for men
such as is capable Of dispelling dark
illusions and filling the mind with the
wholesomeness Of life and pointing out
the road to the spiritual world of tho
hereafter. The resurrection of the an
cient language Of Erin in these our
days. the transplanting of the Chris
tan Idea. the story and the wit en-
shrined in that ancient vehicle of
thought amongst the Celtic race here
will have an immense influence for
good in the happy coming years. AS
the ancient Irish missionaries spread
the light of faith in the days of old
over half the Continent of Europe. so
do believe the day Is not far distant
when Irishmen in Ireland and Ireland's
children in America clasp hands in Joy
and friendship and be co-partners in
disseminating along with the light Of
the olden faith, the priceless beauties
of that literature of ours which has
only scantly seen the light of day undet
the magic pen of Mangan. Ferguson,
Moore and Davis. F..
When that season Of blesse6aeg1
shall have dawned. old Ireland shat.
Rave certainly renewed her strength
like the eagles. The wild harp that
lIred to love and war, to fame and
virtue in the days Of old shall havs
asserted its superiority once again. II
those humming days when the beauti'
f,;l melodies of Ireland's music and the
stirring stanzas of her poetry shall
wake to life a. decadent and moribund
mental existence then truly shall for
ever and aye be established a sure
platform never again to be distu. bed
by the lie Of foe, or the sheer Of cynic
:he unquestionable merits and the rich
heritage of bliss which Celtic Race and
the Celtic genius has brought to the
United States of America.