The Irish standard., 1910-02-12

leader of the most interesting National
movement Of today. the Gaelic league.
is not he a West of ireland Protestant
gentleman, DR.. Douglas Hyde? Does
not that great movement draw it's In
spiration from the writings of an
Irish Protestant, whom 1t regards "a
the great apostle Of the National idea.
Thomas Davis? Are not the names Of
Grattan. the Protestant who secured
the independence of our Parliament,
and Tone and Fitzgerald. patriots who
died to set Ireland free, enshrined in
love and honor in the hearts of tho
Catholic Irish? And if you 20 into the
hut OF the poorest peagant. what pio-
ture will you most often nnd occupy.
ing the place of honor on the wallsf
You will find the portrait of Robert
Emmett, the young Irish Protestant.
whom, because he gave up his young
life in a heroic, perhaps foolish at
tempt, to establish his country's in-'
dependence. Catholic Ireland has tax.
en- to heart and written his name In
letters Of gold on the rolls of her mar
tyred dead. (Cheers.) 1t seems to mo
that this charge Of intolerance comes
with very bad grace from Monaghan
Professionals in particular. who have
ever been treated with unvarying civ-j
ility and kindness from their. Catholic
townsmen. Has not OUT County CoUn-
ell co-opted and given it's vice prssi-
dency to a former landlord and Orange
grand master; have they not got gen.
erous representation on all our public
boards, and fair and even justice in
the distribution of offices Of emolu-
ment? 1 say emphattcally that IL you
want intolerance it ls not to Mona
CHAN or to the Catholic counties that
you are to look for it, but to Belfast
and Portadown; and I say further
more that the man who In the full
face Of these facts asserts that we
want home rule in order to oppress
our Protestant fellow countrymen, be
he who he may, is telling the thing
that is not. In other words he is tell
ing q lie-a calculated lie.
The third point against home rule
is that it would injure the Empire.
Now, speaking merely as all Irish Ma
tionalist, would answer: Who cares
whether it does or not? Are we bound
to keep our country in beggary ana
financial ruin in order to serve the
Empire? The British Empire owes its
strength to the principle Of self-gov-
ernmcnt, which it has conceded to all
its colonies and dependencies, and we
maintain that the extension of that
principle to Ireland will have the same
effect that it has had elsewhere, the.
+. Substitution Of loyalty and content-.
ment for disloyalty and age-long dis:
affection. Australia was once disaf-
fected, but she received self-govern-
ment. and she is now enthusiastically
loyal. Canada was in open rebellion
till she got the right to manage her
own affairs; now she is bound az
F, with hoops of steel to England and
the Empire. South Africa was In
arms ten years ago, but self-govern-
ment has been extended to her, and
To-! the doughty burghers that fol-
lowed Botha and De Wet through
+, many bloody contest are now among
the most loyal of the subjects of Ed ~
ward VII Only to two dependencies
has self government been refused, and
these two remain discontented, dis
loyal and disaffected, menace to the;
very existence Of the Empire in case
J Of war. The two are Ireland and In
dia. Ireland is weak spot at the
very heart of the Empire and there
is no remedy but home rule. 3E