The sun., 1910-11-20
THE GAELIC LEAGI L..
the Basis Of lts Present Appeal Tor Amer.
lean Cont ributions.

To THE EDITOR oF The SuS-S,. In N.
last qua rter OF a century the position of Ire.
land has materially changed: the adNanc"
in national ideas has been noted especially.
during the last fifteen years The Fenian
cement had in ss7 stirred the young pco--
pie az they had not been stirred since las
and the influence Of PeniAnism was felt Ior
a considerable length Of time after 'h- fall
IRE OF the rising. Following the 4ss ia -
Parn.ll IN 1891 all was chaos in fact for tea
ten wears preceding the minds oi The people
were filled too much with politics With 'h"
land question and general agiratIon. and
hut few could see that this had bad ehec'
on the national spirit
While very anti-Engiish IN their utter
ances and in feeling. the people were I'M
consciously adopting English customs. man
ners and -Deech. aud had been whsedled
into thinking that the civilization forced
on them by the oppressor was superior N
thei- own Celti" civilization. The term
Nationaii list was applied to any man VINO
believed that local self government was all
that the country needed. which Was Csr.
tslniy n srotesaue definition to apply 10
men who wanted Ireland to remain q par
Of tn. British Empire. The national Ian
guaxe Was forgotten. the national m,i-l'
NOR, or less unknown. tho dances and NJ hey
forms NJ pastirne neglected. the tngIsf,
concert hall song or recitation and the
trashy English love novel. the s.M ara
ncislity OF the Anslo-SaNon character. all
were gradually undermining the raturslness
and sincerity OF th. IRISH mind the latter
people we're becoming INIT alton West
Brit lina.
In the year Isa1 . few thinking men Who
had dev otsd heir hest wears to the rud"
or social and economic conditions me
the city Of Dublin and determined to pu'
their energies INTO AN effort ro revive Irish
the land the tongue that had been so long
neglected. to arouse 'he dormant spirit and
s sS"ns r.; he on. .iana n md pos.
battle for ,h. recogni,l"n o. lrei.nd q;
as5,ns. sss.. ptSa' Hxss osn n' msn ss,ho
priest Father Eugene o'GronRey. ,nor
de- e ,s.d a Protestln, rlersymAn. the Re,
tho GasIic League, For some time The,
efforts met with l'tie success, peopis sneered
foolishly attempting to revive a dead Ian.
In lime the Gaelic League gained strength.
its progress wis slow but steady. and u
ranks convinced. T. boldly deci, rod tha'
no person ris IRISH unless he or they wer,
IN speech. IN thought. in manners and in
hem and :honfins ,h.Ir patIio,ism =
claimed they believed. and would no, h~
they were AS na, onsl as they protested 10 h.
ne ie ,giIs reminded the irish people -
the words uttered by the great Thomas
Davis. the apostle "f Irish nationality.
nst on should guard ia language NOR. than
,ts territor,e-. a. - lsa smr-r barrier than
,onaueror in the mouth Of the conquered
- The language Of = slave.
VIA, has .,cen Setn n" W.; w,ss;1i' @ Of he .asb.
thinking elements of the irish rac- unit~'
IN the work OF rebuilding the old na ion
terr and the press of ,h- land lends H.
undird.d support To the movement W"
S ,Riendd,a did, y"Tpns ,p ncn snd "9,n.n 9 o. hrln
are no, prompted wv -alh-h ambition q"
hope Of material re~ard. for their time ana
money - devoted entirely tn b" caus-. and
the language moveneht II developing =
generation of young people id-sii-'lc bur
no, visionary. practical in the honest ssns"
racial weakn--se- and TO strive ro correc'
The mistakes o. the past Th-r~ 10 nom" Of
the mutual admirafIon ruhbI-h n fhiS
no' ement. u i< not tolerated. and no a',en
lion - paid '" empty resolutions W hish'
ban,,net orstor- !, tahoo.d. The -illy tssd
III" hat TOO often IL heard AZ 80 called ir-t
gatherings m tmer,"a Mon,d mot b" pet
Does not such cause merit IN. spprnttl
and support q the Irish .mer,can publ"
somewhat similar character would Ia ="
this country
The spT,-ai made by III. league for Hnsn-
cia. aid will und oubtrdly be answered NJ
large contributions in the principal Nms-'
gan cities. and the envoy. ~ent out. F.,hsr
solum. are At present kept busy arranging
the details Of many meetings. The p-"pI''
nifty To- show their interest and .ympa;hv on
sunday evening, December =, ~ ihr Grand
CENTRAL Palace Manhattan. hen the envoy
demonstration having bran arranged nv N"
United Irish Ameri' an Societies NJ he gTeat"T
sicc.s- viii crown the efforts oi IN. noh,
soggarih aroon and his colleasT. - 'h"
prsyer of , tD~AEp Dw'f".