The Irish standard., 1910-11-05


field had dealt with some; the scaffold
had disposed of others; mysterious
midnight deaths in prison cells, seem,
ing very like convenient assassination
to avoid the trouble of public trial, had
disposed of others yet; and those who
survived had fed across the seas to
find home in foreign Landslide
refugees of '98. King George and his
parliament were now determined to
wipe out the Irish parliament. In this
he had a warm supporter, the in
famous Pitt, who named Lord Cam,
den as viceroy of Ireland. He was
soon succeeded by Lord CORVALLIS
whose capitulation to George Wash,
ington at Yorktown gave the United
States their independence. Corn
wallis went to Ireland with instruc,
lions to extinguish the Irish parlia-
ment. He had three weapons at his
command-terrorism fraud and brib.
cry.
After filing all public offices with
his own creatures, he then set out
to bride the members of parliament
and reliable historians place the
amount of money expended in this
way at $25,OO0,00O. The scheme OF
accomplishing the act of union was
entrusted to Lord Castlereagh of in.
famous memory. These men made no
secret of their corruption and bribery
in fact, they publicly announced that
all who stood for the union would
receive reward in either positions or
money.
Thus was Ireland robbed of her
legislature. Pitts policy prevailed
and the first day of January, 1901, saw
the last of that famous parliament
In the last years Of the brief ex.
istence of Ireland's parliament there
arose among the poor of Ireland a
man whose mission was to teach tenn.
perance, leaving to others the mission
of politics. This wonderful man was
Father Theobald Mathew, the apostle
Of temperance, as he was known. He
was born in 1890, at Thomastown
Castle, Kilkenny. He was educated in
Maynooth college and ordained priest
in 1914.
Through the awful years of the ia.
mine, when the committee in charge in
Cork suspended operations, he took
up the burden then nigh hopeless and
fed between 5000 and 1000 starving
people daily. His resources were
about gone, when vessel arrived
from America with a cargo of pro-
visions generously donated by the peo
pie Of this country for the relief OF
the famine-stricken. A large portion OF
this cargo was placed at the disposal
of Father Mathew. In 1849 he visited
the United States and was entertained
at the White House by President Tay.
Tor. Two years later he returned to
Ireland and soon after suffered a sud.
den attack of apoplexy. He died in
1856. His memory will live as long
as the cause of temperance remains
When Father Mathew was preaching
temperance to the people of Ireland
and devoting his entire time and en-.
ergies to the moral uplifting of its
people, Robert Emmett. was working
along other lines for the emancipation
Of his countrymen. Emmets life is an
open book to the average Irishman
and therefore no extended review OF
his undertakings Is necessary here
Like most of Ireland's leaders of his
time, he was Protestant, and, like
many of them, died for his country
For many years after the Irish par
lament was abolished, Ireland was
practically. at. the mercy of the cruel
British parliament. The right of suf
frage was confined to the moneyed
classes, and the poor had no voice in
the choice of its representatives at
Westminster.
True. there were few elected from
time to time who were in sympathy
with their country, but it was not un.
til 1873 that new national movement
began to make itself felt. This pc.
litical agitation for better laws, was
led by Isaac Butt, a Protestant. Butt
determined to arouse the whole coun.
try, which he did when he declared
that Ireland must have home rule,
and. on that issue the election of 1874
was fought. Butts success was a sur.
prise to the nation. OF 103 members
elected, over go were found pledged
to home rule. Soon after the opening
of parliament Butt introduced his first
home rule measure, and, though de.
feated, he persisted in pushing the
question at every session of parlia.
nlent, and just as often did the house
of commons vote against it. So de.