Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-11-18
.hne Leslie Here to Glorify the
Irish Nation and Her
Language.
Is Half An American and Comes As
Envoy Of the Gaelic
League.
To Preach Not So Much Hate For
England as Love For
~ Ireland.
WOULD BRIDGE The BOYNE

That Irish-Americans and others
who have contributed for years 10
the financial backing OF the WORK
that is being done by the Gaelic
League and ireland may have bet
ter understanding how their money
has been used a young 1rishman'
shane Leslie, has been sent by the
league to lecture in this country on
irish history and literature and to
eli the story of nations revival.
yMr Leslie's mother is Mrs. Jack"
.slie. daughter of Leonard Jerome,
nd he himself Is a cousin OF Home
ecretary Winston Churchill. On his
Ither's side he is descended from
of the old Ulster ascendancy
miles, the Leslies, who migrated
Ireland 800 years ago and be-
kme more Irish than the Irish them
slves. Mr.. Leslie, a tall, dark
aired, square jawed young man, is
ka.-kuest of Bourke Cochran while
sw York.
1.-THE Gaelic League OF Ireland,
{e said, sis attempting to carry out
In the schools of the country what
Bthe Land League accomplished
| among the farms of the land. AS the
Land League made Irish land free
for the Irish people to live on, SO
the Gaelic League wishes to make
the Irish Language and literature
free to be taught in the primary
schools of Ireland. Since we started
we have introduced the real Irish
literature into 5000 OF the 5000
primary schools of the land, and
compelled the Senate of the new
National University to assent to MAX
irg the Irish language compulsory
to matriculation, beginning with
1918. In the decade that lies before
us we believe that unless we save
the spoken language of a consid-
erable portion of Ireland we never
HAilL
Irish literary tradition is two
| thousand years. standing, and covers
what is known to scholars as the old
Irish and the mediaeval Irish. The
old Irish is the pre-ChristIan tradi-
tion; the medieval Irish is the lit
erature and traditions of the middle
ages. We claim that Irish is the
Oldest vernacular in Europe, and
though repeatedly legislated against
for 500 years by the British Govern
ment, II has seemed to be in danger
of dying only within the last half
century. We propose to have 1t
taught In every primary school of
Ireland. The language movement
has brought in it's train in Ireland
what we call the Intellectual Ma
tionalism. By revealing the long
hidden treasures of our literature it
has given us the basis on, which can
be restored the most ancient of
European nations. How deep we
have struck in the national heart
can be judged by the fact that the
language revival has been instantly
followed by a revival of Irish tradi-
tional dancing, Irish athletics, sing
ing and music, and by remarkable
Industrial movement. This latter is
manifested by a demand for an
Irish trade. Before the revival Irish
tweeds were sold in the market as
! Scotch tweeds; now Scotch tweeds
afe sold as Irish tweeds. Irish butter
was sold as Danish, butter; now
Danish butter is sold as Irish butter.
We have national trade mark now,
little Celtic emblem with the
words Deanta In h. Frinn' (made in
Ireland).
while the Gaelic League is not
political, many public men are its
officers. While It Is non-sectarian
and the bulk of the membership is
Roman Catholic. the president of
the league is a Protestant. The aim
of the league has been to preach
not to so much hate for England as
love for Ireland. We sincerely de-
sire TO bridge the Boyne.' to bring
the old Celtic race into common ma
Nonal relations with the hitherto
ruling race of settlers. In this we
have been extraordinarily successful,
hand many members of the old anti
krlsh landlord families have been
Pile to call themselves Irish Ma
knallsts for the first time in his
under the auspices of the Gaelic
que. ! myself may be regarded
case in point. I belong 20 one
old Ulster ascendancy families
came into Ireland 800 years
ID. and in the same way that the
Norman invaders OF Ireland became
more Irish than the Irish themselves
feel the subject of Irish national
Ism more keenly than do many OF
the old Irish. I have staked my
life. my career and all that care
! Tor on the single question OF ireland
d Nation ! believe that she was a
nation before the Britannia, or
Ieutonic, or Slay considerations had
taken their places on the map of
Europe. ! believe that by her re-
si1tance to Anglicization during 500
years she has justified her claim Of
continuous nationality. believe
that IN the future she can not enter
any social or political state which
does not recoenize first and fore
most her nationality.
II have been sent as the envoy OF
lne Gaelic League to lecture on the