The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-06-24

hiatSAS llleNltapie, pul Idtncr TO SnO"
what I, hard stiff fight is ahead, and
that the representatives of Ireland de-
serve and need the patient confidence
and support of their friends on both
sides of the water in the delicate and
difficult situation that is Immediately
Forthcoming.
Rights to Nationhood.
AS to the question of what kind of
Home Rule will be forthcoming in the
bill promised for next year, the an
sWer will depend very much upon the
manner in which the problems hither-
to spoken OF are solved. One thing is
already a source of encourn cement.
The government has already taken
the Irish members into its confidence.
The bill when finally presented Will
be the result of twelve months inces-
sant labor and full and frank ncgotia-
tons between the ministers and the
Irish leaders. T. p. OConnor, who en-
joys the confidence of both parties, is
authority for this statement. l would
note two things as of special import
| ancc for American readers. First,
| there is no party. and no section of
party. of Englishmcn who love Home
Rule for its own sake. English,
Sctotrh, and Welsh. Liberals and Tor
icS-all would be very pleased and
separate nationhood and settle down
contrntcdly into the position of an
lInglisl, shire. This. however, Ireland
will never do, as has been proved by
the history of seven ana one half CEN
turies. Her spirit of nationality dis
tinct from the sister land is inde-
structible and irrepressiblo. In this
sense she has never been conquered,
and will never accept the position Of Il
conquered province. THE conquest of
Ireland" said the London schoolboy,
asked to write an essay on that sub
jcct. began under SrongboW and Is
still going on"
That is it exactly: and 1t will go on
so long as an lrishmun breathes and
| lreland's rights AS a nation are de-
| MED 1t ls true that from u material
and utilitarian point Of view Ireland
needs self government: but what
wish to make clear is that before all
| such reasons for Home Rule and ut
| .,1I
her claim to nationhood. This has
| been her historic attitude. For this
she fought on the battlefield, for this
have hrr children ever asked--nsked
in the prison. in the dungeon, and on
the scaffold-for Ireland's right to
live her own life, to govern herself
according to her own IDEAS
Recognized as a Separate Kingdom.
Now it is true that Wales and Scot
land are beginning to agitatc and that
they are urging their claim, too as
separate nations. But it must be re-
mcmbered that their position is en-
tirely different from that of Ireland,
| "iicS IRtSci Illu JtlI ptDL-
land freely and deliberately relin-
quislcd hcr parliament and entered
into union with England. Both cOun-
tries have prospcrcd under the union,
and have been politically content.
Both are commercially and Industrial
ly not only similar to but practically
Il
II parliament. She was recognized as
| separate kingdom. Her parliament
was sold without her consent. She
has lost under the union in wealth,
| population, and industry, in every
| thing that makes a nation prosper
Gus and content. She has never
ceased to protest against the union.
She is industrially more distinct
from England than Cuba is from New
York state. The same laws. the same
ideas, can never be applied justly to
both countries. But all this apart
when Wales and Scotland speak of
separate natiOnhood their idea of ma
| lloIIdllIy is tnlTcly ulHeFcllt from tnHC
of Ireland. II is not possible here to
explain fully this difference. But
suffice it to say that the measure of
self government which would satisfy
Wales and Scotland never will and
never can satisfy ireland. Accord
ingly. Irish Home Rule in the only
sense in which Ireland has always
understood it, and in the only sense
in which Ireland will accept it. is not
loved for it's own sake by any party
or section Of Englishmen. Scotchmcn
or Wclshmen. This is the first thing
that must be remembered. The sec
ond follows from this as a corollary.
1t is simply and plainly this: the
measure Of self-government conceded
to ireland will be as small as British
statesmen can make it and as large