The Irish standard., 1912-01-27

Irish history down to yesterday. How
many persons are there in this room
who are intimately acquainted with
the history of Ireland during the last
sixty years? There are very few. And
yet 1 believe that in the Whole history
of mankind there is no history more
interesting, more dramatic, and, from
the human point of view, more in
structive than the history of Ireland
during the last sixty years. Every
problem nearly that has exercised the
human mind in sociology and in the
working of systems for the good of
mankind has been worked and to some
extent solved in ireland during these
sixty years.
lreIand's History for the Past Sixty
Years an Interesting Study.
Whether VIC study that history from
it's dramatic point of view, for the
pure romance and interest of it, or
from the instructive point of view, as
regards the solution of these great
social problems I do not believe that
you can in the whole history of man
kind produce period more full of
interest than the last sixty years of
Irish history. And l agree with the
Auditor when he said that great as is
the task and noble as is the task of
the Gaelic League in reviving or pre-
serving the language Of our fathers,
I believe that the ties which bind us
together as Nation in the future
will be stronger which are derived
from the study of our history. and
the fate and fortune through which
our Nation has passed.
Then the Auditor came to draw a
beautiful and a somewhat roseate
view of the future of Ireland. ! my
self, from long experience l suppose
am neither an optimist nor a pessi-
mist. l do not believe that Ireland
will be an ideal country or a para
disc to live in when we get Home Rule
nor do 1 believe with Sir Edward
Carson that it will be like another
place whose name l snail not men-
ton. But one thing I am never tired
at meetings like this of impressing
upon my audience, and that is this
that l do hope and trust that in the
future that is before us, whatever be
the fate of Ireland, it Is bound to be
a future full of interest for those wl1t
live and work In it. that we will MOI
allow ourselves by any siren voice t.
be shut up in the past of our OWL
country and in our own country's af.
fairs, that we will decline absolutely
to allow Ireland in the future that is
before us to be cut off from the mail
stream of European life.
An Inspiration Of Sacrifice.
In the great days of our history, the
heroic days before the eighth century
it was the glory and pride of ireland
to take great and leading part ever
in the intellectual life of Europe, anG
l hope and pray that Ireland never
will be shut off from the old days
when Charlemagne had to send to Ire.
land for man to teach Greek, be.
cause he could find no one in Franco
able to do it, so in the days before Il:
we will maintain the position of Irish
intellect as we have maintained the
position of Irish arms throughout thu
whole Of Europe, and for that matter
throughout the whole world. We hav,
lovely, beautiful country, though
it is something small as things go il
these modern days; we have a goot
stock of men and women inhabitin,
the country; we come Of great oil,
never cease to be a great fighting race
And if we do study the history of on
country it is q history full of TRACED
and sorrow, but also of romantic in
terest and instruction, and of the in
spiration of sacrifice, and with thos
| assets to start us on our new career
I am confident that the glory of Ire
land in the future will equal her glor
in the past.
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