The Irish standard., 1912-01-27
At the inaugural meeting of the


At the inaugural meeting of the
University Literary and Historical So
ciety of Dublin, the auditor John A.
Ronayne, delivered an address, 1.-THE
Dawn OH the Hills Of Ireland" which
was the supplement and complete
ment of the sketch of the Irish move
ments presented a year ago by Mich
ael Davitt, son OF the Father Of the
Land League" Mr.. Davitt reviewed
past policies and movements; Mr..
Ronayne examined almost exhaustive
ly all the ENTHUSIASTICALLY, hostile
and neutral-which must be consider
cd in relation to the present-day Ma
tional movement.
At the present moment, when all
Ireland was palpitating with the en-
him that Il picture of lreland's outlook
would be the most proper subject of
the opening address. Last year d
brilliant address on the history OF the
National struggle was read by his
predecessor, Michael Davitt. For him.
self, he stood at the entrance of the
great world, and he viewed his coun-
try's future place in it through the
rose-colored glasses of youthful hope
and optimism. Dealing first with tho
land, he said it had often been stated
that upon the solution of the land
question depended the salvation Of
ireland. In Il former paper he gave it
as his opinion-an opinion which he
now reiterated - that there never
would be a last word in this question,
that each generation would have it's
own difficulties to meet. and that,
moreover, if they solved them as sat-
isfactorly as the present generation
solved theirs, they would have little
cause to complain. Irish Nationhood
was much bigger thing than even a
great agricultural problem.
Joseph DevIin's Great Work.
And as IL the time had come he saw
one man arise, born of the people,
sprung Of the people, knowing the peo-
pie, and SO, loving them, who from
the beginning of his public career an
nounced his mission on their behalf,
and went forth, not into the highways
and the byways but into the palaces
Of the industrial kings, into the Sem
ate house of a greedy Empire, to
n each the gospel of justice, human
ITS, and Christianity: and he saw that
his mighty arm was strengthened by
lnc righteousness of his cause. which
the triumph with which it had been
crowned. Need he say that he was
speaking of Joseph Devlin. His whole
public life had been mission for the
workers, and the Insurance Bill was,
he trusted, but the beginning of a
glorious victory.
All their efforts, their energies, their
sacrifices must necessarily be futile if
they still lacked that keystone of po-
litical independence, and it was the
very fact that the achievement of that
last necessary element for their COM
plete Nationality was now almost ac-
complished that had fired his blood
with such tingling electricity Of en-
thusiasm and hope, that he positively
refused, for the moment at any rate
to see one black cloud on their hor-
lion. He saw an Ireland free and
happy, pure and great; he greeted
their common mother in the simple
sweet words that had been put into
the mouth of the Returning Exile:
GLORY to God! but there it is,
The dawn on the hills of Ireland,
Gcd's angels lifting the nights black
From the dear old face of my sire
land.
OH Erin, is.l't it grand you look,
Like bride in her rich adjoining,
And with all the pent-up love of my
heart,
I bid you the top of the morning.
Mr.. DiIIon's Speech.
We live in days when men are trav.
cling through the world with the OBJ.
ject Of representing Ireland as coun.
try inhabited by a mixture of idiots
of criminals, and of slaves, and it i.
:. time of pessimisn, the greatest tina
recollect in my lifetime, or have reat
Y of. And, therefore. it is with peculiar
pleasure that we have listened to thu