The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-04-13
Says it is a Pity That the Bill
Should not be Passed With
Unanimous Vote.
While Some May Object All Are
Aware That Self-Government
Must Come.
If Blood and Tears Give Dignity
to Nationhood Ireland Has
Earned Her Place.

Sir A. Conan Doyle presided at u
dinner given at THE Trocadero," Shaf-
tcHhurv avenue. London. by the Lib
cral Colonial Club, at which the quss-
tion of tho Home Rule problem In re-
lation to Colonial Constitutions was
discussed. A number of members Of
Parliament were present.
In the course of his speech Conan
Doyle said:
II have in a very different field o.
thought been the comrade of Mr.. Chill
dcrs in a contentious subject, and I
have learned to appreciate his great
qualities, his clearness Of vision, his
fearlessness of speech. and that inde-
pcndence of thought which is ready to
found his own conclusions upon those
facts which he collects with such scru-
pulous care. l knew that he possessed
these qualities. but | confess that l
did not realize the degree to which ho
possessed them until read his
framework Of Home Rule" 1t is u
great book say it adviscdly, 1t is
a great book. | have never read a more
convincing book. The worst that
wish my Uniunst friends is that can
of them should for e. month occupy a
hcrmit's cell and have no companion
but that book IL they do not come
out as Home Rulers, and, therefore,
as lnlpcrialists, then their case is hope
less. say. as lmperiaists. | star1
here as an lmpcriaist. BY Imperialism
| do not mean any kind of ascendancy.
mean that every man of our blood
| and tongue, be he who he may, should
act together in sympathy and under
standing. That is what I mean by
Imperialism. And we have all but
attained it, II England in good
cause drew her sword, then we know
that the swords of fifty allied Colonies
and Dependencies, great and small,
but all great In spirit. would spring
from their shcaths. Only one would
| sharp or heavy.
The sword of Celtic Ireland would
remain sullcnly by its side. We can.
not afford that: we want them; II on
ly looked at selfshly. we want this
gallant race upon our side. And soon
think they will come, and our cir
Gle of Empire be complete. But when
| they do come, and when the Empire
is complete. then it will be manifest
how anti-1mperial have been the AIMS
of the Unionist Party. 1t would havo
been great thing IL this seven hun
dred years controversy could have
| been settled by mutual agreement.
Then. indeed, the gift of NationaI
Self-Govcrnment would have come
from England to Ireland. One would
have thought that If, in question like
the coal strike where passions have
been aroused, and where the interests
of two classes are directly opposed
X even then Party tactics could for
| a time have been kept aside and the
matter treated by a solid Parliament,
this could also have been done in the
ease OF Ireland. For surely we all
know it has got to come. The Home
Eule Of the Unionists may differ in
| detail from that Of the Radicals. but
the country is weary of endless strife,
and some solution must be found for
Englands sake as well as 1relands.
What a pity, then that the Act Should
not be unanimous. Then, and only
| then would the extremists in Ulster
| understand that resistance was USE
less and that they must leave the 1stn
century forever and come up with the
goth. However, that is not to be, ard
We must grid UP our loins for long
fight. But If we fight patiently, with
weapons of logic and charity and trust
in well-proved first principles, we will
surely win. We have lived in great
days. We have seen Australia born
peacefully as a nation. we have seen
South Africa become a nation after a
baptism of blood, but If blood and
tears give the dignity of nationhoo1.
then God knows old Ireland has earn
ed her place. If we live to see that
consummation, then we have witnessed,