The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-11-15

tion, while their fondest desire was
to conform to the civilization and
ideals Of their neighbor across the
channel. Here at last was England's
day Of triumphant conquest Ireland
would be Ireland no more. She would
be an English province. At last her
chains were riveted. She was q will
Ing slave at the feet of her conqueror.
Such was the condition of affairs at
the advent of the Gaelic League
Truly has 1t been remarked In regard
to the founders Of the Gaelic League
(Father O'Growney, DR.. Douglas Hdye
and others) DigItus Del est hlc (the
hand of God was there). They were
instruments In the hands Of Provi.
dence to save the Irish nation. Only
a prophet could have undertaken the
work. or foreseen success.
Principle Of Gaelic Revival.
The principle which underlies the
Gaelic movement is that expressed by
the motto: "No language, no nation
or, "A nation without its language is
a nation without it's soul" Hence the
Goelic revival is essentially a national
movement In the broadest sense.
While self-government is an import
ant factor in nationhood, yet in the
opinion Of Gaelic Lacquer 1t Is a mat
ter of secondary Importance in COM
4parisOn with the possession of ma
tive langage. For what would it prof
, it ireland to be governed politically
by a Dublin parliament If she were
governed mentally and morally by the
ideals and standards Of an alien-and
might we not say inferior, because
Materialistic7 Hence the
purpose of the Gaelic League is to
secure that, whenever an Irish parlia-
ment presides over the destinies Of
the Emerald Isle, in Dublin, the rulers
and ruled be dominated and inspired
by Irish ideals, and the continuity Of
Ireland's glorious civilization pre-
served unbroken through the CEN
turtles Of the past be assured under
the new regime. Is not this q laud-
able object? Is 1t not a goal worthy
, Of our most earnest strivings? Arc
any means necessary to secure such
an ambition too difficult to undertake
and employ7 Yet the Gaelic League
contends that the preservation and
continuance of the Irish tongue Is one
such means, fundamental and indi-
spensable.
It's philosophy seems sound and
finds ample support in the history o6
European nations during the past CEN
tury. There we find In numerous in
stances that the battle Of nationhood
was fought around the languages; and
achieved victory by the revival and
development Of the nations language.
We need but mention a few: Ger
many and Denmark and Belgium have
won through the culture Of native
speech. Bohemia and Poland have re-,
sisted absorption and preserved their
national identity through the preser-
walton of their languages. Hungary
and South Africa will be as independ-
ent as they please, because they re-
sisted the invasion OF foreign Ian
guages. While all recognize that the
prevalence of French or English civil
valence of one or other language
hence the bitter and Jealous warfare
waged along the line of language. An
other fact worthy of note which points
in the same direction. The United
States of America is a country self
governed in the most liberal sense of
that word; and there has been more
bitter hostility between this country
and England than between us and any
other nation. While the per centage
of our population that are of English
birth or descent is insignificant in
comparison with the numbers that
owe origin or ancestry to other ma
tions. Yet how explain the dispro-
portionate English influence, mani
tested especially In our public press
and our universities? The answer is
obvious: The language rules us.
Reason itself supports these lessons
lof experience and demonstrates the
soundness Of the principle that in
spires the language movement. For
the language Of a nation is the Gre
alton of the nations soul, the natural
mold of its thoughts, the reflex Of its
mind and character, the shrine Of its
past glories, the expression Of it,
ideals and aspirations and the depos-
itory and custodian of literature and
,; civilization. Allow the language to
die and the key to the nations past
is destroyed, the continuity of it's ma
I tional consciousness is interrupted,
and the door is closed on the treasure
4 house of its racial experiences. In
troduce an alien language-be 1t ever
iso perfect in Its structure and rfch
in literature-and the minds Of the
people on whom 1t is forcibly imposed
u Continued on page - ssi