The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-05-30
HOME RULE FOR IRELAND.

HOME RULE FOR IRELAND.
The Home Rule Bill for Ireland
passed the third reading in the
British House of Commons on
Monday, May 25, by vote of 351
to 274, a majority of 78. It had
previously passed through all the
stages in two separate sessions of
the English Parliament and it au-
tomatically becomes law no mat
ter what it's fate at the hands of
the Lords to whom it will be soon
referred.
The Home Rule Bill gives Ire
land a limited measure Of self
government in local affairs. Its
enactment marks the elimination
of struggle for Irish national
rights which has challenged the
attention and compelled the adj
miration Of the whole world. The
credit for this successful outcome
of a century-old conflict is due to
the prudent wisdom and enlighten-
ed craftsmanship of two men, Mr..
Asquith, the English Premier, and
Mr.. John Redmond, the leader Of
the Irish Nationalists
Now that success perches on
the banner of Irish nationalism, it
may not be uninteresting to advert
to the causes to which this final
victory must be attributed. What
lies at the root Of the efforts which
Ireland has made to achieve indie
pendence? What kept alive the
aspirations after freedom which
thrilled the hearts of the Irish for
SO many generations? The i'm
mortal, imperishable spirit of ma
tionality of the Irish race, and
their undying instinct to govern
themselves these are the funda-
mental principles which underlie
all their efforts.
The spirit of nationality, once
enkindled in the hearts of a
people, never dies. Witness the
long-continued struggles Of
Greece, Belgium, Lombardy, Hun
gary, Bulgaria and other nations
for the God-given right Of indie
pendence. Ireland is no excep-
ton to this universal law of ma
ture. The fire of her national as
pirations has not only never been
extinguished, but has never been
allowed to grow cold. Cardinal
Newman, in a letter written in
1881, says: 81 knew, when in Ire
land, one Of the leaders of the
Smith O'Brien movement in 1848 !;
his boast was, that from Henry
IFS time, the people have never
condoned the English occupation.
They had, by a succession of ris-
ings, from that time till now, pro-
tested against it. He adds: ct
have long thought that the Irish
would gain Home Rule in some
shape" Ireland never accepted
union with England as a perman-
ent fact; but protested continual
ly against the usurpation of au-
thority which deprived her Of a
place among the nations of the
earth.
Again, it has ever been the I'M
dying instinct of the Irish race to
govern themselves and to manage
their own affairs. 1t was so from
the beginning. In olden times the
clans met on the hillside to enact
laws for the common good, to leg
islate for their own interests. How
strongly ingrained this idea of
self-government was is shown in
the Brehon Laws which gave to
Ireland, even in re-Christian
days, well-merited pre-eminence
among the nations of the world.
Under the domination of England
all this was changed. The right to
make their laws was taken away
from the Irish people; but the ma
tional spirit, crushed by oppres-
sion and might. was not broken
or destroyed. For centuries it
successfully defed the sword of
the conqueror and, purified and
invigorated by Catholicism, it new
er ceased to protest against the
unjust aggression of England. The
Irish never submitted tamely to
the CALLING yoke of a foreign pow
er. To be governed by others is