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

something the Irish mind could
never understand, and the Irish
heart would never accept.
These two characteristics Of the
Irish character kept alive in the
national heart the aspirations
after self-government which are
now about to be realized. It is
worthy of note that this national
spirit of the Irish race has been
misunderstood by the foremost
statesmen Of England. Gladstone
did not become convert to Home
Rule for many years after the
Home Rule party had been form
ed. Even at the present time, Mr..
Balfour, who must be given credit
for a sincere effort to make repair
alton to Ireland for the injustice
of the past, fails to understand
the spirit of nationalism which
animates them. In recent adj
dress he bewails the fact that his
life has been failure in view of
the passage of Home Rule.
"There was time" he says,
mot so very long ago, as my life
is measured, when / cherished the
dream that if law was restored in
the Southern Province of Ireland,
if every grievance was removed, if
every inequality was smoothed
away, if every encouragement was
given to the legitimate industry
if every equality and more than
equality were given to our Irish
fellow-subjects, ancient memories
would gradually soften, men
would look forward as well as
backward, and there would grow
up what there ought to be between
these two islands, common
hope, a common loyalty, conf
dence in a common heritage-an
that all this might be accomplish
ed under one Parliament.
For that I have striven; for
that I have argued in this House
and out Of it for that I have work.
ed weary hours at legislative
projects and striven to accommo-
date legislative details to the
needs and necessities Of the mo-
ment. And if the result of all is
that, in order that civil war may
be avoided, with all it's uncalcula-
BILE horrors, there is yet to be
established in Dublin a separate
Parliament to the injury, as I per-
sonally think, of the Irish people
and not less, perhaps, to
the British people then ]
may be an object Of pity. I shall
not regard such consummation
as a triumph over my political en-
emies.
son the contrary, it is the mark
Of the failure of a life's work, it
is the admission that the causes
for which I have most striven and
most earnestly sought to accom-
plish are fated to break down, and
that the long labors spent in this
House and out of it have not
borne the fruit that / once hoped
they might
Balfour undertook the impossi-
BILE because the cruelties inflicted
on the people Of Ireland were SO
unparalleled in history that they
could not be forgotten no matter
how the people tried. They want
ed at least a partial vindication
such as the measure Of self-govern-
ment provided by the Home Rule
Bill, belated though it be, gives.
And what about Ulster? The
Home Rule Bill contains an
amendment exempting from the
jurisdiction Of the Irish Parlia-
ment such counties Of Ulster as
may, by vote, manifest wish to
remain subject to English rule,
this exemption to hold good for a
period of six years and then to be
voted on again. In spite Of this
concession, the Obstetrics are not
satisfied with the Home Rule Bill
They are too English in blood and
sympathy to enter into the spirit
of Ireland's struggle for freedom
from an alien yoke. They are in
the country, but not for it. They
are the descendants of foreigners
imported for the purpose Of up
roofing the Irish race. Their fore
fathers dispossessed the rightful
owners Of the land and secured
title by usurpation and oppression
They have never formed part OF
the real Ireland; with few excep-
tions, they have never been in SYM
pathy with their fellow-country-
men. Instead of being glad that
they are tolerated at all, they try
to dominate the Irish people and
ruin their prospects. They pro
fess to fear the ascendancy OF
their Catholic neighbors; and yet
the Home Rule Bill specifically
enjoins the Irish Parliament from
interfering, either directly or in
4