The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-08-01

suit of their purpose have sought to
import arms. The arms were i'm
ported clandestinely as the govern
ment forced their Importation. Yet
Ulster was being armed and def
ance threatened the king. All this
passed unnoticed until the recent at
tempt to land arms in Dublin. 1t
was signal for the British officers
and those representing the British
government to display their hatred
of Irish liberty and their willing
ness to use every power at their COM
mand to destroy the purpose of the
volunteers. This at a patent exam-
pie of what exists among the crown
appointees in Ireland. When the
pro-British and pro-union troops
were called to Ulster in the early
spring they refused to act but when
called to confiscate the arms of the
Volunteers so great was their haste
that they required no orders from
the seat of authority to cause the
unwarranted shooting of men and
women sympathizers of the National
list cause. The effect upon Home
Rule is certain. 1t has raised Ire
land to a pitch of excitement which
heretofore has not existed in dis
cussing the Home Rule bill. 1t has
made it plain that the National Vol
unteers are an absolute necessity, it
emphasizes the fact that concessions
cannot and should not be made and
that arms in possession Of the Ma
tional Volunteers are absolutely nee
essary in promoting the Home Rule
program. Members of the Labor
Party and many of the Liberalists
are supporting the Irish Nationalist
in their present crisis. It is not
enough to suspend one police COM
missioner and to accept the resigna-
tion of another. The troops that fired
upon the Irish Volunteers were not
only expressing their own opinion
Irish liberty. but were ex-
pressing the historical enmity in
England and the evident distrust in
the British government in granting
Home Rule to Ireland. The plans
for discussing the Home Rule and
taking up the amended bill are post
poned indefinitely. The situation is
up by John Redmond in his
address where he said: "Four-fifths
of the Irish people will not submit
any longer to being bullied and pun
ished for conduct that is allowed to
go Scott free in Ulster by anothe
section of their fellow countrymen.
The truth of his remarks is every
where realized. The affair has
dragged out too long. Parleying is
to no purpose. If the government
intends to grant Home Rule and stay
by it's promise it could have done so
long ago without waiting for these
factions to grow. 1t is worthy of
note that the first blood was shed
by the Irish Nationalist and the
Irish Volunteers who were shot down
by British troops when only a few
months before the troops refused
to act in Ulster and their reasonable
conduct passed unchallenged. At
fairs in British politics are due for
a decided turn. The impartiality of
the government can no longer be dis
cussed. One or the other must be
done and done Immediate
ly. The policy of the government
thus far has done nothing save to
widen the breach between Ulster and
the rest of Ireland. No program can
be successfully carried out on basis
that allows the opposition to grow
while the government itself is wink
Ing at the injustice that is being per-
petrated and growing contemptible
as Its weakness becomes more and
more apparent. If the matter is to
be left to the arms of Ulster and the
rest of Ireland it would soon be de-
cided. The double dealing of the
government can hope for nothing
more than what it has seen in the
streets of Dublin on Sunday last.