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

American as an individual class OF
Americans. So, too, we may speak
of the Irish Canadian and the Irish
men of Australia, all of whom have
such strong ties in common that
their identity as Irish, first. last and
all the time is ever manifested. What
we may say of the Irish in the Brit
ish Isles concerns them only as they
are separate from their Irish broth
ers in ireland and live in the shadow
of the British parliament separated
from those who have any sympathy
for their love of mother country and
where the atmosphere itself seems
hostile to their love of liberty. The
Irishmen in England with the ex-
ception of those of the aristocracy.
have fought different fight than
the Irish in Canada, the United
States, OF Australia. There is, it is
painful to know, a Catholic Tory
party in which few Irish may be
found among the membership. In
general, however, the Catholic Tory
Party is made up of English Cath
olics. The Irishmen in Great
Britain. with the exception noted, are
in close touch with the members of
parliament and have time and again
put themselves on record as to their
fidelity to the Irish party and their
enthusiasm in the support Of Home
Rule. 1t is worthy of note that
among the Liberals and the Labor
party, the Democrats and all those
in favor of greater liberty and a
greater share in the workings Of the
government that the Irish of Eng
land are to be found in large num-
bers. The Irish in England have
greater faith than ever in the Irish
cause and in the forces that are now
working in the cause of Irish liberty.
The Catholic Tory and the Irish Tory
are really men without country.
The Strength of the Irish in Great
Britain in this instance as in Eng
land alone has been power in adj
vancing the cause of Home Rule. The
Irish in Great Britain realize that
in whatever position they are
placed that the bond of union that
exists between them and their broth
ers has been a powerful force in d.
recting the politics of England in
the last generation. This has come
through the sympathy that has ex-
listed between the Irishmen in Eng
land, Canada, United States, and
Australia. 1t has been responsible
for the change of front on the part of
the English government because the
government understands that the
powerful factors in foreign lands
and in her own dependencies were
influenced greatly by those in SYM
pathy with the Irish cause. The
Irish in England have remained 10y
al to the cause of their country under
the most trying circumstances. So
great has this influence grown that
the union of sentiment, now existing
between the Nationalists, the Liber-
alists and the Labor Parties is all
that the government has to rely
upon in obtaining a majority. Thus
it is that the government has come
to the side of the Liberalists if the
government was to be saved from
dissolution. Those in sympathy with
the Irish cause have been the pion-
GERS in social and political reforms
in the British Isles. The Irish ques-
ton has fostered the growth of DEM
ocracy to the extent of bringing
about the veto power in the House
of Lords and it is safe to predict
that the House of Lords as part of
the British scheme of legislation
will be dissolved in the not distant
future. No other question of politi
cal statecraft has confronted parlia-
ment of sufficient Importance to
challenge the attention of statesmen
for centuries. Thus it is that crystal
lized Irish sentiment the world over
is about to realize the result that
has long been expected from home
rule agitation. namely, some meas
ure of self-government for ireland.
Home Rule is not the dream. It is,
in some measures, a fulfillment of
Irish hopes and when impartial his
tory shall record the influences that
have played prominent part in the
Home Rule movement it will be
found that the Irish of Great Britain,
although circumstances prohibited
them from the same demonstrations
of loyalty, nevertheless they have
been able to maintain an Irish party
in the House of Commons and the
English elections in every section
where Irishmen were among the con-
stituency have felt the influence of
the Irish in England.
THE DJJBLIN TRAGEDY.