The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-03-13

skelter, into Paris. Can you imagine
the clans of O'Neill or O'Donnel or
O'Brien doing such famous retreat"
from death? There really was no
Irishmen at Mons or any place else in
the ranks of the Allies. Now, last is
the heart of Irish nationhood at home
detected, deceived by false news, de-
MED the use of arms, given only
wooden guns to practice, in word elo.
quently proclaiming to the world that
England cannot even, by gold and
every deception contrivable by man,
convince her that she must join hands
with Britain in the cause of ,civiliza-
tion," ''of violated treaties, for the
"Catholicity" (God bless the mark) of
neutral Belgium and chivalrous
France. They are promised even
Home Rule, as If it ever entered the
mind of English statesmen to grant
self-government to Ireland! Now. we
know that England never contemplat-
ed such thing. She had the Orange
all armed ready for rebellion, and
should that not prove efficient she
could precipitate a European war
which she did.
There is no power on eartn to inter-
fere with the honesty Of the heart of
Erin, that still bleeds and sorrows and
signs for the past and above all the
present betrayal. You have only to
go among the peasants in the fair
Wales and hamlets and hills Of Ireland
to see what I mean. The inexplicable
sadness beneath the merry smiles and
wit, the awful reverence for the past,
the ruins looking down on their huts
recalling the days Of Cromwell, Coote,
Ghinkel, Lotus proclaim to the world
that the past is gone but not forgotten.
They recall atrocities greater than
the greatest lies reported of Belgium
by Britain. They recall for instance
the plundering and burning of Clon-
tart, Dublin, when the soldiers of Sir
Charles Coote massacred 16 towns.
people-men and women besides three
sucking infants-(not, remember, by
shells 16 miles or 20 miles distant,
but with their very bayonets,) how
Sir Arthur Lotus, governor of Mas,
found the people Of several villages
huddled for hiding place beneath q
large area of furze, invested the hill,
set fire to the furze, burning men,
women and children, any attempting
to escape being dispatched by the SOL
diers' bayonets, how this same Sir
Charles Coote enjoyed such frolic"
as the tossing of an infant on the point
of the bayonet, how in the terrible
famine Of 1652-1653 one could travel
for so miles through Ireland without
meating a living creature; but dead
bodies we're to be seen half-eaten by
wolves, how it was even said the
starved people took the bodies from
the graves; it being related that a
party of these fiendish soldiers, out
marauding, came upon a ruined cabin
in the night, and looking in, beheld a
huge fire surrounded by hungry men
and women while watching a corpse
as it broiled in the fire! And these
same people now have the stupid
audacity to criminally accuse civil
ized people of atrocity because they
wage war more scientifically than the
effete civilization Of Albion can com.
mand.
The Irish peasant heart knows all
this as we'll as his prayers, and am
sure his fervent prayer is offered for
the speedy triumph of German-Aus.
trian arms. understand now that
Belgium is sorry too late. She trusted
British faith and valor" which quick.
ly vanished when informed that in 38
hours one million and a quarter men
were on the way to Namur. Did she
dare send help? Belgium cried out
Where are the English?" No British
Tommy was there, believe me. Now
she claps her hands at Belgian valor
and calls her the savior of civiliza
tion. What consolation is it for Bel
gfum may ask, to be inundated on
the altar of English lucre? They knew
not Albion, but now they are seeing
the light. Germany had to act. The
knife was at her throat. 1t was pure
self-defense; no treaty stood in the
way, as no treaty stands In the way o
killing madman in self-defence. The
very law of nature clamors for 1t
She gave timely warning; but coult
not wait until British guns manned
) Belgium forts.
All public opinion in Ireland ii
stifled. One hears nothing but Ger
man defeats, and yet rumor has it tina
England is falling and Irish persecute,
hearts bless God. A poor peasan
Irish mail-carrier was rewarded by tn,
: Defence Of the Realm Act" with
> months hard labor in His majesty
! Jail for "maliciously" reporting Gel
! man naval victory In the North Sc
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