The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-30
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Reply to Mir. Franklin

To the Editor of The ACe-Herald
 Mir Joshua FranlSlins courteous letter in today's Age-Herald calls for a brief comment from me, I will for once en- deavor to be brief though teh temptation to be prolix in the matter of the most dstressful country is very great indeed.
 Mir. Franklin says I do not represent Irish opinion. l admit. readily and sor- rowfully that I do not voice the undi- vided Irish sentiment Of today. Query. When was Irish sentiment undivided9 1 admit that many alas, 100 many. Of 1relands best young men are in the Eng fish ranks, fighting q nation that never injured Ireland.
 1 do not speak now ur purely Irish regiments, like the regiment that at the outbreak of the war went out 600 strong and came back A. To English, Scotch and Colonial regiments the fighting race has given more than it's quota. In the London Times of January of this year a list of the kille.i and wounded of one day is given. The regiments mentioned are the Royal Scotch Fusliers the King s Own Scottish Borderers and the Seaforth Highlanders. I find 9i names of killed and wounded, 2S of these are Irish names and more's the pity
 MT. Franklin perhaps thinks that the true sentiment of the Irish people is voiced in the dispatches that come from overseas. An, these dispatches have to run the gauntlet of 10o0 British censors and the state of martial law, the prose cutions for sedition and the sullen dis content that obtains in Ireland Is kept sedulously in the background. If he would know true Irish sentiment l would urge him to read if he can obtain them, the following organs: Dublin Leader, The Irish National Volunteer, The Roscommon Herald, The kerryman. The Wicklow People the Meath Chronicle, the Galway Pilot, the Mayo News, The Leitrim Ob- server, The Sligo Champion, The Leinster Leader. If he would see true Irish sem timent of typical Irishmen Tn this coun- try, and surely the Irishmen of this land that have filled the lrislt war chest for the past half century have right to have voice, l would recommend him to read The Irish World, q paper that has collected over a million dollars for the Irish cause; The IIibernian the lead ing organ of the largest and wealthiest Irish society in America, the Ancient Order of Hibernians; The Gaelic Ameri- can of New York, The Irish Standard of Minneapolis, The Leader of San Fran cisco. the Union and Times of Buffalo The Fiibernian of Boston. The Chronicle of Albany, The Independent of Butte. The Light of Scranton, The Sun of Syracuse All these are solidly opposed to the re. cruiting campaign of John Redmond ss think I have a goodly company who think even as l.
 Mir. Franklin in his interesting let ter refers to the men of '4S An AS was indeed stirring year, a strange year, since a wave of political unrest seemed to sweep all over Europe. That year saw in Ireland the collapse Of fhe young Ireland movement, the dis persiOn of that brilliant band of men who were grateful indeed to O'Connell the great liberator who won Catholic emancipation, yet did not accept his strange dictum that the liberty O. the world is not worth the shedding of one drop of blood" who demanded po- litical no less than religious freedom. Sentenced to convict colonies by Eng land for loving Ireland and trying ito rend in twain her galling chain," these men became leaders of public opinion throughout the world. Duffy became prime minister of Australia. Mccee q cabinet member of railways in Canada Meagher, the great orator. commanded the Irish brigade in the civil war and died governor of Montana. Richard O'Gorman was the foremost member of the New Y York bar; kevin Opoherty leader of the Queensland legislature, Richard Dalton Williams, the poet. died q distinguished physician in New Or leans. I truly envy MT. Franklin his memories of those days
 Mir Franklin made the point that Ireland now has home rule and ought to be contented but how does the mat ter stand. It is true that measure at best a niggard1y measure. that was forced from England. for as Parnell. "the uncrowned ixing, once said. Eng land never granted any Irish demand save when Ireland knocked with mailed fist" has been placed on the statute books and signed by the King, bus let this be not forgotten, let this be kept in mind, before that measure be- comes effective an amending bill has