The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-08-21
SEUMAS MACMANUS SPEAKS FOR IRELAND

An article was recently published
in the New York Sun from the pen
of Seumas MacManus the noted
Irish writer and lecturer who has on
different occasions visited in the Twin
Cities. The letter from Mr.. Mac
to the English army were corner
boys and out-of-works. An Irish lady
who had cousin in the British army
took exception to the letter of Mr..
MacManus and attempted to defend
the enlistment Of her cousin. Suf-
fee it to say, that this lady would
never have mentioned the name of her
cousin had he been private instead
of a lieutenant in which the lady took
so much pride. The letter was in
tended for the consumption of Irish
Americans. and published with the in
tention of informing them that no
matter how active they may have
been in the service of Ireland, as soon
as they set upon American soil, they
forthwith lose all knowledge of Irish
affairs and are incapable of express
ing an opinion on matters affecting
Ireland. The letter of this lady was
directed to Mr.. MacManus who pub
lished the same and also the answer
which he sums up, 1.-THE Irish Sit.
uation with Respect to the Matters
Mentioned in the Letter from the La.
dies Cousin-Lieutenant." The letters
recently appeared in the Irish
World"
I'VE are all in this battle, Unionist
and Nationalist. If England is beaten
in this war, there will be no Ireland
left to fight for. And yet do not think
we are in it for that reason. l am
not, l am in it and l think all Irish
men are in it, because we think it
cowardly and criminal to stand by
when all attempt is made to subvert
all principles of liberty and honor,
merely because our ancient enemy
happens to be on the right side.
when our fellow countrymen now
in America left Ireland things were
very different from what they are now.
They have utterly failed to grasp what
has happened in the last fifteen years.
1t seems to be of no import to them
that every Irish leader today advises
the Irish people that they must throw
their lot in loyalty with England if
they wish to continue to exist at all,
otherwise they are as a set of slaves.
Why do they think the Germans will
treat them any better than they have
treated the Belgians?
so am trying to do my little part,
faltering soldier, a peaceful blood
spiller; hating the whole thing, lit.
orally, not in slang sense, like He'll;
fearing death and pain and discom.
fort. and trusting that God will deal
with me as He thinks best. and deal
with my country as a gentle and Low.
ing father.
Il am not fighting for the British
Empire or for world power or for ter.
ritorial expansion; but hope that
any suffering allotted to me will pur-
| chase for Ireland term of peace and
prosperity in which she will bind up
her wounds and once again be happy"
Labored to Produce Pathetic Effect.
The writer of the above labored
hard to produce pathetic effect and
succeeded far better than he knew.
One of the most pathetic things about
our nation Is, and ever has been, that
we have a certain percentage of men,
cultured, thoughtful, even sincere,
who are at the same time, so weak.
minded that they swallow and then
give back as their own, the cant of
the conqueror, and whose slavishness
is of that most invincible kind that
does not let them dream they are
slaves.
For the behoof of your readers, who
are occasionally called upon to com.
bat mawkish sentimentality of the
kind that saturates the letter of this
Irish lieutenant in the British army,
I am giving copy of the reply I sent
to my correspondent:
Seumas McManus' Reply.
Dear Madam:
only meant to be descriptive, not
abusive, when I said that the British
army in Ireland was recruited from
corner-boys and out-of-works. I did
not for q moment intend my readers
to understand that there were no ex.
ceptions. Your cousin, I feel certain,
is one Of the exceptions. He is evi.