The Irish standard., 1915-07-17

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reagh. He insisted that parliament
could not end its own existance and
many agreed with him. But Castle.
reagh with the money and comets OF
Clare's bestowal had done their dirty
work. and in spite of the old patriots,
eloquence and logic. the amendment
was rejected. On May 81 Castlereagh
introduced the union bill and two
weeks later it was passed. 1t had been
passed by the English parliament on
Aug. 2. The king signed the bill and
on January 1, 1901, the act of union
between England and Ireland took eff.
feet.
Catholic Emancipation.
For the next few years the country
suffered greatly. Coersion acts were
passed and executed with a vindictive,
ness that could not be surpassed. And
no cry of resistance was raised, for
the people were benumbed by the con-
ciousness that with all their concen.
trated strength they could not defend
themselves against the $4,000 regulars
and 10000 volunteers which filled Ire.
land. Yet change, almost imprecep.
tible though it was, had come upon
the country. The Catholics were be.
ginning to assert themselves not as in
other times, under the patronage of a
few undetermined Protestants but. as
an Independent individual body. Their
policy was not physical force, but one
of legal agitation. In 1906 a petition
for Catholic relief was presented by
Keogh. A bill was proposed and was
supported by Gratten and Fox but it
was rejected by a large majority.
Again in 1921 an attempt for Catholic
relief was made in the form of another
relief bill it was rejected. A famine
was on the land at this time and the
people were dying from starvation.
Ejectments, tithes, rack-rents, trans
portations and hangings followed in
quick succession. In many districts
where the tenants were made desper-
ate by starvation and cruel laws, they
took justice in their own hands and
melted out punishment to the landlords
who oppressed them. In the midst of
all this few faithful men continued
the useless work of presenting petit
tions to the king and parliament only
to have them rejected. Then Daniel
O'Connell made his majestic stride
into the political arena where lay dead
and dying the many hopes of his
country. Local instructions, general
risings and wars had failed. A parlia-
ment in Ireland suffering from too
much Anglicism had succumbed by its
own hand, but O'Connell climbed over
these wrecks with new strength and
new standard that was destined to
succeed. ireland cannot fight Eng
land" he said, and he began to teach
the doctrine of passive resistance. In
1928 he founded the Catholic associa-
ton the object of which was the pro.
motion of Catholic emancipation by
means of meetings held throughout
the country public discussions, and
the return of members of parliament
pledged to labor for the emancipation
Of Catholics. For two years this as.
ISOLATION flourished and then by an
act which O'Connell termed the AL.
gerine Act-because of it's severity It
was suppressed. Undaunted by this
O'Connell automatically reorganized
the society under another name. In
the general elections through the
agency of this association members
of parliament pledged to support the
cause were elected in Waterford
Louth and Monaghan where previous
ly opponents of Catholicity had been
always returned to parliament. O'Con.
nell now presented himself as can.
didate for a seat in parliament as q
representative from Glare. After q
bitter contest he was elected in the
summer of 1928, but knowing that al.
though the government could not pre-.
vent the election of Catholics to par.
lament, unless they took the oath re.
quired of all members of parliament
an oath which denied certain doctrines
of the Catholic church. Catholics
could not take the seat to which the
people had elected them, O'Connell
did not attempt to take his seat. He
had most automatically laid his
plans; he had united the Irish peo-
pie and by virtue of that union he
had won. outside of parliament, the
object which he had sought. Meet.
ing all attempts to goad them into
an instruction and its inevitable
consequences and scorning all offers
OF compromise, with a silent and cool
determination the Irish Catholics un.
der his leadership at last gained their
emancipation.
The Big Wind. ..s
January 6, 1889, was the date of the
big wind in Ireland. There have been
other big winds, but there never was
one that equalled the first one. Births,
and deaths are fixed before
and after the big wind. Many tales
have been told about this hurricane.