The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-05-20
The TRAGEDY and
GLORY OF IRELAND.
BY Paul Manning.

Once again, as so OIten IN tue
course of seven centuries, Ireland lies
bleeding under the heel Of her tyrant.
But when has ireland not been under
that heel? Only for few brief years,
after 1888, when the Irish Volunteers
secured the liberties of the country,
was Ireland permitted to breathe the
cir of liberty. In those few years
Irish industry and trade, Irish wealth
and happiness, increased more rap
idly than has happened in any other
land, at any time. The lesson then
learned was that by Irish efforts as
nation self.reliant, Irish good luck be
advanced; but by relying on any 9TH
er nation, the life of the country was
sacrificed.
The Irish Volunteers of 1916 we're
organized in the same spirit as those
of 1888. They sought no quarrel with
anyone; but they were determined to
defend Ireland against the world. The
English attempted to cajole the Irish
people. through treacherous Parlia-
mentary Party and by stories of Ger
man atrocities" into supporting the
blood-stained Empire. The attempt
failed. Once the corner-loafers and
ne'er-do-wells had enlisted, recruiting
in Ireland stopped. And England, de-
termined to send the 100000 Irishmen
of military age to die for her along
side Belgians and Frenchmen, re-
solved on conscription. But between
England and her brutal purpose stood
the Irish Volunteers-an army Of sol.
diers, drilled, disciplined, differed and
armed, sworn to defend their country.
These men had publicly notified Eng
land that they would resist conscrip'
ton to the death. So the English au'
thorities began to arrest their leaders
It was obvious that the organization
was to be disrupted, and then sud
denly, some day, the 10000 English
soldiers quartered in Ireland would
seize all arms-and the country would
be helpless.
It was in the realization of this i'm
pending fate that the patriots struck
first. 1t was no riot by mob, 1t was
no hare-brained folly. 1t was the de
liberate effort of men who realized
their position to free their nation by
sudden blow, in military force. They
followed the glorious tradition Of
America and proclaimed a Republic
How we'll they fought is even now
apparent, and time will tell the glori
GUS tale. In Dublin they were
hemmed in by ten or fifteen times
their number; and six-inch guns were
turned on them and brought the very
homes and public structures of the
city tumbling down about them
crushing them under the debris. In
Galway the English navy was needed
to subdue them. In EnniscOrthy they
held out over a week in isolation. The
toll they took of their foes will prove
to have mounted to the thousands
Then at last, the bright hope of the
centuries once more fading before
their agonized vision, they surren
dered at the command of their supe
riors, as an organized force of sol
diers.
And once their arms were down and
they were helpless, how did the Eng
lish government treat them? Like the
embodiment of sheer brutality and ig
noble tyranny which it is, that gov
eminent treated its helpless victims
as tiger treats its prey. Three Of
them-one already wounded-were
shot within forty-eight hours of theil
surrender; four more day later; 8
score of others condemned at once tt
ten years imprisonment; and thou
sand are yet to learn their fate. And