The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-09-16
John A. MURPHY RETURNS
FROM trip TO dublin

statement upon his return after
five weeks in Ireland by John A.
Murphy, of Buffalo, New York, Vice
President of the Irish Relief Fund
Committee. Mr.. Murphy was one of
the two representatives sent to Ire.
land on July 8th.]
New York, Sept. 5-"To say that l
am glad to be back again in America
is to express it too mildly. After one
has lived as have done for six weeks
in the depressing atmosphere of mis-
cry and martial law surcharged with
governmental supervision and inspec-
ton, it is indeed pleasant to again
breathe free air. Perhaps the condi-
lions that call so strongly for assist
ance are best indicated by the dying
words of Michael Mallin, who, few
hours before he was shot in Kilmain-
ham Jail, wrote them to his friend,
Alderman Thomas Kelly Of. Dublin:
"'Dear Alderman. have left my
poor wife and children absolutely des-
titute. Will you kindly look up Mr..
R and the ladies of the Cumann
nam BAN; they have, l believe,
charge of things. had nothing but my
life to give to Ireland. That l freely
give. You will, know, accede to a
request from a man who is to die at
a quarter to four tomorrow morning.
God bless you! God save Ireland.
""'(Signed) M. Mallin, Commandant,
Stephens Green Command, Irish Re.
publican Army
'This is but one OF hundreds of in
stances that appeal in the most vehe
ment manner to all that is sympa
thetic in US, no matter what ones pc
litical preferences.
THE Instruction and the call OF
those dependent on men who died in
action and by courtmartial order
and without even the form of such at
order. in support Of the Cause of Ire
lands independence is only one Of
several causes of restitution and wan
in Dublin, particularly and also in sew
eral places in the west and south Of
ness centre of Dublin by the British
forces in the battle to recapture the
City from the Volunteers has para
lyzed the business life of the city tC
such degree that want and destitu
ton exist, as rarely before, il ever
in the City of Dublin. Following the
events of Easter Week, the Govern
ment arrested about twenty-five hun
dred Irishmen in all parts Of Ireland
They were not charged with crime
but were herded as prisoners OF wal
in detention camps In England ant
Wales. The Government made NJ
provision for the support or mainte
nance of their families save the relic
of the poor house. This continues t.
cause want and suffering to the mos
extreme degree In many cases. The
release of many prisoners does not re
move the causes of want, as yer.
many of these men have lost theil
employment. Every firm, corpora
tion and bank that could be Influenced
by the Government to refuse these
men unemployment has done SO, bu
the censored press cannot advise the
country Of such actions of business
houses and other semi-public institu
tions.
II shudder to think Of what would
have been the want, misery and suf
ferings in Dublin were it not for the
magnificently united and generous ac
ton of the priests and people OF all
National Ireland in coming to the first
aid of those in distress and want.
From this it must not be inferred
that the Rising was by Catholics
alone. No, indeed, it was purely Ma
tional No trace Of religious lines
existed, Protestant and Catholic, So
cialist and Aristocrat, fought his cor
ner and often died in it for Ireland as
he saw it. 1t is true that the intense
ly religious lives of the men, who
were in the vast majority Catholics
and the religious fervor of the people
gave to the whole movement charac
teristics Of Holy War. A catholic
priest. whose opportunity to observe
the lives and the manner of the
deaths of the men in action and b,
the firing squad against a blank wall
told me that he had conscientiously
searched history for parallel, ant
he could only compare them to thu
early Christian Martyrs in the purit!
and idealism Of their lives and in thu
Heroic fortitude and fervor of faitl
manifested in the manner of thei
deaths.
"Soon after Easter Week, the Irisl
National Aid Association was formed
under the patronage of Archbishop
Walsh of Dublin, and large commit
tee of men and women we'll known il
public life in Ireland, gave freely o
their time and services in the worl
Of collection of funds and the prope
and suitable distribution of them II
the most pressing relief work. Wher'
noble work was done by so many,
would be invidious to particularize
n INIT the mint ia that tn every man AMI