The Irish standard., 1916-11-04
Noted American
Visits ireland
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Continued from Page II
notice of their intentions, wore mill
tary uniforms, observed the laws of
war and neither disgraced their uni
forms or their cause. Intolerable in
justice and the ignomy of Dublin Cas-
tie Rule drove these men to attempt
the ending of it all. In consequence
there is a marked contempt for death
all over the country. It is infectious
and felt it too. Ireland has been re-
vitalized by this noble effort which has
strengthened Irish ideals and stiffened
the national backbone.
Several of the paid politicians as rep
resented by the so-called Nationalist
Party went out of their way to dis
credit and defame these honorable
men. Stephen Gwynn's charge that
they shot crippled soldiers is abso-
lutely without foundation. It neither
reflects credit on the cause which Mr..
Gwynn represents nor upon Mr.. Gwynn
himself, besides it is false and ungen-
tlemanly. Other charges are equally
misleading.
For years, l have been in the habit
of visiting st. Werburg's Church to
see the resting place of Lord Edward
Fitzgerald. His remains lie in it's
crypts and also the famous Earle of
the Geraldines. For generations the
aristocrats OF Dublin have been buried
in st. Werburg's Churchyard. l got
to know the Noncomformist Sexton of
the church very we'll. He charged the
Dublin rebels with the murder of his
wife during Easter Week. l made a
close investigation of the circum-
stances and learned that it would be
practically impossible for the woman
to be killed by rebel ball during
the fight. The patriots occupied ruined
walls outside the churchyard and a
company of soldiers commanded their
position. On account of the location
of the Sections house and the point
where his wife was shot it would seem
that the charge is absurd. The woman
met her death at the hands of the rep
resentatives of the English Govern
ment.
The English Government would, il
possible, wash it hands free of the
blood of Nurse Keogh of the South
Dublin Union. Her people are near
neighbors of my relatives in Carlow
and they insist that she was shot by
soldiers. Her family was actually
threatened by the military authorities
not to instigate an inquiry" into
the death of Miss Keogh. Facts point
to the breaking in of the hospital gates
by soldiers who shot her in the dis
charge of her duties.
Heroic incidents of the wartime week
leak out slowly. Dubliners point with
pride to man who killed dozen SOL
diers in fair fight and then, when his
ammunition was spent, gave battle
with bare fists. Even then he beat his
foes, he was not arrested. Out in the
suburbs two brothers beat a company
of soldiers. The Staffordshire Regi-
ment engaged in the conflict was CON-
posed of arrant towards. 1t was not
able to stand before the Irish on
slaught. So pricked is the Wanted
bubble of English bravery that the
Irish feel the supremest contempt for
the English as fighting factors.
Wounded Irishmen are returning
daily from the front. They report
that English regiments refused en-
Iaasse to fight and in consequence
many had to be shot. Because of the
inefffciency of the English, the Aus
tralians and Canadians will not salute
English officers.
Recruiting is dead. There will be
no CONSUMPTION. If CONSUMPTION is at
tempted it will be resisted to the
death. Young Irishmen prefer, if
needs be, to die fighting in Ireland
rather than under English colors fight
ing against people who have never
wronged them. Statisticians neglect
to state that large element of the
Colonial forces is comprised of native
born Irishmen. These men suffer a
double injustice. Forced by English
caused conditions to leave Ireland they
are denied even the empty honor of
sharing Englands struggle on the Eu-
ropean front.
Recruiting posters calling on Irish
men to fill their regiments are ridi-
culed. These regiments are misnamed.
Some time ago Lord Roseberry re-
marked when l think of what the
Royal Irish achieved in Ireland and
America, take off my hat to them"
These so'called Irish fought against
freedom both here and in Ireland and
no 1rishman or lover of liberty can
feel proud of their actions. In Kilken-
ny police sergeant, wholly Irish, in
formed me that he saw an Irish
Guardsman in uniform Kissed in the
streets of London a few weeks before.
Dublin in Easter Week put the Irish
situation before the world in it's true
significance. An independent spirit is
universal and most inspiring. The
people are conscious of their rights.
their fu1l Irish riphts unaffected h.,