The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-06-17
PROTEST AGAINST
ARREST OF MAcNElLL
CONTINUED from page ~

sons anti-Home Rule forces in Ulster.
and about the threat of cutting OF
Ulster with it's large Catholic and
Nationalist population from the rest
of Ireland. Towards the end of 1913
he wrote series of letters in the
Gaelic League weekly IAN Clead-
heamh Soluis," advocating the forma-
ton of a body of Nationalist Volun-
teers that would counteract the influ-
ence of Sir Edward Carson's anti-con.
stitutional forces. In November the
Irish Volunteers were formed, with
Professor MacNeill as their president.
In the summer of 1914 Mr.. Redmond
demanded that number of his nom.
inees equal to the then executive be
co-opted. This demand was granted
by Professor MacNeill and his col.
leagues. In July, 1914, the week be.
fore the European war broke out, the
Irish Volunteers landed q cargo of
arms at Howth, outside Dublin.
l saw Professor MacNeill on the
little quay at Howth that historic aft
ernoon. Amid all that enthusiasm he
went about doing necessary things
quietly, all the time looking as steady
as flint. The arms were safely
landed, but that evening unarmed men
and women were shot down by the
military, who had tried to intercept
the Volunteers.
During the first year of the war Pro-
fessor MacNeill came to open dis.
agreement with Mr.. Redmond, whose
nominees now had equal control of
the Irish Volunteers. Mr.. Redmond
had declared that the duty of the
Irish Volunteers was to fight the Ger.
mans in Flanders. Professor Mac
Neill thereupon stated that the Volun.
teers were founded for one purpose
only-to see that the Home Rule Bill
was put into operation. A split was
created in the Volunteer ranks. Part
OF the Volunteers remained with Pro-
lessor MacNeill and became known
as the Irish Volunteers, and part ad-
hered to Mr.. Redmond, taking the
name National Volunteers.
Professor MacNeill made himself
responsible for the journal 1.-THE Irish
Volunteer" signing the editorials
which he contributes to it. He never
departed from the constitution idea
which was to use the volunteers for
the purely constitutional purpose of
putting the Home Rule Bill into on.
Grafton. He pledged himself on their
behalf to prevent and to resist con-
scription. In his journal he warned
the Government that the Volunteers
would resist disarmament with their
lives.
On the day before the outbreak he.
as President of the Irish Volunteers.
gave this order, Owing to the very
critical position, all orders given to
irish Volunteers are hereby rescinded,
and no parades, marches or other
movements of Irish Volunteers will
take place. Each individual volunteer
will obey this order strictly in every
particular" 1t was to this order BY
Professor MacNeill that Padraic
Pearse referred in his last proclama-
ton, Both John MacNeill and we
have acted in the best interests of
Ireland"
This order shows that Professor
MacNeill thought the instruction in
expedient and used all his influence
against it. And yet he has been con.
demned to savage sentence of a
life's imprisonment. If, a few years
ago, professor in Flemish Univer-
sity were condemned to such a sen.
tence by the Russian Government the
whole world would ring with con-
domination.