The Irish standard., 1916-07-29

you make statements against
which Irishmen and Irish-Ameri
cans must protest.
Very truly you compare Sir
Roger with Franklin, Jefferson
and Washington. But let me re-
call to you that, after time and
effort had proved that all hope OF
justice from England was vain,
Franklin, Jefferson and Washing
ton devoted their efforts to one
thing alone; the absolute separa-
ton of the United States from
England. In this respect the ca
reer of Sir Roger Easement is an
exact parallel to theirs. The
whole case OF admiration for Sir
Roger, the whole case for mercy
for him, falls to the ground if the
right of the Irish people to choose
absolute independence is denied
Surely, after the Fourth of July,
l776, after the War of the Revo-
luton was on, Washington, JEFF
ferson and Franklin would not
have agreed that 'Sthe United
States are an integral portion OF
the British Empire" So Irish
men and Irish-Americans who as
sert their right to have the cause
OF their ancestral land at heart
cannot and do not agree that Ire
land is "an integral part of the
British Empire" That Ireland is
no such thing is the truth which
Easement, after years of study
came to realize. 1t was in that
faith that he acted. 1t was in that
faith that Padraic Pearse, Jim
Connolly, the poets Plunkett anc
MacDonagh, young Corneliu:
Colbert and all the others who
were lined up against wall anc
shot by England, fought and died
Their fate is, as the American has
so forcefully pointed out, also al
indelible blot on England's escut
cheon. But their conception O
lreland's rights was also Case
ment's conception. 1t was the
conception which Franklin, Jeffer
son and Washington, held O
American rights.
In your editorial there was Z
singular reluctance to mentor
Ireland or the Irish; they were
not mentioned, in fact, except il
the words quoted from Sir Rog
er's letters. There is a striking in.
consistency between Sir Roger.
words and yours. | realize, O
course. that YOU write with +;
broad concern for humanity ano
democracy everywhere. But tina
hardly fits the case of Sir Roge
Easement. He also had his hope:
for the democracy OF Great Brit
ain. But he had ceased to be al
English statesman when he threw
his heart and soul and life into
the cause of Irish Revolution ane
Irish Independence.
One might figure ireland as 4;
man PROSTATE under the heel ane
under the blows of another an(
stronger man., England. Th,
PROSTATE man-tlc man under
neath-suffering man who is be
ing strangled to deatll-can hav,
only the dimmest academic inter
est i'll the question OF whethc
there are not better impulses, fin
err things, in the nature of the MAJ
who is numbering him. SO Irish
men can have but a faint interes
in the question of the struggle
of the English democracy so lon.
as that democracy is an acquies
cent part OF the whole brutal fore
which is beating the life out O
Ireland. -
My acquaintance with Sir Rog
er Easement, brief as it was, con
vinced me that that clairvoyant
purposeful, courageous man, Wis
ionary. statesman and patriot il
one, would never plead for mere,
at the expense of Ireland's prin
ciples. His speech in court til,
other day contained no plea; i
did contain vigorous assertion
of lreland's rights, not as an Gin
tegral part of the British En-
nire y hl1t ns an Indo.,a.da.A NJ