Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-29
WOLFE TONE LIVES
AGAIN IN EASEMENT
Sir Rogers Irish Drama as 1t Was
Played More Than Century
Ago-The Rebellion
of 1898

IF Sir Roger Easement has any time to think
i about history as he PAGES up and down his
cell in the Tower of London his mind probably
goes back to what he learned of Ireland's his
tory in the days of 1898. Perhaps he looks to
the future and wonders whether he will be
condemned Theobald Wolfe Tone was con-
demned. If he is not mad and if he is not
a spy, he ought to think Of Wolfe Tone be-
cause the drama in which Sir Roger is play
ing was enacted one hundred and eighteen
years before and Wolfe Tone was the lead
No one fancied that Wolfe Tone was mad
and no one suspected his fidelity to Ireland.
OF Sir Roger the best thing his friend Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle can say is thai he is
not right; the worst thing his enemies say is
that he has been an English spy since the
war broke out. But all agree that the at
tempted debarkation off the Irish coast, the
landing of arms the whole wild scheme of
striking England while she was too busy to
strike back are the most dramatic incidents
of the war. In century the stage has been
set for another performance.
When Wolfe Tone came on the Irish scene
he found it as Sir Roger found it, a nation
blessed with humanity and cursed with mis-
fortune, torn by dssensions and held together
by patriotism. We think of the history of Ire
land in the terms os Parnell and Gladstone.
1t is not generally known even in the House
of Parliament that Ireland had a separate
aw-making body before 1882 when the great
Grattan overcame English prejudice and had
the Dublin Parliament restored to existence.
The first Parliament in Ireland lived from the
thirteenth century until 1494, when it was
abolished by the act bearing the name of Sir
Edward Poynings. The second lasted from
1889 to the "act of Union" in 1901. In that
latter period Wolfe Tones work was done.
What Ireland Was
Tone wanted Ireland free Himself a Prot
estant he knew that only through co-opera-
ton of Catholic and Protestant could ireland
shake off the burden of Englishmnded
ruling class, and he was contemptuous of the
rights granted after Grattan's appeals, to
ireland. Grattan had used the first power of
the renewed Parliament to admit Catholics to
the vote for members of the House of Com.
mons. but the Irish Parliament was mainly
elected by a number of pocket boroughs and
rotten boroughs and constituencies dependent
upon some great peer other territorial mag.
nate. To remedy this Tone founded the most
effective political organization of Irish history,
the Society of United Irishmen. Its purpose
was to give Catholics freedom in Ireland, and
its leaders, Tone Thomas Adds Emmett, Lord
Edward Fitzgerald and Hamilton Rowan, were
all Protestants. For a time prospects were
bright, under the viceregalty OF Lord Fitz-
william. But because the viceroy was too fond
of Grattan's plans he was recalled Then re.
bellion broke out.
In 1894 the United Irishmen gave up all
hope of parliamentary success and turned to
a French INVASION just as the Sim Feiners
of today, with the home rule bill almost ready,
despair of freedom and turn to a German host.
rba frs WA nd ha nnIxy
result was that Tone came here to Philadel-
phia to live In 1875. Incidentally he hated the
American pursuit of money and American
snobbishness. In 1895 Tone went to France,
became an adjutant general in the French
army, tried to land company OF thousand
criminals in England TO burn Bristol and
finally, in December sailed from Brest with
hfty-two SAIL carrying fifteen thousand men
and much ammunition for Ireland. Grouchy,
the same gentleman who ruined Napoleon at
Waterloo with his dilatory tactics. refused to
land the men at Bantry Bay in the absence
of his superior, Hoche, and the expedition
came TO nothing.
Tones Invasion
The indomitable spirit OF Wolfe Tone swept
away his encouragement. Unlike Sir Roger
Easement. in this venture he himself did not
suffer and back TO France he went, promising
rebellion throughout ireland If only France
would help. With Lord Edward Fitzgerald.
Napier Tandy and Oliver Bond. Tone was
the head of hundreds of secret societies In
ireland. While he was still in France the
others prepared their rebellion. and only the
activities Of a spy forestaled their plans. Lord
Edward was taken four days before the time
set for the outbreak; but six days later. May
25 1Tss. Father John Murphy. at the head
OF $4,000 men. assailed Wexford ana IN ave
days captured the town. Before a month
had passed massacre and defeat on the field