The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-06-03

ruined they have saved their country.
they gave their lives and fortunes to
do it, and they are among the heroes
of mankind" Who then that admires
the noble, the heroic, will fail to APP
Iplaud the encomium of Congressman
Dyer of ST. Louisa typical American
Iof New England stock like Dean
HoWells in moving the govern
ment resolution of protest against Eng
lands tyrannical punishment of the
revolutionary leaders said: Their
leaders we're men of spotless character
land nobility of motive comparable to
Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Frank
lin and Hancock The rank and file
were the flower of Irish manhood, and
whatever we may think, they thought
they were following the footsteps OF
the founders of this Republic, with
the same justification. They con-
ceiVed ireland and the Irish race as
totally distinct from England and the
English, and entitled to full freedom.
and under no obligation to their
rulers for seven centuries of most
tragic history"
Standing then on theological prin-
ciples and sustained by the moral
sense of disinterested mankind / feel
no hesitation in defending as justi-
fable the Irish Insurrection. The Sim
Fem patriots instead of being officially
wrong were heroically right-so hero
ically that many shrink from follow
ling them even in courageous thought.
The sacrifice their rising Of necessity
entailed is already more than cOmDen-
Isated for by saving the tens of thou
sands of young Irishmen from con-
scription and assured death in cause
not theirs but England's. Future re-
suits will bring further Justification as
present signs indicate-for the moral
sentiment of mankind aroused by the
revolt which emphasized and gave new
proof of Ireland's oppression, must
be needed in the councils of peace
which will decide at the close of the
war on grounds of equity the rights
and conditions of the smaller nations
of which England processes herself so
stout champion.
One more word: You assert that
the revolution did not represent one
per cent of the Irish people. l claim
to be in better position to learn the
facts. The Sim Fem Volunteers op-
posed to Redmond and recruiting, and
organised to defend if needs be with
force OF arms constitutional Home
Rule against Orange attacks had the
support and sympathy of at least
seventy per cent of the Irish National
lists. Did this mean rebellion? Not
necessarily, except on one condition,
which you declare foreign, but which
affirm essential to a sound Judgment
on the moral issue, namely immediate
|proVocatiOn on the part of the Gov
eminent, which consisted in an at
tempt to imprison and exile in a sum-
mary manner the leaders, and to
disarm and disband the main body of
Volunteers, thereby destroying Ire
lands future protection against con-
scription, and against the Orange OPP
position to Home Rule. This was the
spark that caused the explosion. The
ardent leaders of the Sim Fein Vol
unteers made their heroic choice.
Who can say in his heart they were
without, justificatiOn2afa;r,s nia.aov,s;..
| am convinced this statement of
the case is due, in all fairness, to your
readers; and as an act Of justice to
those who differ with you, | hope you
will give it the publicity it deserves.
Editors, even of Catholic papers are
not necessarily infallible. The editor
of America, of New York, one of our
most scholarly and cautious Catholic
weeklies, takes a much more gracious
view of the situation when he writes:
They who in this month of May have
fallen, that Ireland might take her
place among nations of the world,
met their fate like men. For them no
pity; their names are made forever
glorious in the love and devotion of
their countrymen. But all who under
stand their motives and many who do
not, will breathe prayer, that the
God who searcheth the hearts of men,
yet searcheth with an infinite love,
may give them rest; and that in His
own good time, He may bring their
country, not the Niobe of nations, but
the strong-hearted mother of saints
and heroes, to the contamination re-
served for peoples, as for men, who
give Him all the devotion of a ready
and a generous heart
c. F. CREMIN.
st. Paul Seminary, May %, 1916.