The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-10-14

with great satisfaction. The remain
der of his conversation dealt with
matters concerning the Volunteers
generally. Before leaving he said he
hoped it would not be a capital sen.
tence in my case. The sergeant who
brought me back to my cell after
wards came to me and said he had
been in conversation with Major
Price, both before and after the con-
versation above mentioned. He saro
to me, I will give you the straight
tip. You have only to make a clean
breast Of it and you will come off all
right The name of the sergeant,
think, is Jones. I can identify him"
For the past three years Professor
MacNeill has been one of the leaders
of the Irish people. 1t was owing to
his prestige that the Irish Volunteers,
body of whom he was the president,
was kept together in very troublous
times. He is one of the important
Celtic scholars of our day. Ten years
ago he published through the Irish
Texts Society his edition of "Dunaire
Finn" (The Book of the Lays of FINN ,
which stands as the greatest collec-
ton of Ossianic poetry. Professor
MacNeill supplied an abundant text
with a clear translation and in addi-
ton he stated in his introduction, a
revolutionary but credible theory of
early Irish history. On the formation
of the National University he was
given chair, and he has since deliv-
cred series of lectures that has had
the effect Of putting the study of the
Celtic history of Ireland on a new
basis. His work in the main was a
criticism of the pre.C Christian history
of Ireland that was written down be.
tween the seventh and tenth centuries
and that is embodied in Keating's
seventeenth century work. Professor
MacNeill showed that this history is
an artificial construction, built up in
the academies and in the interest of a
dynastic people-the Milesians. In.
stead of the enormous antiquity that
the Milesian history postulated, he
showed that Irish history becomes au
thentic only at the third century
He reached this date by an arduous
examination of the genealogies of the
historic Irish clans.
Professor MacNeill has been in
Irish public life for many years as
vice president of the Gaelic League
and as one Of the scholarly advocates
of the revival of the Irish language
Born in Belfast he was not native
Irish speaker, but he has made him
self a fluent speaker as well as a
remarkable scholar in Irish. He was
known as a constitutionalist and sup
porter of the Home Rule Policy OF
Mr.. Redmond and the Irish Parlia
mentary Party. AS an Ulster Catholic
he became very concerned about the
arming of the anti-Home Rule forces
in the north, and towards the end OF
1913 he wrote a series of articles adj
vocating the formation of body OF
Nationalist Volunteers to prevent the
destruction of the Home Rule meas
ure. The Volunteers were formed
Eoin MacNeill had the confidence of
all sections of Nationalists' opinion
and thousands crowded into the ranks
he headed. In the summer of 1914
Mr.. Redmond demanded equal repre-.
sentation on the executive of the Vol.
unteers and Professor MacNeill and
his colleague granted the demand.
During the first year of the war Pro.
lessor MacNeill came to open dis.
agreement with the Parliamentary
Party. Mr.. Redmond declared it was
the duty of the Irish Volunteers to
fight the Germans in Flanders. Pro.
lessor MacNeill reminded Mr.. Red.
mond that the force was founded to
see that the Home Rule measure was
put into operation. There was a split
in the Volunteer ranks. The part of
the Volunteers that adhered to Pro.
lessor MacNei1l was comparatively
small at first, but, as the country be.
came more alarmed about the inten.
lions of the government it increased
in recruits and in prestige.
The policy of Professor MacNeill
was put on record almost every week
in the journal he made himself re.
spOnsible for 1.-THE Irish Volunteer -
In his view the Irish Volunteers ex-
listed as factor cancelling the Ulster
Volunteers. He would keep the ranks
intact, secure the arms the Volun-
teers possessed already and provide
more arms. Any attempt at disarma-
ment would be resisted. The Volun-
teers would resist conscription and
would protest against the partition OF
Ireland. In his journal he warned the
government that the Volunteers would
resist disarmament with their lives.
On the day before the instruction
of Easter, he, as president of the Irish
Volunteers, issued 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