The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-15
The Rise of the "Sinn Fein"

The Rise of the "Sinn Fem
Lady Aberdeen in the October Yale
Review.
The Sim Fein movement had DOUBT
less from the outset considerable
number of sympthizers in the United
States amongst the irreconciliables
who still dream of an independent
Irish republic. Nhe enemies or the
home rule movement and of the irish
parliamentary party of all kinds We're
GLAD to give covert support to the sim
Feiners, and in this way there We're
sundry strange alliances. But Tor
many years the Sim Fem movement
gathered little strength, and it's weak
ness was manifest in having to aban-
don the daily issue of it's organ and In
the diminishing number of its candi-
dates returned at the municipal cleo
tiors in Dublin and elsewhere.
1t was once again Ulster which was
to give the impetus to movement OF
revolt, by organizing and arming a
body of Ulster volunteers, by SNUG
Cling III arms which were said to be
supplied from English sympathizers,
and from Germany, and by planning
provisional government which was to
proclaim itself in charge OF Ulster the
moment that a home rule parliament
was established in College Green. "Ul-
ster will fight and Ulster will be
right" was the watchword. If King
George signed the home rule bill, he
would forfeit the loyalty of the Ulster
unionists.
Meanwhile nationalist Ireland looked
on with scarce concealed admiration
of their Ulster brethren's perform
ances, and took note. Then came the
time when they, too. decided to organ
ize volunteer force to defend them
selves in the event of hostile proceed
ings from Ulster. And the government
which had suffered the organization
of the Ulster volunteers could not in
terfere with national volunteers. And
then came England's great opportunity
at the outset of the war. The home
rule bill had been placed on the same
statute book, after anxious delays, yet
not to become operative without an
amending bill. Still, it was there, and
on It's faith Mr.. John Redmond in
never-to- be-forgotten announcement
offered the national volunteers to the
British empire to fight alongside the
Ulster volunteers in defense of their
common country and thus to free the
British forces in Ireland for service
abroad
The enthusiasm that was evoked by
this courageous speech re-echoed over
the world. and the volunteers would
doubtless have made Mr.. Redmond's Of
fer good had the British war office
been wise enough to clinch the bargain.
That day Of opportunity went by. and
although the young men of Ireland
responded generously to the appeal to
stand by the rights of small nations
and to realize that in fighting for the
cause of the allies they We're fight
ing for Ireland, yet there was section
which drew off, suspicious, resentful,
believing that the home rule act was
but sham. intended to draw ireland
on and then leave her in the lurch.
And so, as recruiting for Kiteheners
new army went on, there was always
tendency for some to join the ranks
Of the Sim Fem, and some $4,000 Sim
Fein volunteers broke off from the
main body of national volunteers who
followed Mr.. Redmond. And then
came the unexpected shock of the in
formation of the coalition government,
with not only Sir Edward Carson, but
several other avowed opponents OF
home rule in the cabinet, and Mr. Red
mond by the pledge of his party unable
to accept a place beside them. The
confidence in the naturalization of
the 1ooked-for Irish parliament grew
fainter. the rumors of CONSUMPTION be-
ing applied to Ireland grew stronger,
and the apostles of Sim Fein and phys
ical force, In company with the leaders
of the Irish republican brotherhood,
and of the citizen army which was the
legacy of the days of the terrible
strike of 1894, decided by the ma
jority of one vote that, in the words
of their own proclamation, the moment
haG arrived for ireland to summon her
children to her flag and to strike for
her freedom They accordingly