The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-11-18

ton, like so many other words in the
English language, has got more than
one meaning.
1t will help to clear our ideas if we
examine some OF the uses of the word
nation, as we'll as some other words
such as state and province that will
help to throw light on it.
IN the United States of America a
clear distinction is made between the
state and the nation. There are a
number of states, all united to form
one nation. Each state has it's own
government for local affairs. For ex-
ample the state of New York has a
home rule government of this kind
having its headquarters at Albany.
And so on with each of the other
states. All the states are combined
under one central government, which
is located at Washington. This is
known as the national government,
and it looks after all the more impor-
tant internal affairs as we'll as all
external affairs.
The home rule act gives to Ireland
Ton paper) a government somewhat
similar to that enjoyed by each sep
arate state of the United States. In
some respects the home rule act gives
Ireland more power over her local
affairs than is enjoyed by one of the
United States, but on the whole the
powers of Ireland would be much less
extensive than that of one of the
states. Hence if we are guided by
the American use of the word Nation,
Home Rule would not make Ireland a
nation once again; it would merely
make Ireland a state of the United
Kingdom, and If some counties of Ire
land were excluded from the jurisdic-
ton of the home rule parliament, it
would not make Ireland three-quarters
of nation, but it would make three
/ quarters of Ireland into a state, leav-
ing the question of Ireland's nation
hood untouched. And if two home
rule governments were set up, one for
the six counties, and the other for
the twenty-six, Ireland would be no
more divided into two nations thereby
than is the United States at present
divided into number of nations.
If we cross the border into Canada
we find somewhat similar state of
affairs. We may regard Canada as a
quasi-independent nation, having what
is approximately national govern
ment in Ottawa. Canada is divided
into nine sections similar to the Amer.
lean states, but called by the more
appropriate name of provinces. If we
follow Canadian Technology, the
home rule act, if it were put into
operation, would not raise Ireland to
the dignity of a nation, or even of a
quasi-nation, but it would establish
Ireland as province of the United
Kingdom. The exclusion of Ulster
from home rule would, indeed, cut it
off from the Irish province, but it
would not in the slightest way touch
the question OF Ireland as a nation.
The new parody on Davis great ma
tiOnal anthem ought, therefore, to be
rewritten so as to read ireland, long
an area, be three-quarters of prov,
ince once again." If the cutting off
of the six counties from measure of
petty provincial autonomy is a mutila.
ton of the Irish nation it is clear that
the United States and Canada are both
mutilated beyond recognition.
Let us now come across to Europe.
Germany is nation. Yet Germany
is divided into many different states,
four of which, Bavaria, Prussia, Sax
ony and Wurtemburg, are separate
kingdoms. with powers of self-govern.
ment, much more ample than the home
rule act confers upon Ireland. If the
home rule act is to make Ireland a
nation once again, it follows that Ger
many is not one nation, but rather a
cOnglOmeratiOn of twenty-five nations
with the unplaced imperial territory
of Elsass-Lothringen to boot. If sep
arate government which gives to Ba
varia its own king, and its own army
is not enough to make Bavaria a ma
ton, how can an act that reserves con
troll even of the police be said to make
Ireland a nation? The most that home
rule would do for Ireland is to make
it province or state. Two home
rules would make it two provinces or
two states. A home rule for a por.
ton, with the remainder left as it is
would make Ireland a province, and a
portion of another province. But if
we are to be guided by the analogy of
Germany, home rule would leave the
question of Ireland nation untouched
If Ireland is nation now, it would
be a nation with two or with thirty-two
home rule parliaments in full swing
in it. If it is not nation now, neither
will it become nation at the no far
distant date when the home rule act
is put into operation.
France is an example of central
lied form of government. In France
there are no separate states or prov
fnces. In France the state and the