The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-01-13


Spirits and Victims of the Revolt
and the Patriotic Motives and Ulti-
mate Possibilities Of the Enterprise
Which Inspired Them.
On Easter Sunday morning rumors
of impending trouble were rife in
Dublin but were discounted by most
people as the fanciful tales of alarm
lists and calamity mongers. One of
the brothers of our community, how
ever, who was on terms of intimate
acquaintance with members of the
Irish Volunteer Organization, re-
ceived a guarded intimation on Sum
day evening that an outbreak was in
evitable and the news caused us all
considerable anxiety. On Monday all
was calm in the city but a feeling of
uneasiness pervaded the community
and was visible in every countenance,
The atmosphere seemed charged with
a foreboding of the momentous hap
penings which were about to take
place One could not avoid COMPARE
sons with similar movements in the
past. and unconsciously ones thoughts
reverted again and again to the events
of 81. 1903 and 1898. Would this
new effort succeed where the others
had failed? Would the tragedies of
former years be re-enacted? To what
degree would this bold attempt affect
the outcome of =. the war and how
would it be viewed in neutral cOun
tries? Absorbed in these thoughts
paced the floor of my room from q
window of which could be had a
view of the streets leading into
Stephens Green and from which
watched the crowds go by, young and
old. passing along as il nothing un
usual were about to take place, all
unconscious of the gathering storm
clouds.
Gazing over the rOOf-tOps in the
direction of the Green my attention
was suddenly arrested by the appear
ance of tricolor flag which had
not previously noticed. Inv the dis
lance it resembled the red, white and
blue of Britain but on closer examina-
ti0n | detected difference in the
shading of the colors 1t was then
growing dusk and | procured a field
glass in order to observe the flag more
closely There was no mistake about
it this time; there in the failing light
ground of the evening sky aoated the
green. white and orange tricolor Of
the Irish Republic. AS il in salutation
the roll of musketry fell on my ears.
and ! realized that the fight for Irish
independence had begun. Almost car
ried away by the first flood of emo
ton. it was with difficulty I refrained
from demonstration of my SYM
pathy with the cause and my desire to
further its success, but rules Of our
community governing such matters are
strict and clearly defined, and l lin
tied my craftsmanship to a secret prayer
for the success of the rising.
Next day call from the rebel
quarters gave me an opportunity of
coming directly in contact for the
first time with the men who have
since written a glorious chapter into
the annals of Ireland. secured adj
mission to Jacobs factory where Com
mandant McDonagh and Major Nc
Bride of the Transvaal Irish Brigade
were in command.
They had about three hundred men
at this point, mostly young in years.
some mere boys, and majority in
the twenties. They were we'll sup
piled with rifles, automatic revolvers,
ammunition for both. and food. I
had heard much criticism OF these
men from time to time and was
anxious to study them at first hand.
| found them all, without exception.
clean-cut, courageous and GOd-fearing
ulcN. ullcu Will zeal lOf Tile CAUSE
they espoused and entirely free from
the evil characteristics usually asso.
ciated with the advocacy of rebellion.
had later several opportunities of
speaking with Commandant Thomas
McDonagh, who impressed me as a
scholarly gentleman. a Jealous patriot.
and God-fearing Christian man,
solicitous for the welfare of his men
and the success of the undertaking on
which he had staked all that life held
dear for him. He was quite friendly
with me and spoke freely of the
rising. its aims, prospects and results
lie did not expect victory. in the sense
OF decisive defeat of the British
armed forces, unless German troops
were able to land and bring supplies
He judged its final results from the
immediate effect in Ireland and in
England and throughout the world.
Ireland's national soul would be