The Irish standard., 1917-08-18
Freedom Of ireland Demanded

DQuuV DVuuuQuuVVV II
habitants of one country is a menace
to the safety of the other.
"The question of Ireland, therefore,
is not merely an English question. 1t
is an international question. The
United States has as much right to
share in the settlement of this ques-
ton as England has. The world ap-
parently is in process of reorganiza-
ton, and the Irish people form a pow
erful part of this world. The fate of
Ireland can be fixed in this House and
the cause of America rendered SER
vice far greater than can be measured
by the wisest statesmen of our time.
ut has been said that America will
be saved on the fields of France, just
as Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, said,
after Braddock's defeat, that he would
win America on the sands of Ger
many The axiom that history re-
peats itself is presented once more
to the mind in a most powerful man.
ner, for now the cause of freedom can
be saved on the hills of Ireland. This
House, which has declared that the
freedom of small nations was a thing
worth going to war for, can thrill the
world with a new declaration of indie
pendence. And just as the credit of
history has declared that the liberia
ton of the American Colonies inspired
the world to establish the magnificent
also will the liberation Of Ireland
fortify the faith of all free people in
the eternal justice of the right of a
people to govern themselves. Gap
plause.)
"The winning of the war is a mighty
duty that arouses America. The Irish
race has prepared itself for this duty
and grasps the weapons for the COM
bat. But cannot that race rightly ask,
before it's sons go forth to die, May
not this blood be shed also for Ire
land?' In the cause Of freedom Irish
soldiers have melted in the blasts of
death on every field on this continent.
They have never asked why-it was
theirs but to do and die. They have
ever been eager to serve as Amer
leans, to bear the burden as citizens,
and to guard with their lives the des.
tiny of this great Republic. But they
have never, while doing their duty to
their country, forgotten their origin.
With the high spirit of proud race
they have been proud of their warlike
deeds and have cherished the memory
of those achievements which mark
them as separate unit of the human
family. They cannot forget the ties
of consanguinity. They cannot break
those ties of blood-the blood of its
sturdy manhood and womanhood
which has contributed much to invig
crate the American stock and to en-
rich the heart of this great Common
wealth, though this contribution i'm
poverished the land Of their fathers
They cannot forget a line of the splen
did story of the Irish in America dur
ing the last 200 years. 1t is the proud
est page in the annals Of the Irish
race. And as multitudes of youth
youth of the Irish race-now assemble
for the conflict in the armies anC
fleets of their country, there are mil
lions who will read the Irish names
on the muster roll in this war, as die
Gen. Charles Lee in the War of the
Revolution when he said, Half the
Continental Army is Irish CAP
plause.)
"They cannot forget longer ant
more glorious story, a story cleaning
with triumph and dark with defeat
but cherished nevertheless by tn
Irish race with devotion uneXamplet
in the record of nations, with a low
like that of mothers for their chill
dren with reverence such as is givel
to religion exalted through genera
tons of persecution and disaster, AM
with that lofty idealism that is impe1
ishable amid decay. For 800 years tn
; Irish race has cherished the dream o
freedom. Before the President of tn
United States uttered those fatefu
words on the second day of last Apri
they had been uttered by nearly fort
generations of Irishmen. Before tn
; Congress Of the United States dc
clared for the freedom of small ma
lions countless millions Of the Iris
race had registered VOW to live an
die for the freedom of their own SINAI
nation. When this Government chos
the path of war and announced to tn
world that the sword would not b
; sheathed until Belgium, Serbia, Rot
mania and Poland we're free, can 20
not understand how the millions of tn
Irish race on this continent wer
struck with an unexpressed wonder
Can you not imagine-at least vaguel
the chill at the heart, the shatterin
of a hope, when yearning eyes faile
to find the name of Ireland among tn
> small nations that were to be IT
deemed?
. 1T is no light thing for powerfr
; race to surrender it's dream. Yet th