The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-03-24

arose other men and other women
whose names will be forever enshrined
in Irish annals with those of O'Neill
and Lord Edward, with Robert Emmett
and the women of Limerick. Yes, we
rejoice, tonight, that in our own day
there have been nurtured within her
bosom men who were not satisfied with
listening to theories about the preser-
walton of Christianity or relying on
promises for the protection of small
countries-men who once again did not
'abhor the sword-men who asked
themselves in the words of Speranza
Are we then to rest in chill despair
Unmoved by these new Citations
Nor carry the flag of our island fair
| In the onward march of nations?
They may have been dreamers; but
they dreamed the same as their illus
! trious predecessors dreamed-the
dream OF independence-the dream of
Washington and of every lover of
liberty-the dream of the friends of
| freedom the world over And they sue
ceeded beyond their hopes. They drew
the attention of the world to the fact
that there was a small nation with
aspirations that would have to be reck-
| oned with. no ancient land with griev-
ances that would have to be ameliorat-
ed. They saw her respondent and the
plaything of the politician; they left
her cheerful, realizing that her chill
dren would be no longer Kings sub
jects but free men. They found her
divided and despairing; they left her
united and convinced that for her as
for every oppressed country, there is
no refuge but the sword. no sanctuary
but the battlefield. And were this Ire
lands darkest hour instead of the
brightest, l for one would not give up
her cause. That land whose cause
moved so many gallant sons in her
past history to unsheath the sword in
her behalf; that land so fertile of lead
ers i'll every cline; that land that gave
to Spain an O'Donnell; to France a
Mcmahon and a Ney; to England, it
you wish it, Wellington and a Kitch-
ener; to this great republic Meagher
and Shields and a Sheridan. that
land will yet rise equal to the occasion
and amid the glory and brightness of
a coming day wipe out all traces of
% ri Srh hot 1Non
away forever.
And so, my friends, you need never
blush for the effort made by Patrick
Pearse and his valiant men. 1t must
be gall and NORWOOD for British gen
erals to have brought home so wildly
} to them the opportunity that has beer
, lost. They saw 1900 young Irisl
| volunteers with rifles only, hold at bay
for one week 10000 English soldiers
, equipped with all the weapons of mod
, ern warfare. Little wonder if the
l commander-in-chief of the English
l army contemplating the noble stanG
) made in the streets of Dublin, should
t say as another general did on yer,
, memorable occasion-"Cursed be the
r laws that deprive me of such subjects
l One hundred thousand such men nigh
r have proved very important factor
l in the trenches of France and Fland
. ers But it is one more of England
/ blunders-one more demonstration o
1 the fact that there is an irreconcilabl,
!, breach between England and Irelant
4 that even the democracies of thu
: two countries can never work in har
s mOny-that the only remedy is t.
g recognize the tricolor of the Irish Re
$ public-the green white and gold tina
a the volunteers flung to the breeze
Y the flag that is destined yet to fiasl
a over free people.
Again | warn you to pay no atten
$ ton whatsoever to those who sneer a
. the efforts of the Irish volunteers. TIL,
: sheer will come from two differen
Q sources-the one paid hireling of Eng
t land; the other the lily livered frien,
t of Ireland. You who recall the man.
|, efforts made by the Irish people t,
e win their independence can afford tt
t despise them. You who glory in tn
d names Of Emmett and Mitchell an,
J. Parnell can now add another decad'
Z. to the long bead roll of Irish martyrs
f and, if perchance, the rosary is no
!, complete, be assured that very sool
from the ashes of those who wer
n offered up in sacrifice another race ant
u other leaders will start, full grown AM
j. determined, that, come what may
Il their country shall attain the position
e that God has destined for her-tha
y he has writ upon her shores with hi
d baptismal waters loving her on ever
e side-a nation among the nations.
And now, my friends, have done
s | have shown you the proud position
s our motherland holds both from the re