The Irish standard., 1918-11-09
The Tying Of the Irish
Tongue HI: Subject
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thing of political playboys and malevo-
lent partisans.
The public opinion of the world has
thus been almost abandoned to our
enemies. Yet it is the public opinion
which decides the position of race
or a nation in the councils of civiliza-
tion-and which will decide, sooner or
later, the Justice of the claims of the
Irish people for recognition as a self
determining factor in the political, in
tellectual and material progress of
mankind.
But the abandonment of our own
people in the midst of crisis that
imperils the whole future of our race
is an exhibition of weak folly that is
criminal. The consequences are in
calculable in their effects. Deprived
of the leadership of their contempo-
rary literature the Irish race is divid-
ed wandering along the devious
courses of alien thought, split into
groups struggling among hostile null
titudes, or even recruiting, in their
confused and unknowing barrenness,
the ranks of their hereditary foes.
An Irish and Catholic Press a Vital
Factor Of Defense.
The Irish race exists upon a basis
of intellect, linked together with
threads of tradition, and with those
invisible but indissoluble chains of
memory which are precious because
they are the only signs of the splen-
dor of that historical empire which
has gone the way of all fabrics made
by human hands, but which the loyal
heart Of the race has never despaired
Of reviving in some glorious hour of
freedom. Our race is divided by seas,
scattered through all the world by
war and famine. We are a race only
because we remember We are a ma.
tion only because we believe. Cut the
sources of communication-the Irish
and Catholic press-and we are "lost
tribes"
Books, newspapers and magazines
are the tools of the Irish History
movement. Without these the stream
of effort would die at its source. Rec
ognition of this fact has prompted me
to avail myself to the fullest extent of
the columns of ::The National Hiber-
man." in this Irish History propagan-
da. trust, therefore, If only for the
benefit it was rendering to the Irish
History movement, that the National
Board will see the wisdom of resuming
it's publication at the earliest possible
date.
While on this subject 1t is meet
that extend the thanks of the Order
to "The Irish World" "The Boston
Pilot" "The Irish Standard" Mime,
apolis; "The Chicago Citizen" "The
Catholic Messenger" Worcester
Mass; "The Catholic Messenger -
Davenport, Iowa; "The Michigan Hi
bernian"; ''The Catholic Columbian u
Columbus, Ohio, of which former Ma
tional Secretary James T. Carroll il
editor and publisher, and the many
other 1rish.American publications that
have printed the A. o. H. Irish His
tory Official Letters during the past
two years. For in so doing, and in the
publication in their columns of nu
merous other special articles on 1rist
History, as we'll as their many brilliant
editorials on the subject, they have
rendered yeoman service to the great
est movement ever inaugurated by thu
Ancient Order of Hibernians in Amer
|ica.
The existing facts, and the expert
ence Of all Irish history, confront th'
eyes of all but the blind. Our fight
ing men are mingled in the armiel
and navies of the United States, Can
ada, Australia and other nations, JUS
as our people are mingled in the civi
communities. All thinking men know
that the position Of a race rests upol
it's exhibition Of power, and that thi
power in civil society creates prestige
or that public acknowledgment o
character which is called reputation
We have seen in the experience o
centuNes how false fear and falls
spirit in our leaders has allowed ou
enemies to rob us of our reputation
to steal our prestige-and to cover u
with Oblouuy.