The Irish standard., 1918-03-23
Mr.. De VALERA
TOURS DonEeAlE
Continued from page ~

unite their people, and build up Ire
land from within. That was the Sim
Fein policy, and if they were deter
mined in it they could make it impos-
sible for England to rule them. While
everyone was entitled to justice, no
class in the country was entitled to
special privileges. He believed that
the Orangemen would far rather see
men of their type ruling the country
lon type, who had run away from their
principles.
The Convention.
Thursday Mr. De Valera and Mr.
M'Entee addressed meeting at Bally-
bofey, where there was a profuse dis
play of ST. banners and flags. S. Ar
magh, said Mr.. De Valera, might be a
reverse for the country; it was no re-
verse for ST. AS a party they were
not throwing up the methods which in
the past proved valuable. To obstruct
English business might be a good rea-
son for going to Parliament, if it was
not attended with number of disad-
vantages which outweighed the value
of Parliamentarianism. The conven-
ton, he declared, was set up as a
means to gain time, and he cited in
proof the interview stated to have
been given by Sir F. E. Smith. Here
tofore, the only thing he said about
the members Of the convention was
that they were not selected by the
Irish people. Now, it was clear that
it was high time that every Irishman
in the convention should follow the ex-
ample of Mr.. Lysaght and Mr.. Geo.
Russell and walk out of it.
His Reply to Mr.. Dillon.
Mr.. De Valera, arriving in Killybegs
on Thursday night, was met by large
crowd carrying torchlights, and was
presented with an address in Irish by
the local ST. Club.
Speaking at the meeting he said
that, unfortunately, the Irish people
we're trusting people. Were it not for
the amount of credulity they had
shown in the past they would be much
better off today Now was the time
to put pressure on England. The peo-
pie of S. Armagh got a chance to in
crease the pressure, but, instead, they
diminished it, and they had Sir E. Car
son next Cay shouting mo Surrender"
The Unionists cared little whether Mr..
Dillon gave them credit for winning
S. Armagh or not, so long as it was a
win for Unionism. Mr.. Redmond tried
to beat Sir E. Carson by outbidding
him for England's gratitude. His way
of beating the enemy was to go over
to the main body of the enemy, and in
order to defeat the enemy's outpost,
vie with its captain in loyalty and SER
vice to the enemy's commander-in.
chief.
Sim Fein and Methods.
Mr.. De Valera, MP, concluded his
Ulster tour Saturday night with a
large meeting in Ballyshannon, where
there was torchlight procession
Rev. M. M'Carvill, Bundoran, who pre-.
sided, said they could not be at the
same time good citizens of the Irish
nation and of the English Empire.
1t was much harder today, Mr.. De
men than it was 3 years ago. Irish
men were loyal to their leaders, and
there must be something wrong when
they were found flocking into the Sim
Fein movement. If the people of the
North had not shown themselves up tC
the present as ready to join theil
movement as had been the people OF
the rest of Ireland, it was because they
had not reached their doctrine there
1t had only come to them from the
mouths of their opponents, whose in
terest it was to misrepresent them. A
clear statement on the claim and ain
of Ireland was necessary. The next
thing to be done was to get Irishmer
to agree on the method by which thai
aim was to be attained.
They would struggle for the achieve
ment of that aim as opportunities pre-
sented themselves by every means ii
their power, restricting themselves
solely by the law of common sense ant
prudence and the fundamental laws O.
morality. If they could win it without
physical force they should do so, as il
was less costly sometimes. 1t would
depend on which method was likely tt
promise most success and entail tn,
least sacrifice. He did not recognize
the law of conquest as being mora
law. He believed it was the law o
might, and the law of might was no
the law of right.
Their movement was both destruc
tive and constructive. On the latte
side their ideals were to educate tn,
people to know their strength ant
avail of the resources of their country
Irish brains and Irish capital should b,
used for the development of Ireland
and not of countries beyond the sea
So long as Irishmen went to the Hous,
of Commons SO long would it be pos
sible to call patriotic Irishmen trait
ors. They would be losing a magni
ficent opportunity if they did not pu
forward their claim to independence,
at the present time. If they did every
thing in their power to win freedom
they would be helped by the Irishme,