The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-12-14

SuA1dA1y happy IlliL we SIlOu1u Sech
out this time for such settlement of
this question as will forever establish
Ireland among the free nations of
mankind-this very great question of
Democracy-when ilr the gladness of
our hearts we so readily forgive
wrongs-to settle this great problem
of Ireland upon basis of affection,
of neighborly regard, free from all the
old prejudices. Every friend of Ire
land and the Home Rule question is
to be guided and inspired by the young
generation who have died in the pres
ent conflict rather than to be obliged
to settle it through the accumulated
prejudice and animosities of past
years, and in an hour like this the
aspirations of this people should be
realized nor should they be obliged to
demand of the world any more than
the right to be accorded to the nations
of the world infinitely smaller than
Ireland.
In the breaking up of Austria we
have seen the beginning of self-deter-
mination of peoples, freedom of small
states-the Jugo Slav and Czecho Slo-
yak and again we see President Will
son declaring that these small nations
are entitled to their free republics for
the simple reason that these nations,
although a part of Austro-Hungary
these small peoples are entitled to set
up their own government and to work
out their own salvation, if we are to
have a just peace and that to no ma
ton would the principle of justice be
Denied; that thus will we be our own
masters instead of someone's else
servant.
In English history is an inheritance
of great names, such Irish names as
Edmund Burke, Fox, Wolf, Wolf Tone,
O'Connell and Grattan, creating new
dreams for Ireland, making of their
work an imperishable record. These
men, in serving the needs of the world,
had great dreams that some day out
of their service a great free republic
of Ireland would arise, a republic
which for good or ill should be self
determining nation of free people who
were not dependent upon the acts of
other peoples for their life, for their
country and for their liberty.
Sometimes I have wondered how
great race of people have for so long
withstood misfortune and injustice. 1t
must be that Providence gave to Irish
men an optimistic vision that no mat
ter what troubles might come they
would still believe in another day,
brighter and better, though so long
delayed. And this comes today to
every Irishman with new faith. Hence,
my friends, this holy war waged in a
spirit of self-sacrifice will have been
waged in vain if any of the peoples of
the world are to be denied the fruits
Of victory and affect in a large meas
ure all freedom and justice. How may
any statesman of the world justify
himself in the eyes of mankind if in
this peace conference the cradle of
democracy is destined to be denied
this justice, that justice for which
these people went out to die. l do
not believe that in this age of the
world and at this time when all things
we dream Of have their inspiration
from the silent graves of France that
this simple justice that the recogni-
ton of the right to work out their own
destiny as our nation has been al
lowed to do under the providence Of
God, that this will be denied them.
There is peculiar fallacy in the
minds of many people and intelligent
men in regard to the question of De-
mocracy, who argue that Justice ought
not to be given 20 that group or to this
group because thet justice will be i'm
properly us - again t. It ibis legis-
legislation or that may not be proper
ly employed by the people to whom it