The Irish standard., 1918-08-31
IRELAND'S APPEAL TO AMERICA

; first conferred on the English mon
arch by statute of the Parliament
held in Ireland in 1912, when only
four of our 1922 counties lay under
English sway. That title originated
in no English enactment. Neither did
the Irish Parliament so originate.
Every military aid granted by that
Parliament to English Kings was
purely voluntary.
Even when the Penal Code denied
representation to the majority Of the
Irish population, military service was
never enforced against them.
Professions Renowned.
For generations England claimed
control over both legislative and jul
dicial functions in Ireland, but in 1888
these pretensions were altogether re-
nounced; and the sovereignty of the
Irish Legislature was solemnly re-
cognized A memorable British Sta
tute declared it:
"estabIished and ascertained for
ever, and shall at no time, here
after be questioned or question
able"
For this, the spirit evoked by the
successful revolt of the United States
of America is to be thanked, and Ire
land won no mean return for the SYM
pathy invited by your Congress. Yet
scarcely had George III signifed his
Royal assent to that scrap of paper"
when his Ministers began to debauch
the Irish Parliament. No Catholic
had, for over century, been allowed
to sit within it's walls; and only a
handful of the population enjoyed the
franchise. In 1900, by shameless bri-
berry, a majority of corrupt Colonists
was procured to embrace the London
subjugation and vote away the eX-
istence of their Legislature for pen
sions, pelf, and titles.
The authors of the Act of Union
however, sought to soften it's shackles
by limiting the future jurisdiction Of
the British Parliament Imposed on
"a reluctant and protesting nation"
it was tempered by articles guaran-
teeing Ireland against the coarser and
more obvious forms of injustice.
To guard against undue taxation,
exemptions sand abatements' were
stipulated for; but the predominant
partner" has long since dishonored
that part of the contract, and the
weaker side has no power to enforce
it. No military burdens were pro-
vided for, although Britain framed the
terms of the treaty to her own liking.
That an obligation to yield enforced
service was thereby undertaken has
never hitherto been asserted.
We, therefore, cannot neglect to
support this protest by citing main
proviso of the Treaty of Union. Be-
fore the destruction of the Irish Par
lament no standing army or navy
was raised, nor was any contribution
made, except by way Of gift, to the
British army or navy. No Irish law
for the levying of drafts existed; and
such proposal was deemed uncon-
stitutional Hence the Sth Article of
the Treaty provides that:
t'All laws in force at the time of
the Union shall remain as now by
law established subject only to
such alterations and regulations
from time to time as circum-
ment of the United Kingdom to
require"
Where there was no law establish
ing military service for Ireland, what
ALTERATION or regulation" respecting
such law can legally bind?" Can
an enactment such as CONSUMPTION, af-
fecting the legal and moral rights Of
an entire people, be described as an
ALTERATION" or REGULATION" springing
from a pre-existing law.
Is the Treaty to be construed as
Britain pleases, and always to the pre-
judice of the weaker side?
The Bearing Of Arms.
British military statecraft has hith-
erto rigidly held by a separate tradi-
ton for Ireland. The Territorial mill
tary system, created in 1907 for
Great Britain, was not set up in Ire
land The Irish Militia was then &C.
tually disbanded, and the War Office
insisted that no Territorial force to
replace it should be embodied. Stran-
ger still, the Volunteer Acts Naval
or Military from 1904 to 1900 (some
twenty in alD were never extended to
Ireland. In 1880, when a Conserya-
tive House of Commons agreed to toll
crate Volunteering, the measure was
thrown out by the House of Lords on
the plea that Irishmen must not be
allowed to learn the use of arms.