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

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MOMENT FOR THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF IRELAND'S
4 FREEDOM.
ton of last Monday evening at the Court House AS
sembly Hall in this city the note of optimism
which pervaded every feature of the program. By
sort of tacit consent it seemed that effort
made by any of the several speakers to recall or
revive the hatred and animosties of the past At
tention concentrated on the present and the
immediate future of the old land which as of
the speakers said stands second only to America in
the love of the people of Irish blood in the United
States The large and earnest audience seemed to
be in hearty sympathy with those addressing the
meeting in this attitude of self-restraint and hope
fulness All content to let the dead past bury
its dead All were resolute and eager in their de-
termination that this epochal period in the worlds
history and regeneration shall not pass without the
achievement of Irish freedom.
Even the injustice of the martial law under which
Ireland is now suffering and the incarceration OF
the Sim Fein leaders in defiance of the. law and
in bitterness of spirit or in angry protest. however
justly these outrageous proceedings might deserve
censure Patience, prudence, and vigilance were
counseled as the watchwords of the hour to insure
the of Irelands fair and reasonable demands
before the tribunal of the world No false step
should now be taken that might once more dash the
cup of freedom from the very lips of Erin, as has
been the case in many instances in the past
dent, in the Nov 23rd issue Of that paper, has for
muated most inspiring appeal to the people of
the Irish race in America, from which take the
following eloquent passage bearing upon the duties
of the hour:
ooh, my Countrymen these are precious days in
which we live-the few days that must elapse be-
tween now and the sitting of that historic peace
conference which is to re-n1ake Europe-and these
feeting days are brief and pregnant with rich
fruitage of liberty and glory for suffering Moth
erland if only alert and vigilant in her cause
the grand old cause for which fathers died.
These few days are indeed brief and if once passed
they can never be recalled The power, and the
voice and the influence of the mightest Empire on
earth will be interposed to prevent the application
of the benefcent principle of selfdeterminaton so
eloquently advocated by President Wilson, to Ire
land. There is not moment to be lost. lrlsfmen
and women know we not that if you would be free
you must yourself strike the first bow-let us then
be up and doing and by voice and pen, by public
and private petition, and where permissible, by pub
lie demonstration make the dead walls of Congress
ring with sustained and nationwide demand for
the liberties of Ireland.
Let us get together and take council There
should be an immediate summons issued for thor
.oughy representative convention of the Irish Race
lin America to be held somewhere in the Middle
West that every section of the country could be
represented without undue expense. Chicago or St.
Louis to be suitable places for the assembly
1of this Parliament of the scattered Gael The
lin Ireland; would it not be we'll for the Irish in
america to do likewise?
J Will it be said of that alone remained
supne and helpless while all the world throbbed to
athe spirit of newborn liberty and the dead nations
pof Europe emerged from their tombs arrayed in the
dull glory and effugence of the Angel of the Resur-
prection?
RI Congress is now considering the joint resolution
hrequesting the Peace Conference to grant indepen
rdence to ireland, and Congressman German of Illi-
hnois Calvin of Massachusetts,, and Hanamil of New
ptJersey and other representatives have urged the
;1adoption of the resolution. Many delegations OF
Irish-American organizations are pouring into
thWashington from all parts of the country to pro-
no1note the passage of the BILL Here, then, is a
chmeans of boosting the great cause in which all
pefriends of democracy may we'll participate by means
scof letters, petitions and messages to the several
Senators and Representatives, that as Represen.
Stative Mammel has put it, the United States shall
make good that for which she was fighting"
4 individuals and societies. women as we'll as men
Ia all walks of life, be of service to the Irish
cause at this critical juncture in history. Let us
have concentrated thought and study of the situa-
zion and then unity of plans and policies so as to
.fe.i;ze tie ideals which have been long so fondly
cherished
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