The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-12

rights from England IN the name OF
Constitution" The history of Eng
lish rule in Ireland is one unbroken
story of broken treaties and faithless
promises. England has never re-
spected any constitution in her deal
ings with Ireland. The doctrine of
her regime has been the murder of
the priest and the scholar, the de.
struction of education, and the exile
of the children of Banda. Why then
should men be insane enough to be-
lieve in constitutional agitation when
no constitution was respected. Had
they forgotten the treaty of Limerick?
Had they forgotten the broken prom
Uses of bloody Cromwell at Drogheda
and at Wexford? Who would come
in contact with cobra and expect
to escape unscathed? Who is safe
from the virulent tongue of scandal
monger? Who can repose confidence
in the oath of perjurer?
Soon, however, the constitutional
agitators were put to shame. Brave
men arose in dark '48 to throw of
the British yoke, and feeble as was
their attempts aud much as historians
may malign it, it proved to England
that her power in Ireland was not
secure, and it kept the fire Of hope
burning in the heart of the Gael. Yet
again Ireland stood desolate. Well
might one cry aloud in those sorrow
full days where art thou, o God,e or
Lord, how long more must we waltz"
But the cause still lived on. The
sword had been broken but it was
still unsheathed The fire had not
been extinguished, it still smouldered.
"A few years later the Fenian Brother
hood was organized to such an extent
that fear of it's widespread influence
made the very throne of England
totter So far as armed rebellion was
concerned, however, the effort was
fruitless but England realized the
danger and brought forward Gland
acts" and such miserable concessions"
to bull the people into fancied securi-
ty. A great victory for constitutional
agitators! England then, as always,
played shrewd game. She wished
to impress upon the people that con-
stitutional agitation-or begging
would succeed while the rifle and the
sword which Mitchell and Meagher ad-
vocated would mean disaster. She
succeeded so far as to create party
! who asked for Home Rule and who
were satisfied to live subject to the
puppets of a foreign government.
Ireland was never nearer death as
a nation than she was in the fifty
years that elapsed between 1866 and
1916. 1t was evident that despair had
rooted itself into the heart Of the
people-not the despair that begets
anarchy-but the despair that fosters
apathy and negligence. There was no
further effort to smash the letters.
Instead, Ireland sent representatives
to the British Parliament who grossly
misrepresented her. A few of them,
it must be admitted, were true hearts
who loved Ireland, but who could not
discern single ray of hope. Despair
had corroded their souls and failure
Slapped the life-blood of their ambi-
lions. Home Rule was promised by
every British Party who needed the
support of the Irish Parliamentarians
The promises were cast aside like
broken reeds before the winters gale
as soon as the political scale had been
turned by the vote of the Irish Party.
In 1914 the grave of Ireland was dug.
She lay painting on the bed Of death.
With her nationality practically lost
she ave-through her Parliamentary
ians-whatever England demanded.
In 1915 her coffin was made. Soon
her spirit would take wing and leave
a wrecked, crumbled body. Was there
anything left to save her? A hand
full of patriots looked askance at one
another. What could be done to save
} the soul and send the blood surging
as it did in the days of yore through
the veins of Kathaleen Mis- Oulachain?
Pearse and Connolly and the other
gallant men of Easter, 1916, answered
the question. There was but one rem.
edy-a bloody sacrifice, and God! how
! readily that sacrifice was made. how
willingly did these noble patriots offer
up their lives on the altar of liberty
} The die was cast. Dark Rosaleen arose
, from her bed of sorrow. The glow
| of youth and beauty was upon her
brow On her head once more sat a
| garland plucked by the hands of low
; ers who died that she might live.
? Today she walks in the light. Her
? tri-color waves over hill and valleys
r In her villages once again is heard
: the song and happy laughter. She