Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-13
BY Edward De Valera.

| president Of the Sim Fein party and
member Of Parliament.)
Copyright 1919 by the United Press. J
Somewhere in Ireland Feb. 25.--Eng-
land has no right in Ireland England IS
de facto government here rests solely
on the number of her bayonets.
We challenge England to allow Ire
lard the principle Of free self-doter-
Imination, Let that principle be applied
to this Iseland as a unit and if de-
cisive majority of the people declare
for a separate independent statehood
then she will be silent.
II England accepts the principle Of
self determination for this island 1t
will settle the Irish question forever.
Ireland Justified.
If decisive majority should declare
for independence. would not Ireland be
justified IN claiming that and not some
thing less, represents the free will of
the people. The recent elections prove
it.
On what grounds does England refdse
Ireland's demandss England cannot
pretend to misunderstood that the chal-
lenge we give her is the challenge
of the Irish people. Let us hear why she
refuses to meet it.
We can ourselves settle our minority
question (Ulster) because we shall want
to. England will never settle that
minority question because she desires to
keep it unsettled. Let her remove her
hand.
Asks World to Listen.
We ask the world to listen and to
judge between Ireland and England,
but if the principle with which tho
world has rung the past four years
shall prove to be mockery, if Ireland s
claim still is flouted, then she must
find refuge once more in her own in
domitable spirit-the spirit which has
maintained her in the past. She can
at least endure and depend upon it.
There is q generation now grown up in
ireland that will see to it that if Eng
land wants to still rule here she must
do so with never sheathed sword.
Help Not Certain.
Do / believe the statesmen in Pario
will force England TO do jusnee to
lrelandl Many people are asking that
question. They are convinced, | sup
pose, that of herself England will not
do justice TO Ireland. They doubt per
haps that the delegates from the other
nations will be either SO disinterested
or such determined champions Of right
as to risk quarrel with England on
behalf Of & country which possesses
less of the worlds goods than England
when nothing but the principles of just
ice are at stake. These doubters may be
right, they may be wrong. do not pre-.
tend to know. | do know that if this
issue unhappily should be as the doubt
ers are obviously satisfied II win be,
then the cynic can feel once more that
he has been justified and the simple
and trusting obviously imposed upon.
Then indeed there will have been de-
ception.
Honest people everywhere will point a
finger of scorn and indignation at these
statesmen. They will have right to
ask:
Asks Where Is Justice?"
Where now is that impartial justice
that konws 70 favorites which recently
you spoke so much abouts Where now
is this new order and these handsome
foundations Of lasting peacea Where
Ell the beautiful professions Of yours
that, simple and grand, seemed tuned
to the eternal verities Of our souls, wax
cning in them a sympathetic response
that VIC could not cmother-were these
beautiful professions put skillfully spul
phrases finely woven to enmesh us7
Are you sfter all, only as were the