Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-03-29

while Belgium is a mixture of Ger
man and French peoples. Moreover,
ireland has come under British rule
by force and conquest. l defy any
man to point to a day within the
centuries that have elapsed since
Ireland's conquest by England when
she has submitted to a union and
has surrendered her rights as a
separate nation. Don't bring for
ward the act of Union of 1900.
That was a transaction between the
English place men who composed
the so-called Irish Parliament and
their brothers in England. The
irish people themselves had no part
in it, since they could neither at
that time vote for a member of
Parliament or hold seat therein.
So tell me, when did ireland cease
to be a nation? A nation she is
apart from England more truly than
France across the channel or Bel
GUM, or indeed the now much be-
rated Germany. 1 dare say there is
not writer in England today who
could declare that ireland is no
|
ridiculous to any Englishman. 1t is
not a colony, indeed it is not,
though it would consent to be If
given a government similar to that
of Canada, Australia or New Yea
land. That would instantly settle
what the writer's call a vexed ques-
ton. 1t is vexed because England
will not agree to a reasonable set
! tlement. Had the Gladstone home
rule bill, which passed the House
of Commons, but was rejected by
the Lords, been adopted and en-
acted there would be today no
vexed question, and ireland would
be as peaceful as Canada or Aus
tralia and as loyal.
Ireland's representation in the
House of Commons has been hers
only in part within the last ninety
years, and only within the last fifty
years anything like fairly repre-
sentative of the Irish people. But
what can some eighty or ninety
members accomplish in an assem-
bly, of $40 members, the vast ma
jority of whom are hostile to them.
AS to the House of Lords, it is
nothing short of impudence to as
sert that Ireland has representation
therein. Those very Peers who sit
for Ireland are her most bitter and
unyielding opponents and op-
pressors. Again, Milford and other
English propagandists come forward
and tell us that England would set
tie the Irish question If the Irish
would permit it, No more sinister
lie was ever uttered. Let me call
attention to this one fact that can
be easily verified to disprove this
falsehood. When in 1898 the Glad
stone home rule bill was passed by
the House of Commons, and there
was a prospect that it would pass
in the House of Lords, no other
than the present A. j. Balfour, then
Tory member of the Commons,
rushed over to Belfast carson
was then unknown and delivered
series of incendiary addresses to |
the people, melting them to resist |
home rule even to the point of re-
bellion. The House of Lords finally |
rejected the bill, and this they did |
for the second time in Gladstone's |
days. Does that look like England |
wanted to settle the Irish question? |
Even the present home rule enact
ment, poor as 1t is, has been held |
up by the English Tories and Bel
fast Orangemen, and not by the |
Irish. 1t is unnecessary to follow |
this correspondent in his other
meanderings, but one or two other
of his accusations against the Irish
need be noted. One is the Irish
conduct during the late war. No
people ever behaved more Loyalty
than the Irish at that critical time.
By the volunteer system they con
tributed more men proportionately
to their population to the army
than England or Scotland by con-
scription. The Irish regiments dur
ing the great Won Kluck advance
other points, formed the principal
our own papers then told us, with
4 gallantry unsurpassed.
Last fall at the beginning of the
last Liberty loan campaign Lieut..
of the French army,
;poek at Macauley's Theater. He {
told us of the almost
hopeless resistance to the attack of |
he German phalanxes on the chan (
lel pOrJS, 10 winch Lney came
within striking distance of in 1914 {
That the lines were thinly held by I
english and French troops. and t
hat EngIand's troops on that part /
Il the field were composed of Irish |
egiments. That the case seemed /
Iopeless, and orders to withdraw a
we're momentarily expected, when b
vord came to hold If possible for e
TX hours more, that three fresh i
'rench divisions would then arrive. q
he line was held, but when relief a
anne and the shattered Irish regi- d
rents were Withdrawn they left 80 la
err cent. OF their numbers dead OF L
-ounded on the battlefield. Here IL
I'll the eloquent Thomas Kettle, a la
nationalist member of Parliament. n
till these noble men and the noble In