The Irish standard., 1919-09-27

During the first quarter of the nine
teenth century the movement for
Catholic Emancipation was carried on
under the leadership of the great
statesman and orator, Daniel O'Con-
nell. which resulted in the passage of
the Catholic Relief Bill in 1929. O'Con-
nell then turned his attention to the
agitation for the repeal of the Union.
But his splendid energies had become
enfeebled by age, and the young Ire
landers" who may be called the fore
runners of the Sim Fein movement,
and who were the most vigorous and
capable of his followers, became dis
satisfied with his policies.
Among the conspicuous leaders of
this period were Thomas Steele, Sir
Charles Gavan Duffy, John Gray, Rich
ard Barrett and T. NJ. Ray, all of
whom, like the modern Sim Fein
leaders, were subjected to prosecution
and imprisonment.
The organization of the Young Ire.
land" party followed directly upon the
failure of the previous repeal agita-
tion, including brilliant group of
poets, orators, and civilians such as
Thomas Davis, Smith O'Brien, Mea-
CHER, Mitchell, Duffy and MacManus.
This party having been broken up
by the British government, the Fenian
Brotherhood succeeded to it's objec-
tives, and developed such strength and
unity in Ireland that the disestablish.
ment of the Irish Church was secured
in 1869, and the Irish land act was
passed in 1870.
The Home Rule Agitation.
Following the collapse of the Fe-
kl@ D,,1~
sociation was formed under the lead
ership of Isaac Butt. This was later
merged into the Irish National Land
League, with the renowned Michael
Davitt as it's leader. Fourteen of it's
leaders were cast into prison in the
efforts of the British to suppress it,
among them being Parnell, Dillon, Sex
ton, Biggar and T. D. Sullivan. Ulti-
mately the Land League disappeared,
but in its place came the more formi-
liable and conspicuous National League
under the capable direction of Charles
Stewart Parnell. In 1879 this force
full and vigorous executive visited
America in the interest of Home Rule,
and was received with much of the
same enthusiasm and cordiality as
have been accorded to President De
Valera on his present mission. AS
result of the skillful management of
the Home Rule agitation by Parnell,
Premier Gladstone introduced his first
Home Rule bill in 1886, which provid-
ed for separate Parliament for Ire
land. This was rejected, however, in
the House of Lords, as was also Sec
ond bill in 1893. The splendid work
of Parnell was in part nullified by the
unfortunate episode of the O'Shea d.
vorce case, after which he was de-
posed by the Irish Nationalists, his
death occurring Oct. 6, 1891.
The split in the Nationalist party
following the O'Shea incident was
finally closed by the selection of John
irish party. The fight for self-gov-
lists under Mr. Redmond's direction,
but it required many years to repair
the losses in strength and unity that
followed after the death of Parnell.
Gladstone had retired in 1894, baffled
in his plans for Irish settlement. A
notable achievement of the Redmond
leadership was the Wyndham land pur-
chase act of 1908, appropriating
s10O,O0O,O00 for the elimination of the
Irish landlords, by the sale of their
estates to the tenants. A third Home
Rule Act was finally passed with the
concurrence of the Nationalists in
1914. This provided for the exclu-
sion of six counties of Ulster from it's
operation, and was repugnant to the
vast majority Of the people of Ireland.
The downfall Of the Nationalist party
was largely the result of their &C.
quiescence in this wretched scheme Of
partition. The Unionists of Ulster,
led by Carson and Bonar Law, arrayed
themselves against the bill, and even
went so far as to import arms and
ammunition from Germany to resist
it's enforcement. In the meanwhile the