Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-18
Readers Viewpoint
Letters to the Editor on Topics
OF General Interest
England and Ireland

TO the Editor Of the ErerinO Public Ledger.
Sir-Those citizens of America who affect
to be SO deeply impressed with the utterances
OF British politicians in their references 20
lreand's determination TO govern herself. as
to sneer at an Irish republic, cannot he
familiar with the history of our own bitter
struggle for the right of self-determination.
Replying 10 some of the politicians OF
those days, the gifted spokesman Of the Con-
tinental Congress said: Must England ever
be the sport OF hope and the victim Of de-
lusion? One time our currency was TO fail !:
another time our army was TO disband {;
then whole provinces were to revolt, Such a
general said this and that; another wrote so
and so Lord Chatham was Of this opinion
and Lord Somebody Else of another. Today
10000 Russians and twenty Russian ships of
the line were to come Then the Emperor
OF Germany was to be bribed with n million
OF money and the King of Prussia was to do
wonderful things. Sometimes this power and
sometimes that power was to engage in the
war just as IL the whole world was mad
and foolish ms Britain. This year U7S2) n
still newer folly is TO take place. Lord Shell
burne wishes to be sent over here to Con-
gress, as he thinks that something may
be done. But the repeated declarations or
the Congress. declarations which all America
proposals wha until the unconditional
and uneauivocal independence of America Is
recognized. For England to receive anything
from America now, after many insults.
injuries and outrages acted toward us, would
show such spirit of meanness in her that
we could not but despise her"
LORD Shelburne proposed at that late
period OF the noble and heroic stand Of the
americans for liberty. that he be deputed TO
Congress in the interest of peace Peace
said his lordship, 'is a desirable object, but
1t must be an honorable one, not a peace
dictated by France or insisted upon by
America. IL we are in Strengthened circum-
stances. our enemies, too, are exhausted In
their resources. The language of humilia-
ton must not be the language of Great
Britain I am not afraid or ashamed of
those expressions going to America. There
are great numbers there of the same way of
thinkng-numbers who perceive ruin for
England and independence for America
linked together
His lordship,' wrote the patriots great
publicity man, "is total stranger TO the
mind and sentiments of America. He has
wrapped himself up in the fond delusion that
something less than independence may, under
his administra tion, be accepted. He wishes
himself sent to Congress to prove the most
extraordinary Of all doctrines. which is. that
Independence. the sublimest OF all human
conditions, is loss of liberty"
IT seems that the art Of camou1aging was
in vogue then as now. Lord Shelburne felt
equal 10 the task OF convincing the Revolu-
tionists, by word pictures that they were not
fit for self-government that independence
in America meant loss of liberty TO the
Colonists, as we'll as cause the setting of the
sun of Englands glory forever"
Whatever may be said of the predictions
at that time, some of the foremost thinkers
of today believe that the denial OF self-deter-
mination to Ireland now will result in the
setting of the sun of England's glory for
ever" Ireland has never surrendered her
right to nationhood, and Notwithstanding the
far-fetched comparison with other autoc-
racies and their subjects comparisons
which do not include the German Belgian
mbroglio--of ex-President Taft. who con-
cluded IA recent dsquisiton on the subject
by substantially declaring that Ireland must
abandon her cherished and rightful hope OF
establishing a government on her own soil,
TO be operated by and for her own people.
because of the blunders of English politicians
because OF the insoent. autocratic and
Kaser-liSe attitude OF Britain's Balfours.
Georges. Carsons Laws, Trenches and
Bowen Cothursts.
Neither four and one-half years OF con-
quest nor $50 years of conquest established
a just right of the invader TO govern and
persecute his victims j. OD.
Philadelphia, February IA. 1919.