The Irish standard., 1919-09-20

From the very nature of things,
there can be no final or table set
tlement of the political issue between
Ireland and England intermediate
union and separation.
There can be no real peace be-
tween Ireland and England until
either Britain has assimilated Ire
land and definitely annihilated the
distinct national soul in Ireland.
which England has so far failed to do
after $50 years of effort, or until Eng
land has definitely recognized that
that soul has right to seek its per-
lection in independent sovereign state
hood.
mo home rule solution could be
lasting. Either the Irish would end
it or the English would. And every
political act of either would be sus
pected as having been promoted by
the desire to do one or the other.
Bills Couldn't Be Debated.
mot a bill could be brought into
the home rule Parliament which would
not be debated on the issue of whether
it tended more to the one or the other
of these alternative ends, rather than
on its immediate merits or demerits.
Every bill which tended to the
material development of Ireland would
lead directly to separation and would
be contested bitterly by those who de-
sired to retain the British connection.
"The Strengthening of Ireland's re-
sources would be feared lest she
might renew her strength to consum-
mate her self-government.
Every act which tended to make
the people of Ireland better Irish
citizens; every education bill, for in
stance, would be opposed for the same
reason. Irish history would have to
be banished from the schools. Irish
men would have to forget the patriotic
struggles of the past, for similar rea-
sons to those which suggest the max
ing of Americans to forget the Boston
Tea Party, Bunker Hill and their asso-
ciations
Mutual Suspicion Forecast.
Mutual suspicion would be a dis
integrating irritant, killing every ef-
fort at constructive work, and then,
whenever it seemed that the indie.
pendent national spirit in Ireland was
triumphing, England would step in to
destroy the constitution as she de-
| stroyed the constitution of Grattan' s
parliament.
1--WE are not talking without prec
edent; Ireland had already colonial
parliament.
"And If ever it should seem that
the national spirit was being killed
the Irish patriot party would step in
to stop it by revolution.
No Room for Side Issues.
"For the Irish people it is truly {
question Of union or separation ulti
mately and we are glad to have the
issue knit on these lines. There ii
no room for side issues.
"As against the union advocated b!
Carson and his twenty per cen
minority, we urge the claim of tht
remaining 80 per cent majority wh'
demand separation
1.-The Irish people have, in the ex
ercise of their right of self-determina
tion clearly chosen which of the onl.
two settlements they would have ant
we deny the right of England or an,
other power to interfere with tha
choice of the Irish. people.
Carson's Pretending Idle.
ut is idle for Sir Edward Carsol
to pretend that there is anything in
definite or misleading about the phras
self-determination. That phrase wa
perfectly we'll understood at the tim
it was advanced and as perfectly wei
understood now by all who have no
some special reason in being unabl
to understand it or rather in seemin
to be unable to understand it.
1T means that the people of M
tion have a right to choose how the
shall be governed and who shall go,
ern them. The peoples choice to
determined by the will of the majol
ity, as shown by general nations
lplebiscite.
UNLESS majority rule is accepte
government of the people by the pet
pie is ended. In the general election
of last Devember in Ireland, in whic