The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-12
Saturday, April II, 1919
Reverend Bishops Of kiIlaloe and
Derry, ireland, Deliver scathing
Criticism Of British Methods in Ire
land.

OoUtyS UStouOS OSiNST 0CdIS1iU0
Criticism Of British Methods in Ire
land.
BY the most Rev. DR.. Ntzhugh,, Bishop
of Derry.
We have seen great empires rent
asunder, totter and fall, kings with
their scepters disappear as If they
never had been and free states arise
on the ruins of the past where mill
tary despotism had hitherto held sway.
An autocratic tyranny that kept count
less millions in bondage for centuries
also disappeared, to be followed, I'M
fortunately, not by liberty and free
dom, but a new tyranny, a regime of
unrestricted license, pillage, plumber
and murder.
And, strange contradiction, the very
people who proclaimed to the world
that the defense of small~nations, the,
crushing of Smilitarism and the estab-
lishment of justice and right were the
governing motives that induced them
to unsheathe the sword, these we now
see act as If these words have never
been spoken.
Vain Hope for Irish.
And for poor Ireland-it was hoped
that she, too, would join in the gen
eral resurrection of nations that had
been crushed in the dust, but now
vain the hope.
Wherever we turn our eyes, instead
of freedom and justice we are con-
fronted by a militarism of the most
up-to-date Prussian type, that makes
it's baneful influence felt in periodic
ukases, lettering the liberty of the
subject, and in inhuman sentences in
ficted for doings in themselves harm
less, which have hitherto been favored
and fostered by a free-loving people.
In theory consent of the governed
is recognized as the only equitable
basis on which just government can
rest, but in practice, though this prin-
ciple may apply to every other nation
under the sun, black and white, Jew
and Gentle, Ireland is to be debarred
from a gift that is preferred even to
the uncivilized heather.
No sooner was war declared than
thousands Of Ireland's brave sons, for
getting the cruel treatment Of the past
and believing they were setting out to
do battle for justice, liberty and truth,
freely volunteered their services.
Heroic Deeds Forgotten.
And now the war is over and vic
tory rests on the banners of the allies,
the heroic deeds Of Ireland's sons are
forgotten and nothing but calumny and
oppression heaped on the motherland
that bore them.
What a return for noble services
freely rendered!
What a fulfillments of hopes that
we were led to believe would find their
realization in victory!
But, dark as is the cloud that hangs
over Ireland today, it is not without
a silver lining. The materfalistic
spirit that has held Europe in it's
grip for the last four years and more
has only served to develop and bring
out in greater relief the religious side
of the Irish character.
Never can we forget those trying
days when, not content with the free
gift of SO many lives sacrificed on
her behalf, Great Britain would treat
Ireland as nation Of slaves and force
CONSUMPTION on her sons against their
will.
The Day Of Delivery.
In Ireland everything has not been
as it should be during the past year.
Crimes have been committed which
no reason could excuse and no circum-
stances justify. The moral law adj
mits of no exceptions, not even In
defense Of the most glorious cause.
I fail, however, to see why the coun.
try should be branded as nation OF
outlaws-calumnies neither Catholic
nor Irish, recklessly hurled by some
Of our own sons against the mother
land.
While striving to recover our ma
tional right we must never prove I'M
true to the glorious heritage handed
down BY st. Patrick. We will show
that we inherit the spirit that enabled
us to brave trials immeasurably great
or than any we have yet been called
upon to suffer.