The Irish standard., 1919-02-15
De Valera The Hero of Sim
F elm and all ireland

ner do not suggest the brooder over
figures.
He is brilliant talker, says the Lon.
don News, and he seems to have no
reserve on the subject of his dreams
of glory for Ireland. His courage is
beyond question and he readily faced
death at Boland's bakery in the
revolution" He rallies his men un.
der tire as only one with the grit OF
command and of inspiration can. He
received a death sentence calmly, with
one Of his favorite works, the COMES
sions'' of st. Augustine, under his
arm. He was not in the least moved,
his jailers reported, when a reprieve
was read to him in his cell. 1t would
be erroneous to infer that he is cold
or impassive. He is emotional but
self-controlled. Naturally he is nerv.
Gus. At times he talks necessarily.
His temperament is sanguine, not to
say enthusiastic. He is lucky in hav-
ing that fine physique, for it shows
up conspicuously before an audience
and prejudices every observer in his
favor, His oratory is blend of the
sarcastic. the anecdotal, the polished,
the enthusiastic. The spark of fire
flashes early from it. He does not
rank either. Indignation flames. The
soul shines forth from the flashing
dark eyes. Such are the impressions
Of reporters for the London press.
He has a tragic platform manner.
He conveys or communicates emotion
with his arms, now folded across his
breast or again held behind him until
they wave in the air as he darts for.
ward at decisive moment One de.
rives an impression of youth, precise
ly as in the time of the orthodox
Home Rulers of the Redmond school
one beheld middle age or gray and
bespectacled maturity talking about
castle government in slightly cracked
accents. There Is nothing cracked in
is an occasional hoarseness. He has
moments Of oratorical frenzy when
he seems anything but the cool and
calculating geometrican He might
occasionally be deemed diffuse, if not
incoherent and Irresponsible In
moment more he is calm, collected,
narrating some fresh instance of Brit
ish stupidity.
Stupidity. as the London World
says, is the indictment of the British
always when de Valera is called up
on to frame 1t. There are moments
when de Valera goes so far as to say
that the British are not oven ordin-
arily bad. They are simply stupid.
The topic is dwelt upon with wealth
of felicious illustration from the Irish
point of view. 1t is one Of the para
doxes of his situation that de Valera
is personally quite popular with many
of the English in Ireland. He has
not the cold aloofness of Parnell in
dealing with everybody, his own fol-
lowers included, nor yet the somewhat
aristocratic hauteur of the late John
Redmond, suggesting the English
country gentlemen, nor the vehement
hatred Of all things British that char
acterized Damien O'COnnell. In fact de
Valera can be good-natured, II sarcas-
tic, in his illusions to the English.
1.-The English" he is quoted as having
said at East Mayo, "are not like the
Bourbons, who never learned anything
and who never forgot anything. The
| English learn many things but they
never know how to apply their knowl
| edge. When a German learns anything
he proceeds to apply the knowledge;
but an Englishman lets his knowledge
accumulate in his head until it has be.
come solid" De Valera's favorite illus
tration of the stupidity of the English
is drawn from the state of Ireland.
a country very easily governed, he in
sists, inhabited by people who
respect strong government intelligent.
ly administered. In fact, de Valera's
observations upon the English would
make an interesting volume, especial
ly as he affirms that, instead of hating
them, he really loves them at dis
tance. At Dublin he predicted once
that when the English put him to
death they will in their stupidity i'm
part superfluously sanguinary char
acter to the act.-Current Opioion.
Two Mexican Bishops have died re-
! Gently, Msgr. Pagaza of Vera Cruz
and Msgr. Dominguez Of Tepic. At
the time of his death the latter was a
street sweeper. That such a thing
should have been possible seems in
credible to Catholics "up NORTH" but
the report of the bishops humiliation
ia we'll authenticated tn take a