The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-11-01

WOulu COME CO uTSL W DISK iSCOSlltIOA
of the republic. Because we believe
no matter how much you would want
us to- secure justice, and went in to
secure justice, you would not be able
| to secure it; that England, if you
dared to say you were going to act on
your own principles, would stop you,
and that would be the end of. But
because you are sufficiently big not
/ to be cheated, because you are a big
nation. you will not be dictated to,
when it is a question of acting under
the principles for which you fought.
But if you were a small people, we
would know you would have this ex-
that the bully, England, would declare
war upon you, if you acted justly.
| No Hostile Act.
| | have asked those, when we came
| here asking for recognition Of the re-
public-it is established on the will
of the Irish people, it is in accord
ance with all the traditions Of liberty,
| it is formed in accordance with every
one of the declarations with which you
entered the war-when we came here,
| we thought the case was so just and
so fair, that nobody that examines it
can for moment convince himself he
should not act upon it. What do we
get? The one and only reason given
why that republic should not be rec
ognized, is that England would con-
slider such an action on the part of
your government as hostile act; that
! England would be offended if you
acted justly towards Ireland.
| Now, l always feel, and l am frank
| about it. that that is an ignoble argu-
ment for nation such as this. If
you were a small nation, you could
! be excused But the question is
whether, when you see justice and
! duty,--because it is our duty to be
just,-when justice and duty point
| toward this course, when your ma
| tional honor even, on account OF your
| entrance into the war as the cham
pions of liberty, demand you should
| take that course, you should be di-
verified from that course, merely be-
| cause the robber says that he will be
offended at your action We never
saw robber that wasn't offended
when justice came along and said he
was to give up the goods he stole.
England will be offended any time,
we know, and if you will be stopped
from doing your duty, from taking &C
|
she will be offended, then you will not
take action, and you and your govern
ment will not recognize the Irish re-
public The question is this. whether
this nation that helped the Greeks,
even though the Sultan was offended,
and incurred the anger of the en-
peror when it assisted Austria; and
the nation that helped Cuba, even
though Spain was offended, and helped
the other republics to achieve their
freedom, even though Spain was Of
Tended, are you going to desert us;
you. the champions of liberty, are you
going to say you can't aid, when the
whole world civilization depends upon
you? You started out as a model
leader, the moment you have said a
certain principle will obtain. You are
| strong enough, and the nation is the
best that could he devised. 1t is the
best that human ingenuity could bring
about, and you are strong enough to
get this principle of selfdetermination
put into practice, not a mere express
sion, a mere phrase, but an act, and
you can get it made an act, made into
International law. If you act upon it,
all will be well; if you fail, you will
have failed humanity, because the
whole peace of the world is based
upon the recognition of the principle
that the nations have the right to rule
themselves.
Words and Deeds.
Religious wars ceased when the diff
ferent creeds and faiths gave up the
idea of using physical force; when
they allowed groups and individual
mems consciences to rule themselves.
When the principle of selfdetermina-
ton was accepted in the sphere of
faith, religious wars ended. So, too,
: national wars will end, and they will
never end before that, because it is
in the nature of human beings to fight
for liberty. These wars will cease
these national wars will cease, and
not otherwise, they will cease the mo-
ment you accept the principle of self
determination.
Act upon this Irish question, and
you will have done more than all the
covenants you can make; you will
have won more by that act to estab-
lish the right of international law than
if you were to sign all the covenants
that could be imagined. The question
' is, will you do that or not. Will you
solve the question; solve the problem
of stopping international wars.
And mind you, all the principles we
, are fighting for have been expressed
F.. by your President over and over
: again, so much so that when I was
reading them, / felt he had Ireland
a. q special example in his mind and
} By ta.A4.lg that as a special case he
could generalize from it. All the prin.
/ ciplCs we demand are set forth in the
writings of your President, and nc