The Irish standard., 1919-07-19
De Valera, President Of
the Irish RepubIie
Replies to Lord French

irish Republic, takes issue with
Lord French, the Military Cover
nor Of ireland, Who States That
/ The Irish People Are in Favor of
The English conneetion-"Is 1t Be-
cause Seven and Half Centuries
Of Repression and Exploitation Has
Endeared British Rule To The
Irishman?" President De Valera
Asks-"Lord French Has Forgot
ten The Elections Of Last Decem-
Der When Bare 20 Per Cent Of The
Voters Voted for The English
Union-As Long as The Patient
Will Suffer The Cruel Will Kick"
Discussing the published report that
Lord French, the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland, had said that if vote were
taken in Ireland he was convinced
that nine out of ten Irishmen would
favor adherence to the British Empire,
and that Ireland was in a state of
rebellion and anarchy, Eamonn de
Valera, President of the Irish Re-
public, took issue with the military
governor and Immediately prepared a
statement for the press, which he
issued on July z.
ION what ground does Lord French
base this opinion of his-this judg.
ment that a nine to one majority in
Ireland would favor the British con-
nection?" asked De Valera.
"Is it because seven and one-half
centuries of repression and exploita-
tion by England has endeared Brit.
ish rule to the Irishman? Is it be-
cause the British connection has given
plenty room to the Irishman to rove
about in Ireland having cut down
within seventy years an increasing
population of eight millions to only
four millions-and replaced human
homesteads by the bullock prairie?
els it because of the impartial JUS
tice with which British law has been
administered in Ireland-that inn
partiality which raises one rebel to
the British woolsack because he hap
pens to belong to the. minority as
cendancy clique, but condems his
brother rebel to the scaffold because
he happens to belong only to the
majority and to the common people? ?
"1t must be very convenient for
a military governor to have a mem
ory like Lord French's. He has for
gotten the. elections of last December
when a bare 20 per cent of the voters
voted for the English union and when
73 out of 105 parliamentary represent.
atives were chosen on the direct is.
sue of independence, separation from
England and the establishment of the
Republic.
"These elections were by secret
ballot and Lord French is not salts
fed that he exerted himself sufficient
lily during these elections. He only put
a few hundred of the leading Re
publicans in Jail, and removed only
five successive directors in charge of
the Republican election machinery
and only raided the central Republi
can offices half dozen times or so
carrying off with him the Republican
literature. He probably recognizes
now that he should have imprisoned
the whole Republican party and put
all the printing presses out of com
mission and then-well, then there
might have been some sense in his
nine to one.
Lord French talks of anarchy and
rebellion in Ireland. OF course there is
rebellion-why should there not be:
Have the Irish people no right to rise
up against system which is founded
today on the bayonets of 10000
soldiers encamped permanently as in
a hostile country; as Joseph Cham
berlain admitted 1t was in 1850
system which is supported only by
brute force and kept up by constant
blood.letting' as an English Tory M
P. wrote in 1929. OF course there il
anarchy-but the anarchists are Lord
French, Ian MACPHERSON and their
} associates.
"Irishmen do not forget that as
long as the patient will suffer, the
cruel will kick. And II Lord French
and his armed policemen may de-
prive man of his liberty by putting
him in jail without charge or trial
or of his life by shooting him at will
for the crime of proclaiming the
truth about English rule and loving
his country-then Lord French and
his policemen must expect that where
there are such arrests there will be
rescues, and when there are such
uhoofin0o fhoro yvill he SOme ShOOttngG