The Irish standard., 1919-07-05
De Valera Opens
Campaign at Boston
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Saturday, July5 1919

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tinguished mathematicians in Europe.
EARLY in the movement to revive
the ancient language of Ireland, De
Valera mastered the language, teach,
ing in many of the colleges that had
been established by the Gealic'
League.
The Insurrection, in 1916.
During the Easter Week Insured.
ton, 1916, President De Valera was
given the "Ringsend" Mount Street
Dublin-to hold with his battalion.
Here, with little more than one
hundred men, he withstood the en-.
tire force Of the two divisions of the
English army, (which marched with
artillery on the City of Dublin, from
Kingstown. His main position was
still mistaken when he received the
order Of Commander Padraic H.
Pearse to surrender.
In his report of that instruction,
the British General stated that in
this area, the British casualties were
far higher than in any other, while
the records show that De Valera's
casualties were very slight. British
officials spoke in the highest terms Of
the excellence of his tactics, and
those who were taken prisoners by
him testified to the chivalrous cour-
tesy and kindness with which he
treated them.
His Execution Ordered.
When he surrendered, De Valera
was tried by court martial, and SEN
fenced to be shot, but owing to the
flaming tide of public indignation
which had arisen against the execu-
tion, in America as we'll as in Ireland,
and because of the several official
protests of American senators and
congressman who were particularly
interested in his case, on account of
his American birth, the sentence
was committed to penal servitude for
life. He was the only one of that
heroic band of Dublin commandants
to escape execution, and was includ-
ed in the first batch of political
prisoners that were sent to the con-
vict prison at Dartmoor.
Organized Ireland for Liberty.
On being released from prison after
the Easter Rebellion De Valera turned
his attention to- the organization of
the country. He realized that Ireland
must declare herself ere the Peace
Conference met, and so he called a
convention consisting of representa-
tives of every parish in Ireland He
laid before them the scheme of or.
ganization, the existing Sim Fein Or
ganization providing the nucleus.
Thanks ). to the wonderful enthusiasm
of the people, and the manly principles
reached by De Valera, the movement
spread like wild fire over Ireland.
The new organization spread to
every village and town in ireland.
Today, there are 1900 Sim Fein
Clubs in Ireland. De Valera and his
colleagues hoped to win the people
of Ireland to the cause of Republican,
ism, and the success of the organ
ization can best be measured by the
result of the general election and the
present pround position of. Ireland.
Prior to the general election, the
Sim Fein party held five Parliament.
airy seats. At the general election
Sim Fein captured the country by
over two-thirds majority. They now
hold 73 seats.
lreIand's Cry for Freedom Answered
by OPPRESSION.
In May, 1918, the British Govern.
ment arrested and deported from
Ireland one hundred Smen and three
women, Sim Fein leaders in different
parts of Ireland. Included in the
number were the President, De Vale
ra, one vice-president, Arthur Crit
fifth, two honorary secretaries, two
treasurers, and 20 of the rs members
of the governing executive. The re-
naming six of the executive were not
arrested because they managed to
escape warrants having been issued
for their arrest.
England fondly hoped by this tyr.
amy to destroy this great movement
Instead, she electrified it into greater
life. She held the prisoners without
charge or trial, from May, 1918, until
March of the present year. Every act
Of aggression by England was an.
swered by the Irish people with a
further influx into the ranks. and
Sim Fem presented the extraordi.
nary spectacle to the world, of forty.
nine members elected to Parliament
who, at the time Of their election,
were held prisoners by England.
The Escape Of De Valera.