Middletown transcript., 1920-04-10
THAT IRISH REPUBLIC

THAT IRISH REPUBLIC
TT is deeply to be regretted that the
1 gallant Irish who have so bravely
helped win Liberty's battles in other
lands, our own included, have hitherto
sadly failed in their struggles to over
throw British tyranny. It is, moreover
q sorrow to every true friend Of Irish
freedom that the present attempt OF
their newly formed Republic is being
marred by the shameful excesses Of
some Of its partisans.
Here are few newspaper headlines
describing their Easter campaign:
INCEND1AR1Es BURN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
IN CHIEF IRISH CITIES; RECORDS IN
16 TAX oEFICEs DESTROYED; 35
POLICE BARRACKS AND HUTS
Ten Sim Feiners were arrested
to-day at Newry in connection with
outrages. A message from Tulla-
more reports that masked ban1
late Saturday night reused from his
bed farmer and his family residing
in Kings county and ordered them
into the farmyard. They seated
the whole family in chairs, and,
having compelled the farmers son,
Kieran Flynn, to stand up, fired at
him, wounding him seriously in the
arm and abdomen. They then at
tempted to blow up the house and
decamped.
As if burning tax record, burnt
also the obligation to pay the tax !
Those taxes will be reimposed plus the
cost of these burnings, and thus their
sole gain will be bigger tax.
These mad extremists, whose acts
are damaging the good cause of Ire
lands freedom, also recently assassi-
mated the mayor of Cork and made
attempts upon the lives Of other Off
cials, and many public buildings, in
cluding Protestant Church, have
fallen a prey to the torch of these
fanatics. They cannot see that Bolshe-
vic terrorism is curse to any cause.
and that only manly, squaretoed fight
can win in the Irish struggle for inde-
pendence.
Their president, De Valera, some
weeks ago when in Philadelphia, paid
his respects to Americas holiest Revo-
lutionary shrine, and saw the venerable
Liberty Bell, and reverently touched it
with his fingers. He doubtless under
stands the temperate, sane and orderly
methods our fathers used in their
memorable struggle for freedom, and it
is, we say again. matter for regret that
some Of those revolving against the
English government, permit their cause
to be injured by such excesses az muir
der, arson and secret assassinations.
No one can doubt that years ago
Ireland had many grave reasons to
complain of England's treatment. In
deed, since the far away days of Earl
Strongbow who in ITO conquered Ire
land, its people have been for centuries
grievously oppressed in many ways by
the English government. But in the
last decade all this has been changed
for the better, and Ireland given in q
larger measure the blessings Of civil,
religious and political freedom even to
their own parliaments with some au-
tonymous powers though it must be
confessed these apparent concessions OF
self-government have many English
strings to them!
But alas the same hateful defect of
disunion that wrecked the liberties of
Greece, destroyed the Italian Republics
and made possible the conquest of Eng
land in the 18th century by the Nor
mans, is cursing Ireland at this very
hour. And worst Of all, the cause of
her disunion is that most bitter of all
causes-religious differences. The Irish
as "wearers of the green" or 'of the
orange" are keeping alive to the pres
ent the animasities aroused by the
Battle of Boyne Water fought 23O
years ago, and the respective partisans
still as fercely antagonist each other
as though that battle were fought but
yesterday!
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