El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-15

and after. Excerpts viii Be- published In
| this column daily during the next several
I gan October IS Today's tustalment con-
/ tinues the Irirz notes.
l IRISH ancient history, running back
1 dimly into tradition, legend, and
fable, is as fascinating as that Of any
other race or nation on earth, and
more so than most. ANY encyclopedia
viii give the reader the elements Of
this history, and there is an extensive
literature on the subject. 1t is not
within the purpose Of these Note"
to detail matters Of general knowledge.
Suffice it TO say that 1000 years be-
fore Christ Ireland had a parliament,
and 800 years earlier still a written
language. The Irish have no difficulty
in establishing their claim Of a historic
independent nationality.
The early Irish were rated as deep
" learned, by contemporary historians
Of Greece and Rome, and It is related
that -men Of learning ranked next TO
royalty The introduction Of Chris
tianity was not attended BY civil
strife, and the churchmen became lead
ture, not only in Ireland, but through
out the continent of Europe. From
the fifth century 20 the ninth, Ireland
was regarded as the seat Of learning
in the western world and Irish scholars
were distinguished AZ all the courts
and in all the centers Of European cul-
tursl progress.
English aggression in Ireland began
IN the 18th century with the invaslons
and conqUests Of Henry H. The last
500 years have been marked By strug-
giles of Ireland TO disengage herself
from the English woke, accompanied by
factional or civil wars In Ireland. A
late as the 10th century the greater
part Of Ireland remained uuconquered
by the English, who were not able TO
assert entire possession until 1908.
During the reign Of king james, large
areas in Ireland, about 100000 acres,
were taken away from Irish chieftains
and given 20 Scottish and English set
tiers, mostly in the north Cromwell
put down a rebellion with unspeakable
severity, Catholics we're dispossessed,
and 10000 Irish were sold as slaves in
America, while 10000 more left the is
land for foreign parts.
Following the battle Of the BOyne,
1000 900 acres more were conflscated
and divided among pr0testantss severer I
laws than ever were enacted against
the Catholics, and there ensued a CEN
fury Of religious and political conflict
during which time many secret societies Z
were formed.
At the time Of the American and I
French revolutions, most Of the restric- I
tive and penal laws against Catholics |
were repealed By coercion and bribery /
the legislative union Of the two coun- /
tries was brought about in 1900. I
Catholics now have all civil rights eX-
ceut that they ,annOt hold the office I
OF lord chancellor and lord lieutenant. F..
The rest Is modern history
Fifty years ago began the efforts Of /
England, earnest enough but generally /
misiudged, % repair some Of the err
rUrs Of the past. Law after law has /
been enacted in the interest Of the I
people Of Ireland the tenants aud /
workers, and with the aim Of freeing (.
them from intolerable burdens. ireland I
has very many more seats In the par
lament Of the kingdom than she is F.
entitled 70 on a population basis.
I have alluded 20 the intense love Of Z
learning among the earliest Christians 7
III Ireland. This interest extepded TO /
the fine arts, including music and IL T.
Eliminating, or book decoration It Is I
said By some commentators that the I
Irish did more than any other people /
70 keep alive the spark Of the world .
culture and intellectual and spiritual 4
enlightenment during the darkest Of .
the dark ages. Scholars came 70 Ire I
laEd from all over the known world /
TO complete their education, and Irish I
&C. Nrs|n
10 remotest parts. ireland escaped the /
barbaric invasions and while the rest /
OF the world was being engulfcd, Ire
land was passing through a period Of .
comparative tranquility favorable 20 .
the conservation and development of 4
all things valued in what we call evil .
lization
Ireland today cannot be compre- I
hended even remotely without some &C.
count being taken Of Irish literature, .
In no other country has the literature .
been more original or more typical, in I
no other has the literature had greater i
effect on political and social events /
and on moral, ethical, and religious .
Through most Of it runs .
the, imaginative strain, the heroic and .
the poetic, and the literature Of folk 4
lore IS rich. while the love OF nature
was early manifested.
In the last half century the "Celtie
in Ireland has produced I
a great volume Of literature, written
mostly in English, but Irish In its es-
sence. Il has had a marked effect in
inspiring, the national consciousness,
aiding progressive movements, and even
in promoting revolutionary separatist
sentiment. The new movement has
expressed itself often in the drama.
Delving into the past for material,
these writer's have become deeply i'm
bued with the spirit of ireland and
have turned their efforts TO arousiug
it in others, with the result that Ire
land within the last quarter century
has produced an intensely nationalistic
and ce-conscious literature, Of theme
as varied as its merit It NAV be said
that this Is more noteworthy as a nat
ional expression than as pure litera-
ture, though some of it viii survive
the emOtionalism Of the period. The
cult, after all is said is limited, in