The Washington herald., 1921-09-11
SEPTEMBER IL. 1921.
APPEAL TO IRISH FOR REAL PEACE,

them. acknowledge in their hearts that many,
things were done by Sim Feners which were cruel
and aboninable according to the laws of God and
man and that their acts of war could be ignored
by the British government without abject surrender
and cowardce hot to be expected of British people.
But all that black nightmare has been lifted by
the truce which gives us all chance for looking
forward to light instead of back to darkness. The
offer made by Premier Lloyd George only formally
but in his speeches and letters is great act OF
craftsmanship which expresses the spirit of the whole
English people and fulls the hopes of all lovers of
Liberty throughout the world. &s#
He has put aside all petty arguments for the
great principle of free partnership in the British
federation of free peoples Such thing will never
happen again in time for when the present gov
ernment breaks up, as it is now breaking the ques-
ton of ireland will be flung again into the arena of
party politics and the present sympathy Of the Eng
lish people may be dissolved by new appeals to
passion and prejudice by unscrupulous politicians.
The old call of coercion would be made, the old
crueltes always dominant in human hearts would be
resrred and ireland herself, in rejecting fair offer
of liberty. would play into the hands of the bigots
and miltarists who mostly silent.
To the ordinary Englishman it appears that some
of the Irish irreconciables behaving in what
used to be called the feminine way of making Of
their weakness as weapon against the strength Of
men by daring brutal male to hit them be cruel
to them knowing that their weakness protects
them and would disarm in spite Of all
.peration. @
IF England really intended to dominate Ireland by
i sheer brute force, which may God prevent it is
certain that she could do so despite the desperate
courage Of Irish youths 1t would be bloody and
horrible. English losses would be heavy but ireland
would be reduced to death and ashes.
Why this has not been done before and why it
L. = r..I
but lack of will 1t is in to say that England
tried to do and failed before the truce
All that was done in military repression and re-
prsals limited by the refusal to let the militarsts
have full command of military resources and con
duct the war At Secret half-hearted,
furtvc attempt to deal with terror by terror
anu not to wage open war against declared enemies
The English public opinion would not be per-
suaded then to declare real war against a
sister nation, and two-thrds of what was done in
Ireland was done without English knowledge.
Il write these things with one object in view only.
which is to call to the generosity of the Irish
throughout the world that they may strengthen
the hands of the peace makers. appeal to them
for great heartedness bigger than the little niggngs
of debate and yield just little<to English pride
and sentiment they yielding to theirs.
Between the Irish race and the British race there
is chance for lasting brotherhood made close and
dear because of old tragedies botted out by forgive
and future hope when the Irish nation takes
her place equal terms among the free peoples of
the British Empire.
Deliberately to fling away that chance points
of pride would to wickedness at which
angels might weep because of the human folly OF it.
Irish Catholics belong to faith which breaches a
higher law even than liberty which is charity and
love. For Christs sake let them make this good
peace which gives liberty to Ireland II she will only
be loyal to the commonwealth of peoples from whom
she separate without the betrayal of natural