The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-12
Press Comment
The Irish Cause.

England today is making more
friends for Ireland than the Irish ever
made for their cause. BY her barhariC
innocent victims, she is making sup
porters of the Irish even among heI
subjects who were heretofore staunch
hackers of the government.
1t reminds one of the early ages
when warning forces would wipe cut
whole villages in retaliation for losses
inflicted upon their warriors. 1t is
not the twentieth century method OF
government or even warfare. Perhaps
England thinks because she got away
with such treatment of the Hindoos
within the past few years, when her
treatment of the revolutionists viii
forever stand out as a dark chapter in
the nations history, she can pursue
the same methods with the Irish. The
world then, however, was engrossed in
a war which threatened civilization
and it paid little attention to what was
going on in far off India. But when
Britain attempts the same treatment
on a member of the white race, she
will find different proposition on her
hands.
Pie same great love of liberty which
throbbed in the breast of the OPP
pressed British subjects in 1875; the
same love of freedom which fired their
spirit of resistance against an auto
cratic and despotic master, today leads
Ireland on in its war for freedom,
Irish blood was spilled freely for the
American cause. They stood side by
side with our forefathers in the front
lines on the battlefields, and gave
their lives willingly for a cause which
they thought just and right and for
freedoms sake. 1t is the same spirit
which today prompts a vast majority
of Americans to extend Ireland the
aid which she is now receiving from
these shores, though because of exist
ing treaties and the fear of arousing
the wrath of a powerful nation. many
withhold the support which would
otherwise be given.
When England had a chance to
bring about peace in Ireland by Civ
ing it home rule a few years ago she,
in her characteristic bullheadedness.
refused, the same as she did the colo
mics when they asked for, representa-
ton, and now that England is ready to
come to home rule, Ireland, like
America will talk only independence.
One of the best discussions of the
Irish question we have seen appeared
in a recent issue of the Boston Post.
which said in part:
why cannot England awaken to the
madness and the tragedy of the course
the present British government is pur-
suing in Ireland? Must horror be piled
on horror until Ireland is made a
brooding battle-ground of fanatical ha-
treds?
THE remedy is plain, and so plain
that people who talk on stern military
measures and of 'suppressing disor-
ders with an iron hand are blind to
the folly which led to it all.
1.-THE British military forces have
no business in Ireland. Not until they
are out. bag and baggage, and with
them every trace of the laundering
and incompetent officialdom, which
has made a mockery of justice in Ire
land, cam there be any steps taken to-
ward just settlement OF the Irish
problem. Liberal opinion in England
has for months recognized this. Even
the Southern Irish Unionists, more
devoted to the British crown than the
Uustermen, have lost patience with
the CHASTITY plumbers of a government
attempting to save Ireland for the
Empire.
why this attempt in America to
place all the blame for the murders in
Ireland a THE doors of the Sim Fein /?
More than a majority of the newspa-
pers and weeklies of London have
fatty conceded equal blame to the
military policy which the British gov
eminent is pursuing in Ireland. Only
last month the Church of Ireland (Pro-
testanD Synod, surely not in the least
favorable to the republican movement
meeting in Dublin. passed resolutions
deploring the present unhappy con-
dition of murder and outrage in Ire
land but defeated by a very large