New-York tribune., 1921-12-25

fort" From Within" It was the enemies
of Irish nationalism who were to give the
name a wide publicity and to fill it with asso-
Citations sacred for Irish people---the hordes OF
propagandists who arose to discredit the in
surrectionists of 1916 and who were bent
upon fastening upon them the sinister designs
that might be supposed to go with an unintell-
gible word-'Snn Fem "Mafa," "Bolshe-
visit" they were all made to appear the same
Sim Fein originally stood for the restora-
ton of the constitution of 1888 But few Irish
people either knew or cared about that consti-
tuition. Sim Fein could not succeed in win
ming election. Sim Fein could not main
tain afternoon newspaper. Soon Dublin,
the city of deadly epigram, came to speak OF
Sim Fein Christian Science in politics.
The object Of the tactic-the restoration Of
the constitution of 1783-was remote. But the
tactic itself-the individual and the local effort
was beyond value. What Griffith actually
did was to restore to the Irish people their
great racial tactic-the tactic of aggressive
defense. It this very tactic that had
saved the Irish organization in the first Nor
man assaults. 1t was this tactic that had pre-
served a vestige of Ireland through the six
generations in which the English waged every
break up of the Irish military power at the
end of the deadened seventeenth century 1t
had not been used through the eighteenth nor
through three-quarters of the nineteenth GEN.
tury But it was to be used after Griffith had
made the people conscious of it, and its use
to confer upon the Irish people their old
invincible morale
But had it not been for Padrac Pearse the
mystic who believed that one man by his death
could defeat the forces of empire; had it
not been for James Connolly, who in union
with Padraic Pearse put the workingmen of
Dublin behind the barricades, the tactic would.
not have been used with such power and uni
versatility. And had it not been fer Michael
Collins and Richard Mulcahy, who kept an inn
provised army in being, and for Eamon de
Valera, who so faithfully represented the
public, Sim Fein would not have brought Ar
thur Griffith to the signing of treaty between
Ireland and England.
| have spoken of Arthur Griffith the po-
litcal journalist and Arthur Griffith the re-
vealer of political idea But what of Arthur
Griffith the statesman? He will prove to be
genuine statesman, believe. He is still young
as statesmen go-he is in his early fifties--he
is vigorous in his physique and he has enor-
friendly capable of wide and of far views. He
has his blind spots, I think. l will speak of
these, too.
1t is to be noted that When he wrote about
Hungary he saw only the Magyar point of
view. He could not be got to admit that the
Humans and Slavs in Hungary had any rights
against that of the Magyars The brutal at
tempts at the Magyarization of Hungary did
the country. He is protectionist he is be-
lever in tariffs; there is nothing new in his
as there is something new in Professor Mac
Neill's-conception of the state. He is the
only Irish Nationalist have ever met who has
been able to speak with a certain enthusiasm
of Oliver Cromwell. But according to him,
Oliver Cromwell was the typical Celt, not the
Saxon Englishman whom Griffith sees
Nietzsche saw the Jews-a people destined
from all time for slavery.
A historical movement began alongside his
office and he remained unaware of its vital
signifcance-that movement was the labor
militancy initiated by James Larkin and or
ganized by James Connolly. Arthur Griffith
was bitterly opposed to Larkin. In the days of
of the 1913 strike he was with the masters
rather than with the workers. By their lead
ers he will be regarded as a reactionary. They
will remember that the constitution of 1888
that Arthur Griffith started out to regain
mocked at by James Connolly in Labor in
Irish History"
Conditions in the country, the colleagues
whom he will work with, viii probably modify
his too rigid adherence to the idea of the state
His ascendency will be helpful regards the
coming in of Ulster Belfast will look upon
him as "a safe and Irishman of the
SOUTH The danger will be that he may have
the workers against him; that he may make a
union with province and make division of
class.
However, he is one who will stand well to
the forefront among the statesmen of
Gurope-souare, solid, enlightened, persistent,
devoted to his country (the last time | saw
Arthur Griffith he had rifle in his hands and
he was going through military drD He is
Dublin man, loving his city as Pericles loved
the City of the Violet Crown. Every yard Of
Dublin he knows I remember a memorable
day with him when he took me through the
old part of the town, and showed me the re-
mains of the old wall and the place where the