The Washington herald., 1922-05-09
The Irish Rebellion.

father distraught by long waiting for thu
81 return OF an absent that when the boy
did come home at last the old man turned him
from the door as stranger and wrapped himself
up in his old cravings for the still longed-for
tomorrow of the true sons arrival.
One cannot help feeling with some intellectual
sympathy and compassion, that among the honest
fanatics in the Irish rebellion against free ireland
there are many men and women like that father.
Freedom has come after 700 years of longing.
Cathleen nj Houlihan of Irish legend has got back
her green fields. The dark Rosaleen's long
trouble is over.
But for some overlabored minds it is too late.
The consciousness of subjection and the habit of
almost hopeless revolt have bitten too deep. So
for them patriotism and honor consist in fighting
still the shadow of the tyranny that is gone. Ire
land is debased in their eyes if she embraces her
own release from matyrdom Their minds have
passed into the last of the dark and gloomy cham
bers of fanaticisnl. They find intrinsic worth and
moral beauty in sacrifice for substantial end.
These people face certain defeat. Griffith and
Collins have shown broadmnded tolerance in
dealing with the situation which has won them
friends everywhere. They have made slight effort
to restrain thought or sef-expresson. Force has
been used only to restrain violence and armed
resistance to government. When they have fought
the mutineers Collins and Mulcahy have shown
themselves capable during the days when
they fought the British Empire. They are the
real leaders of the young men in Ireland. Unprac-
tical dealiss long hold the loyalty of their
followers in a hopeless fight
OF course army, insurgent otherwise, is
made up OF one type of men. Every war,
guerrilla like that between England and Ire
land, leaves certain number OF men who actually
have liked it and who do no like the life of peace
There is the officer who has found in war the
exercise of talent previously unknown to himself
There is the man, rare but not very rare to whom
physical risk and personal combat are as alcohol
There is the socially primitive or predatory type
which prefers living on the country to working set
hours at job.
We had plenty of these in the American army
during the great war Sim Fen Ireland sure
to have her share of them in hers. Many of these
are now in the forces opposing the establishment
of firm government. by which the Free State
function War is certain to breed certain nveerate
followers of But it makes most soldiers
enthusiastic followers of peace. This holds true
in Ireland as elsewhere. Most of the who
fought England in the ranks of the Irish Repub-
can Army are tired of hardship and battle.
But the leading and animating force in the
Irish insurrecton against free Ireland is undoubt
edly fanaticsm of the pure type, sincere and dis
interested as any heroism; but also barren cruel
and destructive as the sword OF early Islam the
FIRE of an Inquisition
The Free State has shown lack of ability to
cope with both fanatics and freebooters To the
great mass of the Irish people their government
is satisfactory and they have the respect and
loyalty of a preponderant majority During the
few months they have been in power they have
functioned better than anyone familiar with the
situation would have suspected.