The New York herald., 1922-01-08


turtles as one of the great Irish
heroes" he declared.
Then Griffith arose and as soon as
he was on his feet it was clear he
would not join in bandying personali-
ties.
II cannot accept the invitation OF
the Minister Of Defense" he said
mo man. no nation can repudiate his
signature and live"
Then he sprang to warm defense
of Collins.
This man won the war, and say
it again." he declared. He is the
man who made the present situation
possible by working from O'Clock
in the morning until 2 o'clock the
next morning every day for three
years. His indomitable energy and
matcnless courage carried Ireland
through the crisis. II my name is to
go down in history / want 1t to so
down with that of Michael Collins.
oC
Griffith's voice rang out clear and
his head was poised high. He as
sumed a strange and powerfully
effective dignity. Then he proceeded
with a cool argument for the treaty
With never the slightest implication
of bad faith on the other side, he
quoted De Valera's letter to the Brit
ish Prime Minister and his own
statement in the Cabinet, asserting
that he told the Cabinet he would
90 to London to try for republic,
but that he knew he could not get it.
"'We are not republican doctri-
naires,'" he quoted De Valera as say
ing, and then declared.
"We went to get the substance OF
freedom and we got it. We got free
dom from the only real form of ag'
gression-the occupation of Ireland
by the troops Of another country"
Then turning to the question OF
the oath, he riddled the stand taken
by Erskine Childers and others by
citing the oaths they had once taken
TO the British King as officers
Judges and officials, and which they
now repudiate.
"Damnable hypocrisy" he called
their quibbling over the present oath
Then he proceeded to compare il
wftn the allegiance provided in de
valeras substitute proposal, and de-
fled the opposition to point out the
real difference except in the terms
used. If a republic was the only
settlement they could have reached
in London, he declared, the London
conference would have been over in
five minutes, and then he revealed
that de Valera's substitute proposal
had been twice submitted to the
Downing street conference and re-
iected
"It is not an ideal treaty" he de-
clared, "but it has this virtue which
the substitute lacks-the name OF the
British Government is signed to it
It is a real treaty; the other is =
dream. 1t is no more tinality than
were the last members of the Irish
race. But we can take that treaty
with the British people, and in good
faith with them we can work out our
liberties through evolution and devo
luton.
'It is solid ground under the feet
of the Irish people, who have been in
the quaking bog for 500 years. Have
we no duty to living ireland? l be-
lieve the real duty of statesmanship
is to give the Irish people OF the
present day chance. Some say,
Let the present Irish be wiped out
as those of the past have been in or
der that those of the future may reap
some benefit This treaty stands be-
tween the moldy dead OF the past
and the dreamy illusions of the fu-
ture. This treaty provides for Ire
land to-day. l will not consent that
ireland be sacrificed to save any
ones face"
Then he made a ringing appeal to
al Irishmen to Join in making the
settlement effective. He declared
this was the undoubted wish of the
Irish people, and, looking squarely
across the hall, he defied De Valera S
friends to deny this. And they did
deny it vociferously, but Griffith per
sisted:
You are doing what Pitt and Cas-
llereagh did when they refused to
permit the Irish Parliament to be
dissolved and let the Irish people
speak on the Act of Union"
stands by the Republic.
DUBLIN, Jan. ASSOCIATED Press).
On the announcement of the vote
in the Dali Eireann, Mr.. De Valera
Immediately rose and declared that
the Irish people had established a
republic, and until the Irish people
in a regular manner disestablished
the republic it constitutionally went
on. This would be a sovereign body
iE the nation, to which the nation
looked for supreme government. 1t