The Washington times., 1922-02-19

battlefield for the past five years.
In that parliamentary period, how
ever, the people at home were
growing in national consciousness,
strength and courage. The Gaelic
revival and the learning Of our
national tongue were teaching .
new national self.respect.
We recalled immortal tales OF
our ancient heroes and we began
to look to a future in which we
could have a proud, free. distinct
nation, worthy of its past. We
learned that what we wanted was
not a political form OF home rule
or any other kind or form of home
rule, but revival Of Gaelic life
and ways.
Economic thought and study
showed us that the poverty which
afflicted us came from the pres
ence Of the English and that their
control over US had come from
landlordism and the drain of Eng.
fish taxation, from the neglect Of
Irish resources and the obstruction
TO Irish industries by the domina-
ton Of the English parliament.
And we saw that we must man.
age these things for ourselves. And
besides the hope for material
emancipation we grew to think Of
the love Of our land and all that II
had given us and had still to give
us, and what we could make Of II
when II was our own once more.
And we became filled with a patri.
otto fervor before which, when the
time came. force must prove impo-
tent.
A NEW COURAGE.
The expression Of this new hope
and new courage manifested itself
In the Easter week rising in 1915.
The leaven Of the old Fenianism
had been al work in our midst.
Tom Clark, q member Of the old
Fenian brotherhood. came out Of
Jail after sixteen years Of penal
servirude to take up the work
where he had left off.
San NJ Dermo I, tramping
throughout Ireland. preached the
Fenian gospel Of a freedom which
must be fought for He enrolled
recruits and by his pure patriot.
ism and lovable, unselfish charac.
ter inspired all with whom he
came in contact to emulate him
and to be worthy Of his teachings.
Our army wac in existence
again. 1t was not brought into
being, as is wrongfully supposed,
by the example Of Carson's re.
cruit.ng in northeast Ulster. II
needed no such example. II was
already in being in the old Irish
Republican Brotherhood in fuller
force. But Englands mamIfac-
tured resistance in the northeast
enabled our soldiers to come out
in the open with the advantage
in 1916 Of rising starting unex.
pectedly from the streets instead
OF from underground.
England was unable or unwill.
ing to interfere with her own
Orange Instruments, and she did
not dare, therefore, to suppress
ours. Armed resistance was an
Indispensable factor in our strug.
gle for freedom. 1t was never
possible for us to be militarily
strong, but we : could be strong
enough to make England uncom.
fortable-strong enough to make
England too uncomfortable. II
Is the only argument she listens
to.
That was the practical advan-
tage II had for US, but It was
above all other things an express
sion Of our separate nationhood.
Unless we were able to fight for
our nation, even without any GER
tanty Of success, we acquiesced
In the doctrine Of our national
identity with England.
II embodied, too, for US, the
spirit OF sacrifice, the mainte.
nance Of the ideal and the courage
to die for 1t, 30 that military eff.
forts were made In nearly every
generation.
1t was a protest, too. against
our anglicizatlon and demoraliza.
tion-a challenge Of spirit against
internal power, and as such bore
fruit. The rising Of 1915 was the