The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-30
selves with the development of the
irregulars. policy.
Produce Chaos

Produce Chaos
| "Thfs was situation that could
not be allowed to continue indefi
! nitely If the nation was to live. Tht
! irregular leaders made no secret of
| the fact that the production of chaos
| was the means they looked to to make
the government impossible and to
prevent the Free State from being fl
nally established.
THE Dali Eireann, therefore, re-
solved to set up military courts. en-
powered to inflict the death penalty
! for specific offenses. But before
these courts were operated amnesty
was offered to all willing to sur
,render arms before a certain date. A
long period was allowed 70 elapse be-
fore any sentences were carried out.
A majority OF the irregulars did not
take the matter seriously. They had
mistaken gentleness for weakness
and had lived in the de1usion that
/ the government would be afraid of
public opinion to act drastically.
.Far from relaxing, therefore, the
leaders became more desperate in
their methods, until at last they hit
upon tho expedient of declaring the
government and Parliament illegal
and its members rebels against the
republic in order to give the appear
ance of moral right when GWEN a
traitors fate to representatives of
the people.
"They had failed to mako any sort
of stand against the army in open
lighting; they had failed as signally
in guerilla tactics; they then at
tempted, by methods of wholesale de-
struction, to bend tho people to their
will. Again they failed and In de-
spair they had taken up the definite
policy of assassinating deputies in
order to reduce the people to impo-
tence by depriving them of their
leaders.
Under the absurd pretext of de-
Tending the republic against rebels
and fortified in advance by propa-
| ganda OF the most lying and de-
graded kind, directed against the
government and army which had
treated them with consideration and
| chivalry which amazed all observers,
these armed guerillas representing
actually less than one-half of one
per cent of the population, led their
dupes to the very point of 'execut-
ling members of the Dali, Sean Hales
and Patrick O'Maille being the first
| victims.
Had No Option
"The government had no option but
to combat this deadly policy in the
only plain and effective manner
! aVa1IaDle, ana, dcCOfulnblyp On tHe
day following the attack on the two
deputies, they executed four irregu-
| lar leaders. The government, hiding
nothing from the people of Ireland
who support them In such over
whelming majority. made no effort
/ to camouflage the executions; and
the people have repaid trust with
trust. We are acting in the sure
knowledge that we are doing the
best for our country and that ulti-
mately the simple principle of ma
| jority rule--armed man, servant of
unarmed man-will triumph in Ire
land as elsewhere. The shameful ir-
regular propaganda now being car
ried on in America, is demonstra-
ton of the type of mind the govern
ment has had to deal with.
"The British have left our country
| finally and forever. Not single
British soldier remains in the Free
State. The royal Irish constabulary
are replaced by an unarmed civil
guard and Irish courts are function
| ing all over the country. Full au-
thority now Is in the hands of the
! Irish people and at the next election
few months hence, all men. and all
women over 81 will have the right
! to vote.
with Gods help we can look for
ward to the day when ireland. united
and free, shall have reaped the full
fruits of her sacrifices and her tri-
umphS"