Year: 1872

temperate letter on the views Of Mr.. Froude
and Father Burke on the question of Irish
independence. As might be inferred, he diff
fers from them and with them in all their
opinions germane to the issue, advocating
revolution as the only way by which the free
dom Of Ireland can be secured. Mr.. Rossa
goes further, and shows that neither the histo-
rian nor the priest has touched upon the in-
carceration Of the fifty-two political prisoners
now undergoing punishment in British
prisons for daring to strike blow for Ireland.
In oil this there is food for thought. In
spite of everything which the learned advo-
Gates Of England and Ireland have drawn
from the storeroom of Irish annals, they have
not reached the vital points at issue, and we
can only regard them as astute historians,
marshalling fact against fact and wrong
against wrong but never showing deep and
thorough political philosophy. This talk Of
the past is SO many idle Words calculated to
embitter sentiment and prejudice, but not to
lead to the discovery Of the healing herb
which the English historian came to America
to find. The failure Of the Greek repub-
lies does not prove that the present govern
ment in France must succumb to Imperialism
or absolutism. Roman degeneracy does not
make American degeneracy inevitable. Ire
lands past can have little bearing on Ireland s
future. II is pleasant enough to study history
with scholars like these, but history will not
make ill-matched couples happy or misgov-
koI
have had too much of the historical and too
little Of the practical Whether Pope Adrian
bull was genuine authority for English con-
quest makes little difference. The wars Of the
early Irish kings are matters equally unimpor-
tant. The aspersions or the defence Of the
United hishmen Of '98 cannot justify English
domination nor prove the proftableness Of
revolution. While it is at all times possible to
read q nations history in nations eyes his
tory proves nothing except the good or evil Of
the past. It is the present and the future
which concern us most. Mr.. Froude may
point to Irelands past to prove that Ireland is
not fit to be free; but even he is more liberal
than Father Burke, who finds that past full of
the proofs of Ireland's fitness for freedom, but
would deny to Ireland's children the sacred
right Of revolution. Throughout this contro-
versy there has been too much Of the
elimination and recrimination Of his
tory and too little generous and OPEN
handed discussion Of living issues. Mr.. Froude
is Protestant and Father Burke Catholic, and
both have somehow mixed their religion with
their sense Of Ireland's needs. Appealing to
Americans to arbitrate in this matter, they
should have remembered that with us religion
is personal right with which governments are
not to interfere. If they had given us less Of
history and less Of personal, and consequently
restrained, opinion, they might better have
shown us the actual condition Of Ireland and
they do this neither Of them will approve
himself o statesman who can point out the
proper policy for England to pursue with
her discontented Irish subjects. It was the
task of the statesman which they undertook,
and in this both Of them have failed in the
eyes of the American people. Mr.. Froude
will tonight reply to his assailants on the
question Of his accuracy as historian. There
is little doubt that he can sustain himself SO
far as the facts are concerned; but if he could
add to them an enunciation of principles
which would be just to Ireland and acceptable
to England it would be o greater triumph
even than the establishment Of his historical
accuracy.