AN GAOḊAL
309
The most interesting paper coming to our desk
is the Mac Talla of Sydney. Every Gael should get
it.
Some friends think that the Gael is too hard on
our Scotch brethren. No, friends; you don't read
the Gael aright; we claim them as our flesh and
blood, and we are not one to befoul our own nest.
Our warmest friends in America are Highland Scots.
The national debts of Great Britain and France
combined exceed by two billions seven hundred
millions all the gold in the world. Why, then, the
Shylock's talk of an "honest dollar"?
Our national debt is nine hundred million dollars.
When that debt was contracted it was to be paid in
silver or gold, the ratio of silver being 16 to 1 of
gold. Now the Shylocks want to depreciate silver
thus increasing our debt by the amount of the de¬
preciation. Thus, depreciate silver one-fourth and
you increase the national debt to 1,200,000,000 00.
These Shylocks buy up the press of both parties
to further their schemes. But the people should see
to it that they get their pound of flesh when it will
be due, but not one drop of blood!
These confidence men seek to impress on the dis¬
turbed public mind that the silver issue is the cause
of the panic, when they know well that it is owing
to the manufacturing outlook, as the closing of File
& Jones' factory here in Brooklyn a few days ago
demonstrates. All the manufactures of the country
are run on credit. The above Firm, as usual, went
to the bank to renew its bond. The banker asked
for the security.
"The business, as usual," replied the Firm.
"The Tariff issue," replied the banker, "has un¬
settled business; and unless you can reduce expen¬
ses we cannot extend the loan.“ The factory closed
and its four hundred hands were thrown out of em¬
ployment, and the bank, losing the Firm's bonds,
which were as good as gold, as assets, shut up also.
That is the cause of the business depression.
If the House of Lords refuse to pass the Home
Rule bill the Clann-na-Gaels should dispatch e¬
missaries to India to organize an insurrection in
that country. One or two hundred smart, pa¬
triotic, intelligent men, versed in the Indian lan
guage (which they could be in twelve months),
would upset British Rule in India within half a
dozen years, for her ships are no longer invested
with the power of creating such awe as they had
been. The sinking of the Victoria by the compa¬
ratively slight collision with the Camperdown
is a conclusive proof that a few strongly construc¬
ted fast-sailing, steel-prowed rams would clear the
ocean of the British "big nothings." Hence, this
being done in India, she could not hold the coun¬
try three months. Ireland is too near England to
operate successfully there. But if Home Rule be¬
refused, the most effective scientific agency should
be employed to enforce it. Some time ago British
war ships bombarded Alexandria in the interests
of her shylocks, and the Irishman who would ob¬
ject to bombarding her cities to obtain Irish inde¬
pendence, should be bombarded himself. We are
no fanatic; we would not expect England to per¬
mit Ireland (nor would we desire her) to become a
stepping-stone to other powers to assail her. But
we would stop at no means to regain our own — Is
that in any sense fanatical?
The following beautifully pathetic Gaelic lamen¬
tation was sent to us, among others, by Miss Jessie
McIntyre of Grove Park, Kent, England. It is a
question if there be a more beautiful or a more sen¬
timental song in the language, Scotch or Irish.
Miss McIntyre is a lady of excellent parts, and
an enthusiastic Highland Gaidheal. Miss McIntyre
took a prominent part in the exercises at the reun¬
ion of the Comann Gaidhealach, at Oban, last Sep¬
tember.
An Gaideal air Leaba Bais.
Fad air faebh bho thir nan ard-bheann
Tha mi m fhograch an tir chein,
Am measg choigreach s fad o m chair¬
[dian,
Tha mi m laidhe an so leam fein;
Tha mo chridhe briste, bruite¬
Saighead bais a nis am chom;
An uine gearr mo shuil bidh duinte,
S aig a bhas mi m chadal trom.
S tric ag eirigh suas am chuimhne,
Albainn aillidh, tir nam beann;
Chi mi sud an leanag uaine —
A's am botham anns a ghleann;
Tha gach ni fo bhlath gu h uraidh —
Aig an allt tha cronan fann,
Air a ghaoith tha faile cubhraidh,
Tighinn bo fhlurain nach eil gann.
S ann a sud a fhuair mi m  arach,
S mi neolochdach mar na h-uain
Ach s lom a dh fhagadh nis an larach,
Bho n a sheol mi thar a chuain;
Thar leam gun cluinn mi guth na smeo¬
[rach
Seinn gu ceolar feadh nan crann,
S oran binn nan uiseag boidheach,
Ard s na speuran os mo cheann.
Chi mi chill aig bun a bhruthaich,
Taobh an uillt tha ruith gu lughr,
S tric a bha mi sud gu dubhach,
Caoidh na cairdean tha fo n uir;
Mo mhatair s m'athair than n an sin¬
[iadh
N cadal siorruidh anns an uaigh,
S chaidh mo chopan searbh a lionadh,
N uair a d fhag mi n sin mo luaidh.
Nis cha leir dhomh tir nam ard-bheann,
Air mo shuil tha ceo air fas,
Am measg choigreach s fad o m chair¬
dian,
Tha mi feitheamh air a bhas;
Thu-sa, spioraid bhochd, than daor-sa,
Ach cha-n fhada bhios tu ann —
Thig, a bhais, as thoir dhomh saorsa —
Beannachd leat, a thir nam beann!
