186
AN GAODHAL.
THE DUBLIN POLITICAL PRISONERS.
If Cavendish and Burke were killed by Irish na¬
tionalists, is it murder? Were all the men killed
by the Union soldiers, during the late Rebell¬
Ion, murders? Were all the men killed during the
war of the successful Rebellion of 1776 &c., mur¬
ders? And, finally, were all the men killed by the
English in the late invasion of Egypt, murders?
These interrogatories have been suggested by the
tone of a certain newspaper published in this city
towards the prisoners now charged with the kill¬
ing of the English officials in Dublin. It is a fact
that Ireland has been at war with England (tho'
for so far unsuccessful) since the latter invaded
her shores. Is it unnatural ? It is also a fact
that Ireland has her army actively engaged in
making preparations to strike an open blow when
an opportunity presents itself — we have this in¬
formation from the English themselves. It is also
true that the Irish made a treaty of peace with
England by what is known as "The Treaty of Lim-
erick". It is equally true that the English viola¬
ted that treaty and, therefore, by such violation,
absolved the Irish from its observance. Then the
interesting question arises, has that state of war¬
fare continued to this day, and if it has and that
these men were killed as one of the consequences,
is it murder? If the army of Ireland be compelled
by the power and numerical strength of her inva¬
ders to remain incognito, does that entitle it the
less to belligerent rights or consideration? Is
the Irish Nation justified in pursuing this state of
warfare? And if not what war in the history of
the world was justifiable ?
We would like a reply to these interrogatories.
Hartington, an English official, declares that the
Irish will get no Home Rule, and this is what an¬
another Englishman, Mr. Redpath, in his Weekly,
says on that head. —
"Home Rule would never be permitted in Ire¬
land!" What, never? If this is the final decis¬
ion of England, palsied be the Irish tongue that
ever again denounces any, even the reddest form
of resistance to England. This statement of Harti¬
gan is a declaration of war. England has grant¬
ed Home Rule to over thirty Colonies and Provin¬
ces, and if se refuse it to Ireland, the Irish would
be justified in laying every English city to ashes."
The newspaper to which we refer above, and
whose mildest epithet towards the prisoners only
charged with the killing of Cavendish and Burke
is, brutal murderers, is edited by an Irishman, and
if we be rightly informed, owned principally by I¬
rishmen. Now, if the public prints be credited
these men hold high places in Irish social organ¬
izations, and have stepped from the gutter to
wealth and opulence on the shoulders of Irishmen.
But now that they are financially independent,
and thinking that they cannot satiate their shoddy
aspirations "till they learn to betray," they pan¬
der to the pro-English prejudice of an effete oligar¬
chy who presume to rule and to claim this coun¬
try as their own.
These renegades will write so as to court the
favor of the aforesaid coterie, as if the Irish ele¬
ment were allowed to live here on mere suffer¬
ance. The Irish-American element is the bone
and sinew of this land. They have fought and won
not only the battles of the country but their own
freedom from civil and political ostracism. It is
within the memory of men not yet old that in the
city of Boston Irishmen had to fight for their lives
against this fanatical coterie, and yet it has come
to pass that an Irishman is the chief executive of
the country, and that an Irishwoman, his sister,
Mrs. Elroy, presides at, and graces the festivi¬
ties of the executive mansion, and so sure as
night gives place to day the English and their
renegade allies are sowing the seed which will
produce the crop of dragon's teeth destined to
tear the British Lion to shreds, and that in the
near future, and in spite of all their exertions to
prevent it. In a recent issue of this same paper,
commenting on the Bradlaugh Demonstration in
London, it said that the crowd was mostly compos¬
ed of Italian organ grinders and Hibernian shoe¬
blacks. This sneer at the Italians and Irish
was interjected as a seasoning of the supper dish
for the delectation of pro-English appetites. Why
not particularize any other nationality?
When will Irishmen come to realize the nature
and intentions of these insulting insinuations!
"Italian organgrinder, and Hibernian shoeblack.“
Ireland may well despair of attaining her auton¬
omy when a large portion of her sons are dead to
all sense of manliness, and only laugh at the degra¬
ding remarks applied to them instead of resenting
them, and that in a sensible, telling manner.
Now, we would go as far as they in reprobating
crime — we abhor crime — but we cannot act the
bully who strikes a helpless antagonist. Howev¬
er, there is one consolation to be derived from the
sad reflection that Irishmen would be found to
prostitute the talents proverbial of their country
(the insinuation that they are only fitted to black-
en shoes to the contrary notwithstanding)
in the service of its enemies, that those who do so
are of the McMorough standard.
Considerable typographical errors appear in the
GAEL from time to time owing to hurry in getting
it out. For instance, in the heading of a letter
some time ago we maed Mr Walsh say
Míle ocht g-ceud 'deug' dó agus ceir¬
e fichid instead of míle ocht g-ceud dó a¬
gus ceire fichid. We made "Pádraic"
say in his last letter suar for fuar &c.
Also in Mr McCosker's letter there were some
typographical errors.
The reader will see that such instances, espe¬
cially in simple well known words and expressions,
must be the printer's fault, not otherwise. But
