402
AN GAODHAL.
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.
On Wednesday Aug. 13th the second Irishman
National Convention opened its proceedings in
the historic Faneuil Hall of Boston. It was a
memorable convention of Irish talent. The con¬
vention passed resolutions recommending the eff¬
orts which are being made towards the preserva¬
tion of the Irish language. Will the members of
the Convention do anything for it but a mere show
of words? We fear not.
As soon as it became known that Messrs. Sexton
and Redmond were to visit this country, the Gael¬
ic Societies of New York and Brooklyn determined
to avail themselves of the opportunity to do some¬
thing substantial for the Gaelic cause. With this
idea in view, they counselled with each other, and
came to the conclusion of giving a reception to Mr.
Sexton and of sending the proceeds to the Gaelic
Journal in Dublin but, we are sorry to say, were
sadly disappointed. When the Council of the Na¬
tional League discovered the intentions of the Phi¬
lo-Celts, they barred them by announcing that Mr.
Sexton was to lecture for them in Chickering Hall
on Friday, Aug. 29th. So that is the manner in
which the League has acted towards the language
movement not withstanding the recommendation
in the platform. If the League permitted Mr. Sex¬
ton to lecture under the auspices of the Gaelic
Societies it is possible that the Gaelic Union would
be $1,000 the better of it, and that Mr. Sexton
would escape the mortification of seeing himself
deliver his maiden lecture in America to the tune
of 25 cts. a ticket. Under the circumstances, the
Gaels could fill any hall in New York at 50 cents
ticket. The truth of the matter is, the majority
of Irishmen ignorant of their language have no
sympathy with the movement. They are too ig¬
norant to be able to perceive the false position in
which they are placed, shouting patriotism in the
language of the slave — aye, slaves they are, and
slaves they deserve to be.
Some of those will say, "Oh, it is only the low
Irish who speak the language. Two hundred
years ago no Irish person spoke English as a lan¬
guage. How then was it introduced into the
country? In this manner — When the English
took possession they introduced it in the law courts
etc. The English officials employed Irish ser¬
vants, end these servants learned the English lan¬
guage. When those Irish servants intermarried
their masters put their children to the chartered
schools and educated them, and to spite the native
Irish aristocracy, they got them into the legal pro¬
fessions. So nearly all our shody aristocracy of
today are the descendants of the big-house menials
and scullions. Why, a farmer's son or daughter
seen speaking to one of these scullions would be
shunned by their neighbor. But, course of time
and the persecution which brought the farmers
to poverty, changed matters and broke the pridal
bone in the old residents.
Now the Irishman who says that his father and
mother etc. did not know Irish — and some do say
so with a kind of an implied boast of social superior¬
ity — proclaim to the world his own lowly origin,
and instead of being high Irish, is the offspring
of the menials referred to, or of those traitors, who
for personal gains, are to be found in all countries
whenever a national crisis is at hand — the Bene¬
dict Arnolds of all lands. The patriot of no coun¬
try will conform to the conqueror's sway. Let,
then, our fellow-countrymen, who are imbued with
real patriotic impulses, preserve their identity,
which is the preservation of their language. Let
them throw Gaelic literarure broadcast among their
countrymen, and though some of it may fall on
barren ground yet a part will find congenial soil
where it will root and fructify and spread itself,
until the tares in its midst shall be overshadowed
by the luxuriance of its foliage.
San Juan, Argentine Republic
July 13th, 1884.
M. J. Logan Esq.
814 Pacific St. Brooklyn. N. Y.
Dear Sir. You will find enclosed draft drawn
in your favor by the London and River Platte Bank
Buenos Ayres against the London and River Plate
Bank 52 Morgate St. London, for one pound Stg.,
for which you will please send me one copy of the
Gael for two years and out of the balance as far as
it will reach, send copies to some deserving per¬
sons in Ireland whom you know will forward the
movement for the cultivation of the dear tongue of
Erin — sending one to Limerick and one to Gal¬
way. I have been receiving your paper through
a Buenos Ayres bookseller since the 7th No. of the
Ist vol. I tried to have it from the beginning, but
I suppose the previous numbers were out of print
My reason for taking it is because it is Gaelic,
as I think anyone who acknowledges himself to
be Irish, should endeavor to preserve and cultivate
the only thing national we have left, apart from
our music. If we do not try to do all in our pow¬
er to impede its decay and disappearance we de¬
serve to be looked upon as one of the meanest ra¬
ces on the globe. I do not believe that in anoth¬
er people among civilized nations you will find
such a want of honest pride as among us. We
talk about nationality — Why there's a thousand
times more of it among the Welsh than our spout¬
ing politicians have an idea of. They have news
papers published wholly in Welsh, not partly, as
we still have in Gaelic for want of proper support.
Even down in Patagonia, a few hundred members
of a Welsh colony on the River Chupert have a
paper in their own language called the Breniad.
Match that if you can, even in Ireland, the home
of the Gael — or the scanty help given to the Gael¬
ic Journal cannot be compared to it. This state of
things is enough to make every honest Irishman's
cheeks tingle with shame.
I notice that most of our contributors send verse
for publication. Would it not be easier to send
prose or at least a larger share of it. The Times
said in article quoted in the Ist No of the Gaelic
Journal, that "Gaelic does not express modern
Irish wants and ideas." The translation and pub¬
lication of newspaper articles in idiomatic Gaelic
prose would perhaps prove that this is false.
Yours truly
John M. Tierney.
