786
AN GAODHAL.
can't have his way, at least United Ireland, that
could do so much for the Irish national ideal, does
little except discredit it, by holding up English
literature and English authors to admiration in its
brilliant editorials, that bristle with quotations
from Shakespeare, Milton, Byron and Tennyson.
All the three papers, United Ireland, the Free¬
man's Journal and the Nation, could very easily
give one column of Irish and its literal translation
in the next column in English. They could thus
preserve the beautiful folk lore and delicious Irish
songs that are so fast vanishing with much else
that was most beautiful in Ireland.
Not long ago some one proposed in the Nation
that the reports of the "suppressed branches” of
the League should be published in its columns in
Irish: of course no action was taken on the mat¬
ter. This prompts one to ask are the Parnellite
party and the National League opposed to the
preservation of the Irish language and literature,
and to the idea of distinctive Irish nationality?
But good signs are arising on the dark horizon
of Irish indifference. The people are beginning to
inquire whither have we been going? They are
even taking courage to speak out, and locate the
blame even when it falls on the heads of the clergy.
This is a great step in advance. No sooner has
Father Ulic Burke passed away than the people
begin to be conscious that this quiet Connacht
priest has done more for the life of the Irish na¬
tion than all the belauded politicians put together.
I append the following letter from the Dublin
Nation just arrived.
[The pith of the Nation letter, signed by "Eir¬
ionach,” is that the Irish "Are becoming every
year less and less Irish, less moral, less Catholic
less simple mindeed and religious, less poetical,
more selflsh and more materialized,” Ed]
I have to say about this noble letter, that I sub¬
scribe to every word written by the writer. I, too,
have lived a good while in Ireland, have traveled
considerably through it, and have had the best op¬
portunity for studying three generations of men and
women in Gaelic Connacht and in the mongrel
English Pale of South Leinster, and I can assert
with the late Fr. J. J. Murphy, the most brilliant
Irishman, perhaps, of the present century: “With
respect to every strong manly quality, and with resp¬
ect to their once most especial virtues, the Irish since
Emancipation have degenerated very far indeed."
I quote from memory. It is to be hoped that 'Eir¬
ionach” and others will follow up this matter in the
Irish papers, and that the speakers and writers who
represent the Irish ideal here in America will give
it the attention it deserves. The question of pre¬
serving and reviving the Irish language and liter¬
ature should be brought before the next Annual
Convention of the National League in this Coun¬
try,
JAMES KEEGAN.
No law should become operative in State, City
or Nation until after being submitted to the voters
at the ensuing election. This is Democracy, and
all violations thereof should be resisted — by force
if necessary. Then there would be no hole and corn¬
er treaties, no sumtuary legislation, no bills to per¬
petuate this one or that one in office, and no fear
of the bloodly revolution which the enactment of
such unauthorised measures invite and make justi¬
fiable. It is the sheerest hypocracy to pretend that
every politcian who gets into the legislature should
bind his constituents irrevocably. No, no.
We are indebted to Mr. Griffin, Lawrence, Mass
for the following Ossianic poem, who promises to
give the Gael a supply of them. It is said that Mr
Griffia has the largest collection of Irish manuscripts
in America.
Oisín agus Pádruig an so Shíos, Mar
Lenas.
P
A Oisín, is fada do shuan,
Éirigh suas agus éist na Psailm,
Do thréig do luith agus do raith,
Cia curtha Caith ar ghleo gharbh.
O
Do thréig mo luith is mo raith,
Ó nach mairion Caith ag Fionn.
A g-cléiribh ní bh-fuil mo spéis
Is ceolta dá n-deis ní bhinn liom.
P
Ní cualasa comh-maith do ceol,
Ó thúis an domhain mhóir gus niomh.
Atá tú arsadh, amh, ghlic, liath,
Cia dioghalta cliar ar chnuic.
Ó
Do dhioghlainse cliar air chnoc,
A Phádruic is olc do rún;
Is mairg duit do cháin mo chruith,
Is na fuair mé guith ar d-tús.
Cnudh dhreoil cnudh mo chuirp,
A bhac bheag do bhí ag Fionn,
An uair do sheineadh cuir & puirt.
Do bhíoch sé 'san g-cruit go binn.
Do chualasa ceol dob fheárr na bhur gceol
Ce mór do mholas tú an clair,
Sgaluigheacht lom is búirtheach laoidh
Is ceol do rinneach andord Fhoinn.
Blánuigh an ighnion óg,
Nach thug moide re fear faoi an ngréin,
Acht cnudh dhreoil agus iodh,
Och, a ariogh bo bhinne béal.
Dá ghadhar deug do bhí ag Fionn,
An uair do leigeach fá ghleann iad
Bo bhinne iad ná aithe ceoil,
Sa naghadh ó 'n Siuir amach.
Air na leanamhuinn.
No Language, no Nation !
