8
AN GAODHAL.
red, then it becomes of public concern
Hence our notice in the last Gael
of a convention of "Scotch-Irish" which
was held in Pittsburg, Pa some time
ago.
What was the purpose of that con¬
vention? It was to help the Gotho-
Saxon to perpetuate his savage rule o¬
ver their Irish Catholic brethren. We
say "savage rule" because we are jus¬
tified in using the term by their own
historian, Spalding, from whom we
quoted last month, who says —
"We do not look with much hope for literary cul¬
tivation among the Anglo-Saxons,"
and at that very time, he asserts that
"The Green Isle possessed a larger amount of
learning than all that could have been collected
from the rest of Europe."
What has impelled the "Scotch-
Irish," then, to ally themselves with
that people from whom no literary
cultivation could be hoped and there¬
fore, could not impart it to others — a¬
gainst their Irish brethren who poss¬
essed more learning than all the rest
of Europe combined? The answer is,
religious fanaticism. — And, by the way,
to whom ought the inquirer after reli¬
gion apply for intellectual guidance,
the ignorant, intractable Goth or the
learned, cultivated Celt ?
When, we ask our "Scotch-Irish"
brethren, did the mental capabilities
of THE Irish become so deteriorated
as to have forfeited their right to their
acknowledged superiority over ALL
the other peoples of Europe ?
The unprejudice mind, though, is
apt to come to the conclusion that
their close association with the intrac¬
table, uncultivated Goth has impaired
the mental faculty of our "Scotch Ir¬
ish" brethren; and the fact that they
permit themselves to be used as pawns
by him to crush their kith and kin, is
conclusive evidence thereof.
"Scotch-Irish" brethren, blood is
thicker than water. Join your Irish
friend to preserve your identity, your
language. He does not presume to dic¬
tate to you your mode of preparing
for the next world. That does not con¬
cern him, nor does his concern you, —
Free thought in that regard is the al¬
pha and omega of your new alliance,
and, to be consistent, you ought to ex¬
tend the same privilege to him. And
if you think his old mode is wrong,
pity and assist him rather than join
his and your enemy to crush him.
Mr. John Fleming, editor of the
Gaelic Journal, desires those subscrib¬
ers who have not received the journal
regularly to communicate with him at
33 South Frederick st., Dublin. Mr.
Fleming also states that the Journal
is on its legs again — an announcement
which should be hailed with enthusi¬
asm by every selfrespecting Irishman,
but the fact that the life of the Jour¬
nal was ever in jeopardy is conclusive
evidence that there are very few such
now-a-days.
Irishmen spend hundreds of dollars
in the pursuit of transitory pleasure
and not a red cent to help to preserve
their nationality and we have heard
of Irish women lately who have squan¬
dered thousands of dollars in London
feasting the dregs of aristocratic dissi¬
pation — the author of "The Grecian
Bend," and who would not contribute
a penny to help to preserve the auton¬
omy of their unfortunate country — ren¬
dered doubly unfortunate by being
the mother of such !
A few months ago the Rev. Father Hand sug¬
gested the necessity of founding an Irish-Ameri¬
can historical society for the purpose of collecting,
preserving and publishing the records of the part
which the element has played in the accomplish¬
ment of American freedom, and other matters re¬
lating to national progress.
That matter is now under consideration by Mr.
M'Cosker and the other gentlemen mentioned in
the June Gael. We hope these gentlemen will
organize without delay and give themselves some
name, and we think a more appropriate name than
the "Gaelic League" could not be adopted as it
covers that portion of the trace whose mother
tongue is the Gaelic Language. 'Celtic' would not
be so appropriate because that name is applicable
to the French, Spaniards and Italians as well as
to the Irish and Scotch. We hope, also, their pros¬
pectus will include the whole range of Gaelic and
other literature relating to the race at home and
abroad.
