AN GAODHAL.
295
"A nation which allows her language to go to ruin, is
parting with the best half of the intellectual independence,
and testifies to her willingness to cease to exist." — ARCH¬
BISHOP TRENCH.
"The Green Isle contained for more centuries than one.
more learning than could have been collected from the rest
of Europe ... It is not thus rash to say that the Irish
possess contemporary histories of their country, written in
the language of the people, from the fifth century. No
other nation of modern Europe is able to make a similar
boast." — SPALDING's ENGLISH LITERATURE, APPLETON & CO.,
NEW YORK.
Who are the Scotch? A tribe of Irish Scots who crossed
over in the 6th century, overcame the natives, and gave
their name to the country. — J. CORNWELL, PH.D., F. R. S.'s
Scotch History.
The Saxons ruled in England from the 5th century and
were so rude that they had no written language until the
14th, when the Franco-Normans formulated the English. —
SPALDING.
A monthly Journal devoted to the Cultivation
and Preservation of the Irish Language and
the autonomy of the Irish Nation.
Published at 814 Pacific st., Brooklyn, N. Y.
M. J. LOGAN, Editor and Proprietor
Terms of Subscription — a a year to student, 60
cents to the public, in advance ; $1. in arrears.
Terms of Advertising — 20 cents a line, Agate.
Entered at the Brooklyn P. O. as 2nd-class matter
Twelth Year of Publication.
VOL 10, No. 1. JULY. 1893.
Remember that the First Irish Book is given free
of charge to every new subscriber.
Subscribers will please remember that subscrip¬
tions are due in advance.
On entering on this, its Tenth Volume, THE
GÆL affectionately greets its kindred all over the
world, with a buoyant hope for the future — a hope
the realization of which should ever be the con¬
trolling sentiment in every Irishman's heart.
At the suggestion of a sincere friend to the cause
we placed the harp and shamrock on the title page
that the Irish way-farer may know what's within ;
also, the house-dog to watch over and protect it.
In response to a continuous call for a Table of
Contents, we have commenced it from where we
ceased, and shall continue to the end of Vol. 9.
One of the Tory amendments to the Home Rule
bill the other day was to prevent the teaching of
the Irish language in the public schools, but was
negatived without a division, thanks to our Welsh
and Scotch friends. Is not every Irishman who
fails or neglects to support the Gaelic movement
an abettor of the Tory effort? for "He who is not
with it is against it" Gentlemen, you, of what is
sarcastically called the Irish-American Press,
could do much to advance the Gaelic cause by a¬
gitating it in your journals; and when you fail to
do so, Are you not virtually aiding the enemies
of Ireland? We send you all a copy of this issue
and request an answer to the foregoing interroga¬
tory. Read the story of the Irish (?) priest at
Bonn, on page 299. — a National degradation!
NO EXAGGERATION.
An old subscriber brings us to task for exagge¬
rating the progress of the language at home and
the part the hierarchy are taking in its revival.
We deny that we have exaggerated in any par¬
ticular on what we touched upon. We stated that
the language had been taught in about 60 schools.
The Report of the Dublin Society states that the
language had been taught in 50 of the National
schools, and the number of pupils from the Inter¬
mediate and Christian Brothers' schools who pas¬
sed would indicate that it was taught in, at least,
15 of them — thus, making 65 in all. Then we did
not exaggerate there. We did state that a large
number of the clergy, and some of the bishops
were taking a lively interest in the Gaelic move¬
ment, and, as a proof of that assertion, we would
point to the fact that priests are the managers of
the National schools in which the language is be¬
ing taught. But if our correspondent look over
the Gael to the end he will not find a line stating
that the bishops, as a body, took any interest in
the preservation of the language. But he will find
the reverse to be the fact.
Our correspondent states that from his reading
of the Aryan Origin he is satisfied the Catholic
hierarchy were averse to the cultivation and pres¬
ervation of the Irish language, for, constituting
the Board of Management of Maynooth college,
they would not entertain a resolution obliging en¬
tering students to possess a knowledge of the Irish
language."
We have read the Aryan Origin, and at the time
to which our correspondent undoubtedly refers,
Archbishop McHale was a member of the Board of
Management, and the object of Canon Bourke and
the other patriotic priests in the presentation and
adoption of the resolution was, that it would com¬
pel the subordinate colleges to teach the language
to their pupils so as to quality them for entering
Maynooth. Of course, this would be the life of the
nation, but the English influence represented in
the person and following of Card. Cullen was too
strong for the patriots. But there were then, as
there are today, priests and bishops as patriotic
as ever lived.
Our correspondent further states that the object
of the Cullenite party was to starve Irish Nationa¬
lity out of existence the same as if you plunged
a dagger into an ox's throat and let him bleed to
death."
If our correspondent told us of anything new
we would be much obliged to him. Though not
in the same words, the Gael has repeatedly given
expression to the same thing. But what is our
correspondent doing? He resides in a large city
and has been receiving the Gael for the last eight
years (and has, certainly, paid his 60 cents a year
for it) but yet he has not secured one additional
subscriber to it during that time; nor has he, to
our knowledge, turned on his heels to do or assist
in the doing. of any other thing to remind those
responsible in Ireland that they were acting
in a manner tending to alienate the tender affection
with which the genuine Irishman all over the
world ever remembered his beloved Eire a ruin.
We here assert, and we do so from an intimate
knowledge of the fact, that the fire of Irish anton¬
omy burns as fiercely in the hearts of Irish bish¬
ops and priests today as it ever did in the breast
of a McHale, a Bourke a Murphy, a Clinch, or a
Roche. But what are our croakers doing? Will
