IRISH INSURGENTS

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 12

IRISH INSURGENTS

AND IRISH IDEALS Patriots and Parliamentarians-Priests and Parsons (By "Odin O'Mel.") J

. ROBERT EMMET. "... .. I- have but one request to ask at, my departure from this world. It is the charity of its Bilence. ■ Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dare how vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them . and me rest m obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, and my memory m oblivion, until other times and other men can do justice to my character. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not ■ till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done." (Emmet's last words > from the dock.) Oh! breathe not his name, let it sleep m the shade, Where c*old and unhonored his relics are laid; Sad, silent and dark be the tears that | we shed, As the night-dew that falls on the grass o'er his head. But the night-dew that falls, though m silence it weeps, j Shall brighten with verdure the grave where he sleeps; And the tear that we shed, though m secret it rolls, Shall long keep his memory green m our souls. — Thomas Moore. Robert Emmet, "the darlin' of Erin," is Ireland's guiding spirit. Pure and romantic was his life; GRAND AND TRAGIC WAS HIS DEATH. True to liis dying behests, the faithful Irish people have raised no tomb nor monument nor tablet nor urn to his memory, and to this day his name re- [ mains uninscribed, treasured only m ' the hearts of tho people. . Such is the power of a martyr's wish, and . even j more strange still is the mystic power that can lure Irishmen at every favorable opportunity to follow m Emmet's footsteps the blood -red trail that, so far, has only ended under the gallows or before a platoon of soldiery m the barrack yard. Emmet was born m 1778. . His father was a doctor whose residence stands on the north side of St. Stephen's Green, that fatal green where just the other day a few hundred Sinn Felners dug trenches and fought to the last cartridge. His brother, Thomas Addis Emmet, had been associated with Wolf Tone and the United Irishmen. Hence it is easy to comprehend how young Robert learned to think nationally, when his big brother was so closely connected with the heroes of Ireland. Just, when Robert entered Trinity College the screw of coercion was being tightened upon the United Irishmen. Napper Tandy, with his green flag and his crowded meetings, was to feel the squeeze on his throat, and be driven with his friends to create a huge secret society. Just turn over the page of history and think of the days through which Emmet lived. He saw his country becoming strong and splendid under an unfettered Parliament, land he must have realised, as signs appeared m the political heavens, that THE DISTRUST OP FLOOD was soon to be more than justified. We find Emmet m Trinity College so true an irishman, and so brilliantly gifted and eloquent, that the best brains m the college were selected by ; the authorities and pitted against him i m open debate so that the stronghold of Queen Elizabeth might remain intellectually secure. The renowned author of the sweet I Irish melodies, Thomas Moore, had the j privilege of possessing Emmet's friendship, and he has served the purpose of a Boswell. Moore writes: "Were Ito number the men among all I have ever known who appeared to me to combine m the greatest degree pure moral worth with intellectual power, I should, among the highest of the few, place Robert Emmet Simple In all his habits, with a repose of look and manner indicating but little movement within, it was only when the spring was touched .that set his feelings, and through them hia Intellect, m motion, that he at all rose above the level of ordinary men. No two individuals, indeed, could be more unlike to each other than was tho samo. youth to himself before rising to speak and after. The brow that had appeared Inanimate and almost drooping, tit once elevated itself to all the consciousness of power, and the wholo countenance and figure of the speaker assuming a change as of on© suddenly Inspired." That was the superficial opinion of a superficial man, the sort of man whom Plato describes as finding satisfaction only m activity, which Is obvious. McGee. m his "History of Ireland," r«marks, with some truth, that Emmet would have been a more detail m Irish rebellions if it had not been for hla final speech (the famous speech from the dock). Many may agree with Buch an opinion, but it la not an opinion all tho same, for m that final great speech, Emmet summed up his whole life's work. Evon without tho speech, his life's work, rather fairly outlined m history, would have been understood and valued. In these our days of "Gorman Gold Bricks," _us Profeesor John MacNelU (now m gaol for life becauso lie- attempted to stay the Sinn Fein revolt!) has called them, It may be refreshing to remember that Emmet was called a pro-Frenchman. Consider him m this role. England, of course, was nearly at war with France, and Emmet, perhaps because ho was an Irishman, was called tho pro-Frenchman. Ho obtained an interview with NAPOLEON IN PEACE times, juat as Sir Edward Carson obtained an Interview with tho Emperor William of Germany oarly m 1914. Emmet w.io called a pro-Frenchman,

but not one individual m the British Empire had dared to call Carson a proGerman; indeed, despite his interview with the Kaiser and the big stock of German guns donated to the "Ulstermen" by the same monarchy which, by the way, the "Ulstermen" still possess, Sir Edward was "rewarded" by a seat m the Cabinet — actually m the sanctum of Britain's interests! Emmet learned from the great "Little Corporal" that war against England would soon be declared, and that an invasion of England would be attempted. Back to Ireland Emmet came and gathered together m the broken and helpless land what remained of the United Irishmen of 1798. He collected money, provided mpney himself, and obtained quite a large amount from a Dublin merchant named Long. With such moneys he purchased what military stores he could. He flitted about m disguises, established depots for the manufacture and storage of arms. And all this while, like the Sinn Felners of to-day, he made no move which escaped the eyes of the authorities. In this year of grace, with Home Rule about to be bestowed upon a dismembered and distracted Ireland, and John Redmond made Prime Minister with the help of British bayonets, the "loyal" volunteers of the same John Redmand never moved about without being " protected " fore and aft by those strange Irishmen, the Royal Irish Constabulary — Ireland's standing army of armed policemen since 1876. Poor Ireland! When will she be delivered from the Carsons, the Redmonds and the 13,000 "sneaks"? The revolt fixed for July 23, 1803, was defeated. In place of the multitude of armed men who were to assemble to the assault of Infamous Dublin Castle (that lived on to be abortively assaulted again m 191G — strange circumstance), only a few, somewhat less than a hundred, appeared. They were followed by the undisciplined rabble— the same rabble that takes advantage of all revolutionary upheavals. In a few minutes one of the crowd avenged himself on a judge (who happened to be passing at the time) and who had CONDEMNED HIS SON TO EXECUTION. The military appeared m due course, and the tragic farce ended. Emmet found himself just wnore— as an intelligent man — he was prepared to find himself, m the position of a victim and a fugitive, with blood hounds on his track. Like many of the leaders m the Sinn Fein revolt, he could have escaped, but he chose to remain and make the supreme sacrifice. Women were tortured that he might be found, and arrested at the home of Mrs. Palmer, at last. In one month's time, he was at Harold's Cross. Dublin. He was charged with High Treason at Green-street Courthouse, on September 19, 1803. And when the tragic farce of the trial was over he made his last appeal to his trampled nation to take the right track when the great day of its trial came. Do not be carried away by the mere details of Emmet's life. Look upon him as tho willing martyr he really was, who died that Ireland might live. (To be continued.)