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IRISH INSURGENTS

And Irish ideals Patriots and ParliamentariansPriests and Parsons No. 3— (By "Odin O'Mol.") John Mitchel-— Continued. Mitchel made his escape from the Tasmanian prison to America, m ISSS, and from that time until 1574, the year before his death, he lived under the stars and stripes, with the exception of two lengthy periods which he spent m Paris. ,-. Strange to relate, when the American civil war broke out, m 1861, he took sides with the south, giving several sons to the cause which he thought was just This was the one grave error ,of his life, for FEWwLOVERS. OF FREEDOM to-day can sympathise with the cause for which tho south fought. Meanwhile, things were happening m unhappy . Erin, The famine had passed over the . hapless land like a scourge of God; as if the wretched land and people had not been scourged enough, leaving m- its wake a famished and deserted land and a broken people. But fromiout the ashes of the past a light was raising dim hopes m the hearts? of an eyer- hopeful pebple---a light that since then not ones has died out. It was the flame, of Feniantsm of the 601s and ?o's. Republicanism had taken a final grip, and inahese. days-it is the great hope of Irish people, no matter what, politician,? priest and parson may say to the contrary. Many of the. politicians are avowedly republican, and so are the younger priests and those of the bishops. But this was' not the case m the 60's and 70's, for then the priests to a man were the active agents of the castle m stamping out the 1.R.8., the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Unfortunately* they succeeded, but only as regards Ireland, for the society merely shifted to America. Fenlanism has never died and is now stronger than ever, Even m Australia and New Zealand there are to-day several active Fenians of the American connection. Mitchel became the financial agent of the Fenians, and m such a capacity ho found himself in /Paris, as already referred to. But Fenianism was only beginning, and, like every thing else at the start, there were many divisions m the camp until the road was plainly denned and the goal made clear. It was, however, easier to see the goaj, Just as is the case to-day, than to find the road. There are manr roads leading to tha same goal, but there is only one road BWiftor and surer than all the rest ; THE CHURCH AND THE CASTLB beat Fenianlam at ita-lnception practically, and Mitchel found himself m America again, where he continued to eke out an existence by editing several Irish papers. But the average Irishman and woman were not then a reading people, and besides, Mitchel found himsolf hampered by the hostility of the Church; ho could not get a solitary advertisement for bis papers. In 1874 ho was invited to stand for election as member for Parliament for Cork. Ho went across and was beaten, tho Church, as usual, compassing his defeat. But if the clergy had the men of Cork by the wool andUhe trousers,' they did not succeed with the men o£ Tipperary. In spite of priest and parson and Castle-lock, ho was asked toy :TJpparary/'Knrt he stood. Ho had a splendid win, tho town ofc Tipperary alone giving him such a vote as to make his election absolutely sure. Being still by British law an unpardoned felon, as the clergy had failed to squolch him, the Government took alarm at the victory, and immediate steps were taken to annul his election. The strain of *the campaign had been too much for Mitchel, for ho was then very weak m body, andwhile the Government was passing its Bill, the soul of John Mltchct pushed out of its earthly case. Ho died In his sister's arms m the old home at Doomoluue. But he died with a smile, for tho faithful Irish people had been truo to him. Pie had had a pyrrhic victory, but a victory all tho oamo. It signified that Feulanlam was the hope of the people, and that tho Fenian was tho only true Irish soldier. Nobody Rince Swift has excelled Mitchel m biting sarcasm. A rarer quality is characteristic or Mltchel's writings, his abiiolute earnestness and aincority. I strongly recommend the following three books by Mitchel to ■ every v thoughtful, earnest roader: Tho "JaU : Journul," "I/ihl Conquest of Ireland—, Perhaps," and "History of Ireland." Tho friend of frmjdom or nuulcnt of history who haw not read theao thrua works haa no particle of right whatever to write one scrap about Ire-" land, or, to say (hut he knows Ireland. You will not find the books m tho public library or the Catholic Club, but they arc procurable; fo secure thorn if you can.* His "Jail Journal" is n mn.storpicce, and hiiH no poor In Irish literature, unil no poor at nil In any literature rotating to prison life. Hl« history of Ireland Is TUB hintory, and bi worth reading alone for its vigorous stylo ami ehuJuleal English. Tho atmosphere that produced men of tho Mitchel stamp is worth penetrating. In '40, the population of Ireland had grown to nearly y. 000,000, In '47. THE TEURIBLE FAMINK CAME. Three years aftor the fnmlno tlu» population was reduced to 0.G00.000. stu-, li^tlau clearly mliow (tint during the* famine Ireland was flipping to England 'sufficient food to feed 15.000.000 people! Th« Government of England then sent the famine, for it suit by and allowed the unfortunate Irish to eat grass and nettles by tho wayside, whllo Khipfl were leaving Ireland'^ shores loaded to the limit of their capacity with foodstuffs. They Ju*t died by tho thousands, bo that it wa» tmpoßßlblo to find cofflnti for all., and cofllna with hingoa made their appear-, anco to do tf»o work more expoUUloualy. Then boßnn tho Irish exodkm. to which the history of Christian ng*« offer* no parable; Unit exoriua which ha* not y«'t ceased. To-day Ireland claim* n population of it inlxcrubta 4.QOO.O00; while Belgium, which In only the »!»« of Munater— ©no of Jr<>}a»<i'« four province*— prior to the present awful war, had a population of <>v«r 7,000.000. and a ittartdlng army, un «*fllol«nt little navy, v Parliament, ami klh« to hoot. "The Celts nro «oln« with .'» viMiKOrtnen," mild Out "Tlnu-n;" find the "Saturday Hcvlcw" In 1S«, : comment Ihb on ii leuur written t<r Gltidaion? by t»<» "lion or Hi. .i«rlaUi»«,?; John MeHftl«\ of Tmun, <k|»l<»HiiK th« departure of the very bone sutd nlnewY of (he nation, itnld, "Ireland f» boiling over and ihe «cum flow,* aaw« tho Atlantic, »nd ihe mou> the Ar«hbi«hup ami U>e like of him blow at the ftr« ihe more the ncmn will boU nv«<r."

(To bo Cominueti.)

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19160812.2.49

Bibliographic details

NZ Truth, Issue 582, 12 August 1916, Page 6

Word Count
1,128

IRISH INSURGENTS NZ Truth, Issue 582, 12 August 1916, Page 6

IRISH INSURGENTS NZ Truth, Issue 582, 12 August 1916, Page 6

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