GOD AND OUR LAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVIII, Issue 12, 18 July 1890, Page 18

GOD AND OUR LAND.

— ♦ Maey A. Ford (Una). God and our land I be the watchwords of Erin When from the blackneßs of slavery's night Sunward she soareth, her green banner bearing Over the heroes who strive for her right ; Hurling tbe force of the black-hearted stranger Back, as the blue waves are hurled from her strand. Shame on the craven who, dreaming of danger, Shrinks from the standard of God and our land I Bright as the sun on the page of her story Ever shall shine the proud names of tbe brave Spirits who struggle or die for her glory — Ages shall bless them when cold in the grave. Oh 1 when she calleth let none fail or falter, Shoulder to shoulder as true brothers stand, Striving for freedom, for home and for altar, Led by the watchword of God and our land I Only one moment to see her victorious Well would repay all the toil of a life ; What is existence blank, hopeless, inglorious ? Better, far better to fall in the Btrife. Dream not of reßt till your fetters are riven, Till as a nation our country shall siand ; On through your foemen to freedom or heaven, Led by the standard of God and our land I — New York Freeman's Journal.

Edgerton, Kansas, is again under masculine rule as a result of a new election held this week to fill the places of the female officials who resigned. The new officers are mostly husbands of the retiring officials. Our esteemed contemporary, the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette, haa the following impressive word to say upon the prevalence of crime among city children, and its probable causes :—": — " When boys of eight years of age belong to regularly organised gangs of housebreakers, it would seem that there must be some reason for this youthful depravity. It may be found, we believe, in the Bensational literature, which makes heroes of burglars and highwaymen, that youngsters devour wiih such avidity. There ought to be a law I passed by the Legislature for the immediate suppression of all such demoralising trash. It may not be classed under the head of obscene \ matter, but it is quite as destructive to morality." It gives us {Dublin Freeman, May 3) pleasure to-day to be the medium of announcing that Mr. William O'Brien, M.P., is engaged to be married. Speaking for the Irish people, as we may do without hesitation upon this occasion, need we say with what heartiness we congratulate William O'Brien ? Daring all those years, while he has been battling and Buffering for tneir cause he haa been totally without family tie. All who know Miss Raffalovich well (and they are many) , declare that to the rarest intellectual gifts, and to the sympathies the ' most generous and intense, she unites a nature so sweet, bo gentle and ao modest that it wiDS almost more by its timidity than by its strength. She has long been an ardent sympathiser with the Irish I cause, and has even rendered it valuable help. Possessing literary capacities of a high order, she has for sevenl years past contributed to Continental newspapers, and periodicals articles on Ireland, displaying the most minute and accurate knowledge of phases of the struggle in every stage of its progress, and these articles have been amongst the most potent influences in producing that state of opinion a in favour of the Irish cause which now exis's amongst the Press and s public men of France and other European countries. Our readers - will particularly appreciate the efforts of Miss Raffalovich when we 3 mention that it was largely with her help and that of her mother — c who is no less ardent a friend of Ireland than she — that Mr. E. i- Dwyer Gray was able to procure the remarkable expressions of g opinion of eminent Frenchmen against the treatment of Irish d political prisoners which were published for the first time in the Freeman's Journal, and afterwards in Mr. Gray's pamphlet,