NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 24 October 1918, Page 26

NOTES

What is Orangeism ? A definition of the sacred society which first taught the world how to sing a hymn of hate is beyond us. However we gladly borrow one from the Triad; and we invite our readers to notice that the Triad defines with full consciousness of its dignity:— "The Triad writes carefully, and with a considered sense of responsibility. It is impartial, now as always. And it can but state its sincere conviction that Ulster Orangeism is a cancerous and accursed growth in the otherwise sound body of the Empire. Orangeism is always an intrigue, and a nefarious intrigue, it is a vile prostitution of the name of Christ to the most sordid ends of party politics and sectarian rancor. It is a flinging of Stiggins into the face of God." That is almost as unkind as the remark made by the Pall Mall Gazette some years ago to the effect that the Orangemen had enough to do to set their own moral house in order without giving so much attention to Imperial politics. Our Anglo-American Brethren Now and then we have had to rub our eyes on seeing in our New Zealand dailies references to "our Anglo-American brethren" and statements to the effect that the people of the United States were of the great and unspeakable race of Britons. We can stand a lot of nonsensical talk of that sort, but we expect a little grain of common-sense even from the editors of our dailies. What is the truth of the matter? Between 1825 and 1909 Austria-Hungary sent 2,918,064 immigrants into the United States Germany sent 5,358,284; Ireland sent 4,193,780 (or rather England's tyranny drove them out of Ireland) ; and England sent 3,042,785. Consequently unless the editors are prepared to claim kinship on the strength of the numbers sent by our "cousins" in Central Europe it is difficult to understand how England's own little quota can warrant even the editor of a daily paper in speaking of the United States as the home of the English race overseas. Yet, just as English writers speak of Irish

soldiers and sailors, as British and throw the folds of the Union Jack over whatever prestige is due to the Irish, they also persuade themselves that the 4,193,780 exiles from Erin, with the hatred of tyranny and oppression suffered under that same Union Jack burned into their souls, were also Anglo-Saxons. Ono never knows what they will claim. Nabocklish. Dean Swift It is a pity the Dean is not with us nowadays. What would he say of the present Government of Ireland, which has eclipsed in stupidity all other Governments ? What pages of sarcasm we would have could he but witness Lloyd George's acrobatic tricks and his broken pledges? How the suppression of the Gaelic League by a Government which afterwards admitted that it did not know what the Gaelic League is would inspire him ! Once upon a time he gravely nested that the English should begin to eat Irish babies as a useful and economic way of getting rid of the Irish who objected to have a small nation terminated. lie even gave most particular directions as to how the babies ought to be cooked and prepared for table. Incredible as it may seem to some people, there were many who took him'seriously. Why not when we can buy papers written by persons who talk of the Americans as a branch* of the Anglo-Saxon brotherhood? Even the Dean in his sarcasm never said anything r.o ridiculous as these people say in sober, ignorant earnestness. We have not the Dean unfortunately. I lowever (J. K. Chesterton is a good second to him. Chesterton is a weighty influence in educated circles, and his well-merited castigations of the Lloyd GeorgeHarmsworth Government must be rather galling at present. Yet. neither he nor Dean Swift could ever teach them common-sense or give them a saving sense of humor. The Wearin' o' the (ireen Et would be interesting to have a list of the songs which in the mature judgment of the local policeman, or that qualified musician Lord French, may be sung at Irish concerts now. We have seen some monstrously diverting accounts of prosecutions in the Irish papers of late. A boy of thirteen was "had up" in the Barony o' Forth, Co. Wexford, a short time ago. Our old friend, the Crown Prosecutor, made a fine speech. A namesake of ours made a brilliant defence. Rut they were eclipsed by the policeman who testified from the exuberance of what he railed "mental notes." It is a good thing that the Irish people are able, to get a little amusement from such antics: it is about ail they can get from John Lull at present. But we are not downhearted ! When taws ran. stop the blades of grass from growing as they grow, And when the leaves in summer time their color dare, not show, Then, I wjtt change the color that f wear in my canbeen, But till that day, please Owl, 111 stick to the WE A NIX' 0' THE GREEN. Sinn Fein an Old Policy Sinn Fein, as we have said time and again, is not a new heresy. In fact it is not any of the things that the daily papers tell you it is. It is the sane policy which Irishmen pursued in the past and have returned to again Here it is, in a- verse by Sliabh Cuilinn, written half a century ago: Too long our Irish hearts we schooled In patient hope to bide, By dreams of English justice fooled And English tongues that lied. That hour of weak delusion's past The empty dream has flown: Our hope and strength, we find at last Is in OURSELVES ALONE!

The foolish word "Impossible'' r ' At once, for aye, disdain; No power can bar a people's will, -.; • ; A people's right to gain. Be bo-ld, united,'firmly set, Nor flinch in word or toner— '-"•■ We'll be a glorious nation yet, • - REDEEMED—ERECT—ALONE! The "Seonin" Even the seonin is nothing new in Irish history. People had forgotten him, for the simple reason that until the Gaelic League opened our eyes we accepted him, if not as a decent fellow, at least as a harmless ass. The seomn has no placo in Ireland to-day; and he will have less to-morrow. Here is another verse from the war-songs of older days which tells us how true men looked on the Irishman of a bygone day whose soul was too mean to appreciate his heritage: Tht.n. who's the wretch that basely spurns The ties of country, kindred, friends — That barters every nobler aim For sordid views, for private ends? One slave alone on earth you'll find Through nature's universal spanSo lost to virtue, dead to shame— ' Th c - Irish J man,. _ We lake it that "virtue" here is to be interpreted in its Latin sense —I trim means manhood. And wo all know that manhood, with the nobility and dignity it connotes, is never found in the poor seonin who is ashamed of his country or afraid to fight for his religion J lie scorn n 18 here too. Opposition to the Church is a healthy sign ; and it alwavs brings the seonin, howling about the possible penny he may lose because a bigot is hit hard. °