OCR Text |
Show Miscellany Sinn Fein. It goes without saying that we are friendly to Ireland and Ireland's cause. Our ancestors came from Ireland, and we are proud of it. Long ago we learned to love Ireland and the Irish people. With avidity and ever-growing interest we nave read Ireland's history and our sympathy sym-pathy has gone out to the Irish cause in fullest measure. We know the unpayable unpay-able debt America owes to Ireland for every walk in life, every station, is honored hon-ored by tr.e great virtues of Irishmen who nave become American's. The. church in America is under everlasting obligations obliga-tions to the splendid American churchmen church-men of Irish blood. But the Intel-mountain Catholic ls an American paper and we are Americans-loving Americans-loving our country with a fervor and intensity in-tensity unsurpassed oy the loyaltv to his native land of any Irishman. Heart and soul and body we are for America at all times, but especially and emphatically now, in her hour of tremendous struggle". We are prepared to give, even life itself, fpr these United States of America. We thank (iod for th m-.,;!.. ui Americans, and we shall treasure that privilege above all earthly considerations and advantages. Is it anv wonder that we are keenly sensitive of anv lack of loyalty to our beloved country that we detest any holding back in the measure ot support given our counu.v, no matter what the pretext? America is in the throes of a world conflict, con-flict, and, as Archbishop Hanna savs, there is no doubt about the justice 'of our cause. Better that we all died and the world finished its course than that the philosophy that is back of this war should triumph." -It Is a war to save America, to save civilization, to prevent the Hun's domination of the world a; the superman, and in righteous wrath to deny that might is right. If in this titanic ti-tanic struggle America fails (but she shall not fan), then freedom is banished from the whole earth and all men are slaves. Those we have known and loved and hundreds of thousands of Americans are offering their lives on the altar of ;-ir country's service. Some are on the high seas, some in France, some in Belgium, Bel-gium, and some in England, and some in America all are on the way to fight i.ccviuin a uaLue wnn tne unspeakable power that hates and destroys all freedom free-dom wherever possible. Everv American's treasure and strength, prayer and wish must be given to AmerLca's service and ultimate victory." America is associated with France and England in the fight. France and Eng-laifl Eng-laifl are our associates in tho war our friends. If France wins, we win. If England wins, we win. If France Is beaten, we are beaten. We are sending supplies and arms and men to help France and England to -win. Vitally therefore, we are interested in the victory vic-tory of France and in the victory of England. Anything that hurts France or hurts England anything that lessens France's or England's might or man power hurts U3 and lessens our might and man power, just so much. The true American and the true friend of this country must stand with France must stand with England. But England has dealt brutally with Ireland, and the enemies of English government gov-ernment against Ireland have been without with-out number and without excuse. It is true. But never, even in the history of Ireland, has the world witnessed such deliberate de-liberate and damnable outrages, such Inhuman In-human and bestial crimes and such wholesale whole-sale destruction of the rights of man as Belgium and France have borne since the Hun crossed his' border. And what has happened to France and Belgium will happen to England and Ireland if a stop be not put to the vile ravages of the godless, murdering scourge. But to Sinn Fein the present seems a favorahle time to rid Ireland of English rule. Is it? There are Irish people just as ardent for Redmond and the parliamentary parlia-mentary party as the Sinn Fein are determined de-termined to have no more of Redmond Shane Leslie says, that "John Redmond will one day live as a statesman with . aim uieutwieciiL uie prototypes of a new era when leaders shall liave learnt to sacrifice themselves rather than pass over the infringement of the higher law." Ireland has wished to forget John Redmond. The day w-ill come when the Irish will find his name as great a slogan upon their lips as "Remember Limerick " the city of the broken treaty. It is certain that the Irish people are far from unanimous for Sinn Fein. There are the Sinn Feiners, the Redmondites not to mention the Carsonites. Then many await with prayerful expectation and bright hopes the outcome of the convention con-vention in which so many patriotic Irishmen Irish-men are working for Ireland's peace The venerable Cardinal Logue. whose years have not dimmed his intelligence and whose heart throbs tor Ireland as ardently ar-dently as anv Irishman's, is opposed to Sinn Fein. Others are against the Redmondites Red-mondites and the parliamentary Dartv In the meantime Sinn Fein is not helping help-ing America win this war. The men "at home" who could enlist to help England and America win this war refuse to enlist en-list and damn conscription. Thev seem to be forgetting that the great world wails wai-ls a bigger thing than" nice prejudice or selfish interest, and that the fate of civilization civi-lization hangs in the balance. They apparently, ap-parently, are oblivious of the fact 'that America needs every man of them and the republic of the west Is in a life-and-death conflict. And America has been Iteiand's best friend this, too, seems forgotten. for-gotten. Our boys are going Into the fight shoulder to shoulder with the English' but the Sinn Fein does not approve of I he English and some, a noisy few hate England more than thov love America "Actions speak louder than words," and "he who Is not with me Is against me " What do we think of Sinn Fein? What will the brave Irish soldiers In the trenches think of Sinn Fein? What will the gallant American boys of Irish descent, de-scent, at the front, think of Sinn Fein' I What will our more than four hundred ' thousand Catholic men in the army think of Sinn Fein? or of anything or anybody any-body who gives help and comfort to the Hun? Inasmuch and in so far as Sinn Fein is an obstacle to Britain's fullest participation in the war, or an obstacle-to obstacle-to every (no matter what the land of his birth) American's fullest lovalty and unreserved un-reserved devotion to America in the war, Sinn Fein is an enemy of ours, and we condemn it. With Sinn Fein as representing repre-senting merely a portion of the Irish people peo-ple and their nopes and aspirations, we have no desire to meddle. We are too busy trying to win this war for the freedom free-dom of the world and the salvation of our beloved America. The Intei-mountain Catholfc. |