ame conscious deliberation of purpose as the architect of the
Parthenon conceived its lofty harmony of shining marble lines, or as the
architect of Rheims Cathedral designed its intricate magnificence and
mystery. Nations which form their ideals and marry them in the hurry of
passion are likely to repent without leisure, and they will not be able
to divorce those ideals without prolonged domestic squabbles and public
cleansing of dirty linen. If we are to build a body for the soul
of Ireland it ought not to be a matter of reckless estimates or
jerry-building. We have been told, during my lifetime at least, not
to criticize leaders, to trust leaders, and so intellectual discussion
ceased and the high principles on which national action should be based
became less and less understood, less and less common possessions. The
nation was not conceived of as a democracy freely discussing its laws
but as a secret society with political chiefs meeting in the dark and
issuing orders. No doubt our political chieftains loved their country,
but love has many degrees of expression from the basest to the highest.
The basest love will wreck everything, even the life of the beloved, to
gratify ignoble desires. The highest love conspires with the imaginative
reason to bring about every beautiful circumstance around the beloved
which will permit of the highest development of its life. There is no
real love apart from this intellectual brooding. Men who love Ireland
ignobly brawl about her in their cups, quarrel about her with their
neighbor, allow no freedom of thought of her or service of her other
than their own, take to the cudgel and the rifle, and join sectarian
orders or lodges to ensure that Ireland will be made in their own
ignoble image. Those who love Ireland nobly desire for her the highest
of human destinies. They would ransack the ages and accumulate wisdom to
make Irish life seem as noble in men's eyes as any the world has known.
The better minds in every race, eliminating passion and prejudice, by
the exercise of the imaginative reason have revealed to their countrymen
ideals which they recognized were implicit in national character. It
is such discoveries we have yet to make about ourselves to unite us to
fulfill our destiny. We have to discover what is fundamental in Irish
character, the affections, leanings, tendencies towards one or more of
the eternal principles which have governed and inspired all great human
effort, all