o Ireland in the
past have been the services of mourners to the stricken. But for today
and tomorrow we need hope and courage and gaiety, and I repeat for them
the last passionate words of her verse:

Rise to your feet, O daughters, rise,
Our mother still is young and fair.
Let the world look into your eyes
And see her beauty shining there.
Grant of that beauty but one ray,
Heroes shall leap from every hill;
Today shall be as yesterday,
The red blood burns in Ireland still.

THOUGHTS FOR A CONVENTION

1. There are moments in history when by the urgency of circumstance
everyone in a country is drawn from normal pursuits to consider the
affairs of the nation. The merchant is turned from his warehouse, the
bookman from his books, the farmer from his fields, because they realize
that the very foundations of the society, under whose shelter they were
able to carry on their avocation, are being shaken, and they can no
longer be voiceless, or leave it to deputies, unadvised by them,
to arrange national destinies. We are all accustomed to endure the
annoyances and irritations caused by legislation which is not agreeable
to us, and solace ourselves by remembering that the things which
really matter are not affected. But when the destiny of a nation, the
principles by which life is to be guided are at stake, all are on a
level, are equally affected and are bound to give expression to their
opinions. Ireland is in one of these moments of history. Circumstances
with which we are all familiar and the fever in which the world exists
have infected it, and it is like molten metal the skilled political
artificer might pour into a desirable mould. But if it is not handled
rightly, if any factor is ignored, there may be an explosion which would
bring on us a fate as tragic as anything in our past history. Irishmen
can no longer afford to remain aloof from each other, or to address each
other distantly and defiantly from press or platform, but must strive
to understand each other truly, and to give due weight to each other's
opinions, and, if possible, arrive at a compromise, a balancing of
their diversities, which may save our country from anarchy and chaos for
generations to come.

2. An agreement about Irish Government must be an agreement, not between
two but three Irish parties first of all, and afterwards with Great
Britain. The Premier of a Coalition Cabinet has declared that