Ireland, lifting herself from the dust, drying her tears, and proudly demandingher legitimate place among the nations of the earth, is a spectacle to causeimmense progress in political philosophy.
Behold a nation whose fame had spread over all the earth ere the flag ofEngland had come into existence. For 500 years her life has been apparentlyextinguished. The fiercest whirlwind of oppression that ever in the wrath ofGod was poured upon the children of disobedience had swept over her. She was anobject of scorn and contempt to her subjugator. Only at times were there anysigns of life—an occasional meteor flash that told of her oldenspirit—of her deathless race. Degraded and apathetic as this nation ofHelots was, it is not strange that political philosophy, at all times tooSadducean in its principles, should ask, with a sneer, "Could these dry boneslive?" The fulness of time has come, and with one gallant sunward bound the"old land" comes forth into the political day to teach these lessons, thatRight must always conquer Might in the end—that by a compensatingprinciple in the nature of things, Repression creates slowly, but certainly, aforce for its overthrow.
Had it been possible to kill the Irish Nation, it had long since ceased toexist. But the transmitted qualities of her glorious children, who were giantsin intellect, virtue, and arms for 1500 years before Alfred the Saxon sent theyouth of his country to Ireland in search of knowledge with which to civilizehis people,—the legends, songs, and dim traditions of this glorious era,and the irrepressible piety, sparkling wit, and dauntless courage of herpeople, have at last brought her forth like. Lazarus from the tomb. True, thegarb of the prison or the cerements of the grave may be hanging upon her, but"loose her and let her go" is the wise policy of those in whose hands are herpresent destinies.
A nation with such a strange history must have some great work yet to do in theworld. Except the Jews, no people has so suffered without dying.
The History of Ireland is the most interesting of records, and the least known.The Publishers of this edition of D'Arcy McGee's excellent and impartial worktake advantage of the awakening interest in Irish literature to present to thepublic a book of high-class history, as cheap as largely circulatingromance. A sale as large as that of a popular romance is, therefore,necessary to pay the speculation. That sale the Publishers expect. Indeed, astruth is often stranger than fiction, so Irish history is more romantic thanromance. How Queen Scota unfurled the Sacred Banner. How Brian and Malachycontended for empire. How the "Pirate of the North" scourged the Irish coast.The glories of Tara and the piety of Columba. The cowardice of James and thecourage of Sarsfield. How Dathi, the fearless, sounded the Irish war-cry in farAlpine passes, and how the Geraldine forayed Leinster. The deeds of O'Neil andO'Donnell. The march of Cromwell, the destroying angel. Ireland's sun sinkingin dim eclipse. The dark night of woe in Erin for a hundred years.'83—'98—'48—'68. Ireland's sun rising in glory. Surely theYouth of Ireland will find in their country's records romance enough!
The English and Scotch are well read in the histories of their country. TheIrish are, unfortunately, not so; and yet, what is English or Scottish historyto compare with Irish? Ireland was a land of saints and scholars when Britonswere painted savages. Wise and noble laws, based upon the spirit ofChristianity, were administered in Erin, and valuable books wer