ORIGIN OF THE SINN FEIN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2093, 30 May 1907, Page 4

ORIGIN OF THE SINN FEIN.

tAe ANTI-ENGLISH MOVEMENT IN IRELAND. Tlio “Sinn Fein” (Ourselves Alone) movement in Ireland is significant of two things. It evidences the persistence and apparently inextinguishable hatred of England felt by a very large section of the Irish people, and it is also the outward expression of a wide irritation .with the methods of the, Irish Parliamentary party.

Parnell persuaded his countrymen that Homo Rule and virtual separation could be obtained by political agitation, and ho nearly proved that lie was right. Since his death, liowover, tho Parliamentary party has bocomo largely ineffective. It is little moro than a wing of the Radicals —a fact which has led Mr William O’Brien to revolt against the party loaders. Twenty years have passed since Gladstone introduced his first Home Rule Bill, and Unionists both in England and Ireland must rejoice to know that disloyal Ireland believes that the English people are still absolutely determined not to countenance tho setting up of an independent Parliament in Dublin. It is not believed that Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, assisted by Mr. Redmond and Mr. Birrell, will be able to force the Gladstone policy on his countrymen, and consequently the whole business of parliamentary agitation as a means towards Irish independence is regarded as heartbreaking disappointment, sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. - ,

Tho time has not come yet when open rebellion is considered possible. The Sinn Fein agitation aims at creating a community which will cut itself from all dealings with its neighbor. It seeks to teach Irishmen that England ,is an unclean tiling that must not oven be touched; and by tho re-creation of tho ancient language, the ancient literature, the ancient games, and so on, it strives to make an entirely “Irish Ireland.”

The Sinn Fein is the outcome of the Gealic League, which came into existence some fourteen years ago. The League was the creation of seven Dublin men, the president being then, as now, Dr. Douglas Hyde, a Protestant and a scholar, The Gaelic League to-day has something like a thousand branches. The Gaelic movement has attracted to its ranks poets like Mr. W. B. Yeats, and novelists like Mr. George Moore. Mr. Moore-'even wont to tho length of shaking the dust of London off his feet and setting up his household gods in Dublin. The experiment was hardly a success, and the famous realist has now left'tlio Irish capital. • The Gaelic League, which was entirely unpolitical and without religious bias, sought to revive tho Gaelic language as a spoken tongue, and to / encourage Gaelic arts, industries, music, dances, games, and drama. It bridged the gulf that separated Protestant and Catholic, north and south.

It was a real national organisation, and it.has succeeded by avoiding at least the appearance of the sordidness of politics in building up a real national sentiment. During 14 years immense progress lias been made. When the daily column of the Gaelic first appeared in the Dublin Nationalist papers it was said by a witty journalist that the only man who could read it was the man who wrote it, and that he amused himself by filling bis space with the most horrible libels, which no one understood. Now Gaelic is taught in the schools, municipal officers are forced to have a knowledge of the tongue, tho Post Office i it, and the Dublin Corporation names its streets in Irish as well as English.)'

From tlie Gaelic League to tbe Sinn Foiu is an easy step. When tbe English language and tho English civilisation are destroyed tbe English Government must naturally go with tlrem. Speaking last year in San Francisco, Dr. Hyde said: —“We are going to build an Irish nation that shall bo the rational continuation of the nation as it once was.

. We aim high, for we aim at nothing else than establishing a new nation upon tho map of Europe.” Again, in New York, Dr. Hyde spoke of “tho devouring demon of Anglicisation,” So it is obvious that the

more militant Sinn Fein has not boon without encouragement from the scholarly founder of the parent league.

Tho attitude of the younger organisation may be judged by tho utterances of its leaders. A former Nationalist M.P., who has deserted the Parliamentary party for the Sinn Fein, wrote a short time ago that “out of tho Gaelic League's de-Angli-cising propaganda have already grown a series of movements not only strongly political, but each and all making for a soparato independent Irish nation free from every link of tho British connection.” Tho methods of tho Sinn Fein are to boycott English-made goods, to refuso to recognise the King, to dtop recruiting, to prevent tho employment of soldior and police pensioners by public bodies, and to oppose the election- of representatives to the English Parliament. The non-enlistmont campaign has boon carried out with almost , inconceivable onorgy. “Patriot” priests havo declared it a heinous crime for Irishmen to enter tho “forces of robber England,” and one treasonable placard contained the following: Make a vow that you will not recogniso or mix with any man ©who dons tho livery of an Irsli slave—tho red or black coat, or blue jacket .—and keep your children from mixing with this anti-Irish horde —the murderers of tho innocent Boer wo- ! men. anti children. With. Homo Rule, disguised by tho “blessed” word Devolution, in tn. air, the open action of the Sinn I'eill in boycotting English goods and the Dublin exhibition comes at an appropriate moment. The “union of hearts” is a meaningless term. TinNationalist movement in Ireland is, as it has always been, essentially anti-English. Devolution is a. step towards Home. Rule. Home Rule must inevitably mean a lialf-way house to separation. Far more than Mr Redmond, the expert- Parliamentarian, the Sinn Fein represents the aspirations of the disloyal Irish majority. Their dream is an Irish nation, the whole policy of which would be dictated by hatred to England.