The Daily News SATURDAY, MARCH 17. Sr. PATRICK'S DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8061, 17 March 1906, Page 2

The Daily News SATURDAY, MARCH 17. Sr. PATRICK'S DAY.

To-day, the occasion of the great national holiday of Ireland, the minds of Irishmen the world over revert baek to the land of their birth, and they wonder " how is dear old Ireland, and how does she stand." Addressing a colonial audience on St. Patrick's Day, a distinguished Irishman ouce remarked " Were Ireland an ill-favored country - were it sterile, bleik, inhospitable—were there no scenes there to delight the eye and captivate the heart -were there no sweet valleys, no laughing rivers, none of the graces and grandeur of Nature such as have inspired the melodies of Moore and given to the pencil of Maclise some of its finest themes—even so, as the place of our birth, as the place where we tiist kne>v a mother's smile and a father's blessing—we should love it, be jealous of it, and cling to it all the more devotedly, on account of the deprivation with which it had bee > stricken." Hut an Irishman's love for his country has no such rigorous condition to test and vindicate it. , Great reforms are brought about very slowly in the Imperial Parliament, md before a measure of self-govern-ment is conceded to Ireland, many , thousands of Ireland's best blood will !iave crossed the Atlantic to that "greater Ireland beyond tho sens." . I'he extreme* folly of causing tliou- : sands of Irishmen to leave Ireland, ■ with no love for anything English, is i a political mistake that is much de I plored by every right-thinking Bri | tislier. Evidence of this coldness I was given the other day by Mr J i W. Stead, of the New Zealand Rug- ' by team, who said that when travel- , ling through the United States h(i noticed an anti-English feeling very 1 much in evidence. There is every reason to believe that this anti-ling- ■ lish feeling in the States is traceable to a great extent to the forced emigration of Irishmen from their unfortunately - administered country. - England do&s not realise the political importance of conciliating the Irish people. What is the price of Ireland's friendship ? Ireland asks for the restoration of the Parliament ol which she was deprived in 1901. She asks, in short, for a measure of selfgovernment almost identical with that which we in New Zealand enjoy. When Ireland's Parliament is restored, Irishmen will be less discontented, and, if such is possible, more " loyal. Practically all tho selfgoverning colonies of the Empire have at various times expressed by resolutions and petition their views on Home Rule, and it is significant to note that King Edward quite recently received, most sympathetically, the address from the Commonwealth Parliament, praying that Ireland's demands should be concede 1 . Current events in the political arena at Home tend to show that a great , move is being made in an endeavour to settle, once and for all, the perplexing Irish question. Altogether it is no mere figure of speech to say that a brighter day appears to be

dawning for Ireland, which should inspire liishmen to celebrate St. Patlick's Day, on this occasion, in a manner befitting the brightness of the prospect.