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(An t.Sean Bhean Bhocht).
VOL. II.--No. e
BELFAST, 5TH APRIL, 1897.
PRICE TWOPENCEC.
‘ A Spring Song.
DEAD, is the dark winter.
There are primroses on the grey hill,
March bloweth his fanfare
. Thro’ the gold horn o’ the daffodil.
Rain-water in the dykes
Is clear as amber glass,
"It feedeth the tall spikes
Of the fresh, green grass.
Like little babes from sleep
Opening bright eyes,
Frail violets peep
Where the soft shadow lies."
Evanescent sunbeams
Wave their wizard wands,
Quiver into green flames
Flaggers by the ponds,
Oh: but Spring is kind l
At every road’s edge
Shfays on the warm wind
A budding. thorn hedge.
Pasture in sheltered fold
.The sheep, grave and sage;
The lambs, seven weeks old
‘Feel the dignity of age.
From dawning grey
Till the evening’s hush
, G0 piping all day
The blackbird and thrush.
And the crows have built their nest
1’ the highest bough of the larch;
when the wind is in the west
Mild and kind is March.’
‘ . I ALICE FURLONG.
William Smith O’Brien.
[coNTmUED.] '
’ -mt
Tlllfls told of thee the world around,
at“'3$11110ped for thee by all,
11"‘? One gallant sunward bound
011 dst burst long ages thrall.
bound. Years of patient, steadfast preparation had
paved the way for even such a glorious failure as the
insurrection of ’98, and the men who thought to win
freedom on the battlefield under the leadership of O’Brien,
without such years of pre-organization, were not practical
revolutionists but dreamers. Far from being prepared
for insurrection, the Irish people had not had it before
them even as an ultimate possibility during the O'Con-
nellite period of agitation. Had not “The Liberator ”
accustomed them to believe that the sword was sheathed
for ever; had he not even gone further and refused to
have associated with him in his efforts for Repeal any-
one who believed physical force justifiable as a last
resource against tyranny. The idea of revolution was
therefore abhorrent to a large section of the Irish people,
nominally Nationalists; and even to the young ardent
minds which had been nourished on the upright teaching
of the nation the idea was a new one. Even the men
who were to take the field and call the people, though
vainly, to arms had not contemplated such a step a year
before. Mitchel and Meagher may be taken as typical
of the extremists amongst their party, and yet, though
they were foremost in resenting the monstrous doctrine
of non-resistance under any circumstance, they avowed
themselves in full sympathy with the constitutional
methods of the Repeal Association, as may be seen from
the following utterances :-
This is a legally organised and constitutional society, seeking to
attain its object, as all the world knows, by peaceable means and
none other. Constitutional agitation is the very basis of it, and
nobody who contemplates any other mode of bringing about the
independence of the country has a right to come here or consider
himself a fit member of our association.
This is mild speaking for the future editor of the
United I rislmzan, and Meagher adopted the same tone and
declared :-
I advocate the peaceful policy of the association. It is the only
policy we can and should adopt. If it be pursued with truth, with
courage, and with firmness of purpose, I do firmly believe it will
succeed.
And again in the year '48, in the month of February,
I the following resolutions with others, drafted by Smith
O’Brien, were passed at a meeting of the Confederation
UCH Was the hope that fired the hearts of the
gmmg Irelanders at the dawn of eventful '48.
he result of their heroic but futile effort proved
ilfectually that Irish freedomwill never be won
my ‘my Such short cut as a sudden sunward.
among its standing rules of organization :-
That we disclaim, as we have disclaimed, any intention of in-
volving our country in civil war. That to hold out to the
Irish people the hope that in this present broken and divided con-
dition they can liberate their country by an appeal to arms, and