The Irish Famine

The editorial begins by talking about the worst symptoms of the famine and how they’ve begun to present themselves everywhere. People were beginning to believe the worst. Rumors are spreading the government is to blame for the potato blight. There also rumors that the government is planning to decrease wages. The government was aware people would continue to work because it provided food. But it also became a competition where the government pitted laborers against each other. The competition was intense because everyone needed work. The editorial then describes what would happen in other countries and how they didn’t pertain to Ireland because they’re different. Ireland became submissive and waited for the famine. People begin giving

He knows there is more work to do and has hopes that everyone will come together for the new Ireland. He likens the people of Ireland to be their own messiah and pick themselves up and be their own savior because they have to believe in themselves first. Pearse states that if they hadn’t believed in themselves first, they would’ve gotten nowhere. Everything that is done was for the Ireland’s sake which is how they got the Gaelic League. He then says how they had to get to know Ireland more to become better Gaelic Leaguers and this helps them help Ireland in their own specific way. Getting to know Ireland in such an intimate way helped prepare the Gaelic League to better Irish Nationalist and leads to a more sincere outcome. Pearse then says that the Gaelic League has birthed other groups and individuals that are prompted to do work on their own. He lists the groups that have formed and notes they all have the same common goal: the Irish Revolution. Pearse also wants to remind people that they are peaceful between other Irishmen that have the same goals as them but this motto to traitors of Ireland and colonizers is “Not peace, but a sword.” He ends by saying regardless if Ireland is armed, they cannot achieve peace if they are not a united force and must stand together against opposing

One of the most prominent conflicts throughout was how Irishmen couldn’t get ahead, which is why they seemed to accept their fate. The writer brought up how other countries like England and Scotland would have acted, but they also had motivation: to be something more. While it is possible for them to rise up in society and become middle class, the Irish never have that opportunity. They work and work but it only adds to their cycle of poverty. This is an ethical issue related to colonization because it benefits no one except the oppressors. While they get rich off the hard work of others, the oppressed are never able to get ahead. This leads to dissatisfaction within the people. Another conflict is how the government handled the people of Ireland. Instead of coming to their aid, the government made it a competition between the poor. This is an issue because the government is supposed to be for the people but left the people of Ireland to basically fend for themselves and create their own solutions to the famine. The writer again brings up the English and the Scottish and how it would have been handled if it were them. But because the Irish were deemed unimportant, their government failed them. Another ethical issue was Stafford Cripps response to the All-India Congress Committee. It was extremely condescending