When we find the national idea touches life at every point, we begin to
realise how frequent the call is to defend it without warning. It is not
that men directly raise the idea purposely to reject it, but that their
habit of life, to which they expect all to conform, is unconsciously
assuming that our ruling principle can have no place now or in the
future. Their assumption that the _status quo_ cannot be changed will
be the cause of most collision at first; and we must be quietly ready
with the counter-assumption, stand for the old idea and justify it. We
must realise, too, that the number of people who have definite, strong,
well-developed views against ours are comparatively small. This small
number embraces the English Government that commands forces, obeying it
without reason, and influencing the general mass of people whose general
attitude is indecision--adrift with the ruling force. It is this general
mass of men we must permeate with the true idea, and give them more
decision, more courage, more pride of race, and bring them to prove
worthy of the race. They will begin to have confidence in the Cause when
they begin to see it vindicated amongst them day by day; and that
vindication must be our duty. That duty will not be to seek; it will
offer itself and we shall have our test. How? Consider when men come
together for any purpose where different views prevail and general
things of no great moment form the subject of debate--suddenly,
unconsciously or tentatively, one will raise some idea that may divide
the company--say, acknowledging the English Crown in Ireland, putting
by the claim for freedom, in the foolish hope of some material gain.
There is much nonsense talked and confusion abroad on this head, and it
is quite possible a man, believing in Ireland's full claim, will find
himself in a large company who ought to stand for Ireland, yet who have
lost a clear conception of her rights. But he will find that they have