The aim of all nations is to
preserve their immortality. I do not oppose the creation of a national
army for this purpose. There are occasions when the manhood of a nation
must be prepared to yield life rather than submit to oppression, when it
must perish in self-contempt or resist by force what wrong would be
imposed by force. But I would like to point out that for a country in
the position of Ireland the surest means of preserving the national
being by the sacrifice and devotion of the people are economic and
spiritual.
------------------* Since this book was written Ireland has had a tragic
illustration of the truth of what is urged in these pages. -------------
Our political life in the past has been sordid and unstable because we
were uncultured as a nation. National ideals have been the possession
of the few in Ireland, and have not been diffused. That is the cause of
our comparative failure as a nation. If we would create an Irish
culture, and spread it widely among our people, we would have the same
unfathomable sources of inspiration and sacrifice to draw upon in our
acts as a nation as the individual has who believes he is immortal, and
that his life here is but a temporary foray into time out of eternity.
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