Guth Na Bliadhna Volume 2 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Marr Buchan J Fiofa 1 Fothreve J Moiridh 1 Ros / Gallaobh ) " Citra montem et ultra montem " / Ciaran Mac Chiarain. (Ri leantuinn.) POLAND'S STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE Poland, a country formerly called, and not without reason, the bulwark of Christendom, has since 1795, the date of its third and final partition, ceased to exist as a separate State. For 109 years, therefore, it has been completely at the mercy of the three dividing Powers, who have spared no means, fair or foul, to assimilate it. Yet not only is it not assimilated at the present day, but it is constantly growing in every element that constitutes the strength of a nation, and in concentrated though quiet resistance to the invaders; as in the time of Kosciusko, so now, these are only camped on the territory. The bush, burning yet unconsumed, was a miracle; Poland, for a century a prey to destruction yet undestroyed, though no miracle, is so extraordinary a phenomenon that a few words respecting the causes which have produced it may be not without interest. To Gaels, especially, this short and by no means exhaustive paper should be interesting. They too have a nationality and a language of their own, and must struggle to maintain them; the conditions are widely dissimilar, it is true, but nevertheless there is a struggle; and they must needs look with sympathy on the efforts of a nation to hold her own, when they have to make similar efforts themselves. And to Scotsmen in general, the name of Poland should recall many a tie. All know that Prince Charles Edward was a grandson of the heroic Sobieski. This alone would be much; but there is more. I do not know whether any Scottish family is of Polish extraction; but several Polish families claim descent from Scottish ancestors. The member...