Project Gutenberg's National Being, by (A.E.)George William Russell

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Title: National Being
Some Thoughts on an Irish Polity

Author: (A.E.)George William Russell

Release Date: May, 2005 [EBook #8104]
Posting Date: July 29, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE NATIONAL BEING

Some Thoughts on an Irish Polity

By "A.E." [George William Russell]

To The Right Hon. Sir Horace Plunkett

A good many years ago you grafted a slip of poetry on your economic
tree. I do not know if you expected a hybrid. This essay may not be
economics in your sense of the word. It certainly is not poetry in my
sense. The Marriage of Heaven and Earth was foretold by the ancient
prophets. I have seen no signs of that union taking place, but I have
been led to speculate how they might be brought within hailing distance
of each other. In my philosophy of life, we are all responsible for
the results of our actions and their effects on others. This book is
a consequence of your grafting operation, and so I dedicate it to
you.--A.E.

I.

In the year nineteen hundred and fourteen Anno Domini, amid a world
conflict, the birth of the infant State of Ireland was announced. Almost
unnoticed this birth, which in other times had been cried over the
earth with rejoicings or anger. Mars, the red planet of war, was in the
ascendant when it was born. Like other births famous in history, the
child had to be hidden away for a time, and could not with pride be
shown to the people as royal children were wont to be shown. Its enemies
were unforgiving, and its friends were distracted with mighty happenings
in the world. Hardly did they know whether it would not be deformed if
it survived: whether this was the Promised, or another child yet to
be conceived in the womb of the Mother of Parliaments. Battles were
threatened between two hosts, secular champions of two spiritual
traditions, to decide its fate. That such a conflict threatened showed
indeed that there was something of iron fibre in the infant, without
which in their make-up individuals or nations do