ORATION OF P. H. PEARSE AT THE GRAVE OF
O'DONOVAN "ROSSA"
August 1st. 1915
"It has seemed right, before we turn away from this place in which
we have laid the mortal remains of O'Donovan
Rossa, that one amongst us should, in the name of all,
speak the praise of that valiant man, and endeavour to formulate the
thought and the hope that are in us as we stand around his grave.
And if there is anything that makes it fitting that I rather than
some other--I, rather than one of the grey-haired men who were young
with him, and shared in his labour and in his suffering, should
speak here, it is, perhaps, that I may be taken as speaking on
behalf of a new generation that has been re-baptised in the Fenian
faith, and that has accepted the responsibility of carrying out the
Fenian programme. I propose to you, then, that here by the grave of
this unrepentant Fenian, we renew our baptismal vows; that here by
the grave of this unconquered and unconquerable man, we ask of God,
each one for himself, such unshakeable purpose, such high and
gallant courage, such unbreakable strength of soul as belonged to
O'Donovan Rossa.
"Deliberately here we avow ourselves, as he avowed himself in the
dock, Irishmen of one allegiance only. We, of the Irish Volunteers,
and you others who are associated with us in to-day's task and duty,
are bound together, and must stand together henceforth in brotherly
union for the achievement of the freedom of Ireland. And we know
only one definition of freedom: It is Tone's definition; it is
Mitchel's definition; it is Rossa's definition. Let no one blaspheme
the cause that the dead generations of Ireland served by giving it
any other name and definition than their name and definition.
"We stand at Rossa's grave, not in sadness, but rather in exaltation
of spirit that it has been given us to come thus into so close a
communion with that brave and splendid Gael. Splendid and holy
causes are served by men who are themselves splendid and holy.
O'Donovan Rossa was splendid in the proud manhood of him--splendid
in the heroic grace of him, splendid in the Gaelic strength and
clarity and truth of him. And all that splendour, and pride, and
strength was compatible with a humility and a simplicity of devotion
to Ireland, to all that was olden and beautiful and Gaelic in
Ireland; the holiness and simplicity of patriotism of a Michael
O'Clery or of an Eoghan O'Growney. The clear true eyes of this man
almost alone in his day visioned Ireland as we to-day would surely
have her--not free merely but Gaelic as well; not Gaelic merely, but
free as well.
"In a closer spiritual communion with him now than ever before, or
perhaps ever again, in spiritual communion with those of his day
living and dead, who suffered with him in English prisons, in
communion of spirit too with our own dear comrades who suffer in
English prisons to-day, and speaking on their behalf as well as our
own, we pledge to Ireland our love, and we pledge to English rule in
Ireland our hate. This is a place of peace, sacred to the dead,
where men should speak with all charity and with all restraint; but
I hold it a Christian thing, as O'Donovan Rossa held it, to hate
evil, to hate untruth, to hate oppression, and hating them, to
strive to overthrow them. Our foes are strong, and wise, and wary;
but strong and wise and wary as they are, they cannot undo the
miracles of God, Who ripens in the hearts of young men the seeds
sown by the young men of a former generation. And the seeds sown by
the young men of '65 and '67 are coming to their miraculous ripening
to-day. Rulers and Defenders of Realms had need to be wary it they
would guard against such processes. Life springs from death, and
from the graves of patriot men and women spring live nations. The
defenders of this realm have worked well in secret and in the open.
They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they
have purchased half of us, and intimidated the other half. They
think that they have foreseen everything. They think that they have
provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools!
they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these
graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.
