No doubt, the release from
alarm and struggle, the sense of firm possession, solid security, and
overwhelming power; no doubt these, allowing and encouraging humane
feelings to spring up in us, have done much; no doubt a state of fear
and danger, Ireland in hostile conflict with us, our union violently
disturbed, might, while it drove back all humane feelings, make also
the old sense of utter estrangement revive. Nevertheless, so long as
such a malignant revolution of events does not actually come about,
so long the new sense of kinship and kindliness lives, works, and
gathers strength; and the longer it so lives and works, the more it
makes any such malignant revolution improbable. And this new,
reconciling sense has, I say, its roots in science.
However, on these indirect benefits of science we must not lay too
much stress. Only this must be allowed; it is clear that there are
now in operation two influences, both favourable to a more attentive
and impartial study of Celtism than it has yet ever received from us.
One is, the strengthening in us of the feeling of Indo-Europeanism;
the other, the strengthening in us of the scientific sense generally.
The first breaks down barriers between us and the Celt, relaxes the
estrangement between us; the second begets the desire to know his
case thoroughly, and to be just to it.
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