At one platform Patrick Pearse, then headmaster of St.Enda's school, spoke in Irish.

What he said may be thus roughly rendered: "There are as many men here as would destroy the British Empire if they were united and did their utmost.

We have no wish to destroy the British, we only want our freedom.

We differ among ourselves on small points, but we agree that we want freedom, in some shape or other.

There are two sections of us--one that would be content to remain under the British Government in our own land, another that never paid, and never will pay, homage to the King of England.