Today is April 24, and on this date in history, in 1916, in Dublin, we witness the Easter Rising against English Rule. It failed and Irish public opinion was almost totally against it. Then the British made one of the great blunders of history. The British authorities treated the rising harshly but erratically. Some rebels were executed but many were not. The injured labor leader, James Connolly, for instance, had to be tied to a chair to be shot. The British official charged with limiting the executions, was supposed to draw the line on the list somewhat above Connolly's name. He saw it there and drew it just below Connolly, assuring he would be shot. Of course, this was not discovered until many years after.

It is remarkable how fast public opinion changed. Of course World War I was going at the time, and the British did not have a sense of humor about a rebellion when every soldier was needed in France. Also the war was causing grievous losses among Irish troops as well although they were all volunteers!

The rebel leader, Eamonn De Valera, later Prime Minister of Ireland, and then, President of Ireland, was on the list to be executed. He was an American citizen having been born in Brooklyn from an Irish mother and a Spanish father. The story goes that the Brits decided not to execute American citizen, De Valera, as they did not want to stir up American antipathy. Great story and maybe historical.

There may be no fool like an Irish fool. These men went, mostly to death or exile, with the hope that the Irish would rise behind them. They forgot the fundamental truth of Irish politics: Put one Irishman on a spit and you'll always find another Irishman to turn it. Most of the leaders died or were executed, by the British, who treated them as traitors since WWI was on. Ironically this cleared the way for Michael Collins, who was as dedicated and competent a freedom fighter (or terrorist depending on your point of view) to assume the military leadership of the IRA. This, in large part, led to the Republic of Ireland.