The claim of Mr Griffith at this stage was that the independence of Ireland was to be based not upon force but upon law and the constitution of 1782:  “His claim was not a Republic, but a national constitution under an Irish Crown” (Mr R.M.  Henry).  Finally Sinn Fein, which, literally translated, means “Ourselves,” was formally inaugurated at a meeting held in Dublin on 28th November 1905, under the chairmanship of Mr Edward Martyn and was defined as:  “National self-development through the recognition of the rights and duties of citizenship on the part of the individual and by the aid and support of all movements originating from within Ireland, instinct with national tradition and not looking outside Ireland for the accomplishment of their aims.”

Sinn Fein had now formally constituted itself into a distinct Party, with a definite policy of its own, and The United Irishman ceasing to exist, a new organ was established, called Sinn Fein.  But though Mr Griffith may found a Party, he was not so fortunate in getting followers.  The Parliamentarians had not yet begun to make that mess of their position which they did so lamentably later.  That self-reliant spirit was not abroad which came when a manlier generation arose to take their stand for Ireland.

Canon Hannay paints a peculiarly unpleasant picture of the state of Ireland at this time.  “Never,” he writes, “in her history was Ireland less inclined to self-reliance.  The soul of the country was debauched with doles and charities.  An English statesman might quite truthfully have boasted that Ireland would eat out of his hand.  The only thing which troubled most of us was that the hand, whether we licked it or snarled at it, was never full enough.  The idea of self-help was intensely unpleasant, and as for self-sacrifice!” The note of exclamation sufficiently conveys the writer’s meaning.

The Sinn Fein organisation as a national movement made very little progress and exercised no considerable influence in affairs.  But its principles undoubtedly spread, particularly among the more earnest and enthusiastic young men in the towns.  The one Parliamentary election it contested—­that of North Leitrim, where the sitting member, Mr C.J.  Dolan, resigned, declared himself a convert to the new movement and offered himself for re-election—­proved a costly failure.  It established a daily edition of Sinn Fein, but this also had no success and had to be dropped.  For some following years Sinn Fein could be said merely to exist as a name and nothing more.  The country had dangled before it the project of the triumph of Parliamentarianism and it discouraged all criticism of “the Party,” no matter how just, honest or well-intended.  In April 1910, Sinn Fein announced, on behalf of its Party, that Mr John Redmond, having now the chance of a lifetime to obtain Home Rule, “will be given a free hand, without a word said to embarrass him.”  Sinn Fein took no part in the elections