Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-14
For the Daily State Sentinel.
The Protest of an lrishman.

Permit me through the columns of your paper,
the organization of an Irish regiment in this or
any other State, on the basis now proposed by
those engaged in such an enterprise in this city.
IL an Irish regiment is to be organized let it be
purely Irish officers and men, Colonels and Cor
porals inclusive But according to the present
programme will this be the casel How is it pro-
posed to do soG 1t is thus: 1t is proposed to ap-
point an American by birth Colonel, for Lieut..
Colonel r. j. Ryan of this city, and leaving it
optional with the Governor to nominate whom
he will Cor Major; thus having but one Irishman,
and that in a subordinate situation, as field officer
Now, to my mind, no proposition more insult
ing or derogatOry to their national pride and char
aeter, could be presented to Irishmen than this
1t is saying to them that, like "dumb. driven cat
tie" they can be marched by any person to the
slaughter house, but they are destitute of genius
and capacity to command. Will Irishmen brook
these insinuatng aspersions by rallying to the
standard of any person, whatever his nationality
may be, at the suggestions of disappointed aspi-
rants, who, to gain position, willing to compro-
mise the honor. dignity and valor of their name
and racer Is there no Irishman in Indiana fit to
commandI From the purport of this proposal it
appears there is not. What an estimate is thus
placed by this proposition Irish talent and Irish
herOisml In so many words they are told that
they are privileged to shoulder their muskets, face
the cannon's deadly mouth, but they are unwor-
thy or unfit to be placed in any position OF
honor or trust where they could demonstrate their
characteristic bravery and fidelity. Again, then,
ask how Irishmen favor this dishonorable
mOvQmanfr Have thav so far fbs, barofr
deeds of the O'Neals, the Sarsfeids, the Joneses
and Wellingtons, as to entertain for a moment the
idea that there is not military genius to be found
among the Irish to command regiment of sol
diers? Have the undaunted valor and superior
military skill evinced at Limerick, Fontenoy and
Waterloo, been far forgotten that we are to be
made believe that lrishmen are Incompetent And
yet, despite all these glorious achievements of the
past, which history crowds on the memory, we
are to be told i'm the State of Indiana, that they
are not. 1t we have no lrishmen in Indiana fit to
commend, We can, as has been already done on
other occasions, transplant one from some other
State. Let me therefore say to every lrishman
as he loves his name and race, he feels proud
of bis history and of the noble deeds of his gallant
sireS-never never, i cOnjure you, to submit to
any such slayish proposals as that presented to
you now in this State. Have an lrishman fol
Colonel, for Lieutenant Colonel. for Major In
short, have no man, either officer or private, in
your ranks but those through whose veins course.
that impulsive, noble blood which, at Badaios
Spoleto, and last of all, the greatest, perhaps
Manassas, manifested that heroic endurance and
unyielding courage, which make the Irish name
immortal as time and perpetual as history Wher
the future historian shall have to record the pass
ing events of tOday, let it not be written of you
my cOuEtrymen, that for want of Irish talent in
Indiana you were commanded by any other than
Irishman- And not only should you have
your officers, but your Chaplain, also This is nc
less important. For. only imagine some fanatic
full of malice and hatred, puffed up with the pride
of wilful and selfish ignorance, appointed to
pray and preach for you, insulting you before and
after an engagement by taunts upon your creed
and opprobrium upon your name. Yet this con
sderatOn of chaplaincy is silently passed over by
those who memorialize the Governor for appoint
ments. This, like the majorship, is left at the
discretion of his Excellency. And what kind o
a chaplain could you expect from him? From
review of his appointments up to this time, nc
other than bigots, who, on every occasion woulC
delight in insulting you, could be expected DE-
YOU ask me why | think sol / will tell YOU.
1t is a well known fact that since the com
mencement of this war there has been scarcely
company mustered into service which did no
have in its rank good MANY lrishmen. At tn,
call of the Governor and President they ralleC
with alacrity to the flag of their adopted country
They, like so many Tells, threx themselves OF
the cold steel of the enemy at Manassas, sufferin:
their numbers to be fearfully cut to pi eces il
that deadly conflict, rather than yield the con
tested ground; and yet while favors have beer
lavished in profusion on pigmy politicians, VIII,
have neither the capacity to command nor tn,
valor to sustain the shock of arms, no Irishmal
has been appointed by the President to Briga
der Generalship nor by the Governor of Indians
to any field Office. Judging then from the past
what favors do you expect in the future? UpoI
this do ground my reasons. Are they not wei
founded? Then, my countrymen, ] say to you
as you wish to preserve that untarnished honor 5,
nobly won on many battle field, as you wish t.
secure, as you already have secured even in thi
bloody fraternal strife, character free from an,
atom of cowardice and fame that will never die
a courage and fidelity that will hereafter, a
heretofore, bring refutation to the mind of ever
bigot who shall attempt to asperse your merits o
doubt your loyalty, as you value all this, | cal
on you to reject with disdain this disgraceful, thi
ignominious proposition which proposes to com
promise your genius, and talent and identity b
organizing you into a mongrel Irish regiment
Let it be wholly an Irish regiment or not at all.
FRESHMAN.