The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-01-24

lost whlle ner children preserve these pre-
cous and inestimable gifts !
To this community it can scarcely be
necessary TO say that the Irish are brave
and sklful soldiers. Their history is one
long unbroken record OF military glory.
[ have already spoken Of the deeds of irish
armies when led by their own kings: and
men who only know of Irish valor b.
achievements under flags having no rea
ton to Irish nationality, know but lille OF
the daring sacrifice of life, the uncom2la
ming endurance of hardship which those
people have made and borne, when the
cause was Ireland, and the banner 'thesun
burst of Erin. Picture to yourselves your
own coun,rymen fighting under foreign
flags in other lands; they may be brave
may be dariug and irresistible, but DO YOU
not thiuk their valor would be greater,
their arms strike more heavily, and their
shouts be more defiant, if instead of that
foreign flag they could lift their eyes 10
their own star spanged banner? Yet,
having neither flag nor nationality, the
lrish soldier has never sunk to the chalac
ter OF the mercenary. Though he may be
( H.,
not become soldier for paw. Henay be
found In The ranks ofoppresslon, but if he
does be there i, ls because bis services have
been coerce,i, or The surrounding circum-
stances may have compelled him to do so
When you tiud an Irish soldier voluntarily
bearing arms, YOU may safely understand
that he does SO because ile-', honestly ron
vinced that the cause lie. is supporting is
the cause truth, justice aud right His
heart is ever open to one cry--anI that
The cry of distress, and no matter how
hopeless the struggle, how desperate The
chances, let lis heart once understand that
he Is battling for the right, and lie plun-
ges into the contest, utterly Indifferent ~
to the personal consequences There are
Irish engaged in the armies Of the rebels,
but not one man of them has taken up
arms. except under relig; ;ous conviction
that he Is defending The weak against the
crlei invasion Of the strong, but, because
to do otherwise would b. impossible under
the circumstances If the natives Of the
soil have set up a rebellion against their
government, the humble iaborer from
to an overruling force. and seemingly, a.
least, coincide in IL movement to resist
which would result in his dest,uctinn.s
There is one contest, however, in which
an lrishmaI asks no questions, in which
} he is always on one side, and that is in \
, war with Great Britain. In a war with
: that power. no matter who may he the
} opposing bellgerent, the Iri>h heart. the
Irish prayers, and thr Irish arms are uni
ted against the cruel oppreesor Of their
. native land.
! | have said that Irish troop. may be
found in the armies of almost every ia.
! tiou in the world. la the earliest DAYS u
| her glory. her knights went forth to a.
: parts Of the world, and upon all the con
tested plains Of Europe, Irish valor shonc
} conspicuous y. Thrice did Saxon Erg
land appeal to Irish yalor to resist III,
r Romans and the Danes, and thrice dc
, Irish valor drive off the invader and ,e
& store TO British hands the island they wer,
t unable of themselves to defend
s Bruce, name that will live whi'e val
! or and honor shall find fame among men
! Irish allies 70 drive back tie Insulting En-
b. glish from the Tweed and let history d,
; both Bruce and the Irish justice bv re
] cor6ing that the Irish never failed to Ie
0 spond 20 Bruce's appeal, and that Bruct
, never led the lrsh but TO victory. TIL,
only power that ever successfully resi- i>teC
tho Roman legious were the naive Irish
E and Irish troops and Irish kings hay,
r crossed the seas and traversed the cont
e nen!, chastl,lng and pursuing the valian
: conquerors of Rome.
For deeds Of valor upon their own soil
! the traveller can find them in eyerv bog
: on every hill side, on the banks of ever,
d stream, and behind The walls OF everv cit,
a IN the island. Let Clon,arf tell the stor,
9 of the end Of the Danes. lie. AthIon
s and Limerick attest the failure Of Grea
Britain to subiue The people. Let tn
n history Of The Prince of Orange, William
i the Third, history so etfulgent with tn,
: military ,riumphs of his campaigns on tn
T continent, also relate that tie same VII
II liam in person met his superior in a Sars
q field, End tina. the city OF Limerick close,
o her gates to the king and that king, back
d ed by all Tie valor of his nation, was una
e be to reduce the garrison
= Since, however, the nationality of lie
y land has been destroyed, the world ha
n been the stage for Irish vaIor. France
II Spain, Russia, South America, and TIL
d Onion have had the benefit Of its servic,
y The world has had but one Fontenoy, An
neither time nor distance can deprive th
: Irish Of the glory of that achievement
g 1t was doubly glorious. 1t was cloriou
If and unexampIs'l As an exhibition Of lniIi
Is ary genius and individual bravery, but
II vas more glorious because this mere hane
: ful Of noble exiies had the opportunity {
wrsaking on the faithless Saxon tie pur
b :shment for broken treaties and aecumuls
'r tea wrongs. es ~ .
s. But to dwell upon Irish valor, howsvt
], gratifying the topic, will carry me bs, on
'e the time tha. you may be dsro ed to lis,e
o to me, and again it is unnecessary, for i,
- Americans it is a familiar story. IRIS
s blood u'arks the pathway from Quebec
y Cerro Gordo,-iis traces m ay be found u,
d on the floors of the balls Of the Montezt
70 mas, and It's rivulets are well defined i