The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-07-27
0rRngeEsEl.


up very high literary tone, and on all gen.
eral and historical topics is as impartial as
it is we'll informed. Some time since, says
The Age, we repudiated the claim of Irish
Orangeism to be considered as Identical with
American Pretestantism. We treated the
assumption as a mere political dodge"
We are glad to find our judgment reinforced
by the following article in EUery Saturday.
1t comedies with views which we have here
tofore expressed but we are glad to repeat
them from literary journal which cannot
be accused of Democratic proclivities
1T has appeared strange to many Amer:-
cans that the projected parade of the Orange
societies in New York, on the 18th of July,
should have roussd such an extraordinary
display of hatred on the part of the Catholic
Irish of that city. II was first asked-are
not both parties Irishmen Alas no. Or
angemen is the most hateful symbol Of the
English and Scotch coonists of Ireland who,
by the aid of the English army, reduced, in
1890 and 1691. the aboriginal population Of
the country to the condition of helots ard
serfs, and for nearly hundred and forty
years kept this population down, denying
gious rights The coonists were not tenth
part of the inhabitants of Ireland They
we're the Saxon" masters of millions of Gel
tic bondmen. In the name of Protestant
ism, they coniscated, prescribed, plundered,
oppressed, and killed. The distinction as
to religious belief was much. but it might
have been overcome 4; the distinction as to
race has never been effaced. As a general
thing, the Protestant and Roman Catholic
Irishmen have been separated by as wide a
gulf as that which separates one of our front
iersmen from the wild Indian.
at is again asked, why should the cele>
bration of the anniversary of the Battle
Of the Boyne excite among the Catholic
Irishmen fercer feelings Of hatred than
the celebration of St. Patrck's Day excites
among Protestant Irishmen, or Protestants
in general The answer is, that the Battle
Of the Boyne is associated 10 the minds of
the Celtic Irish with mole than a century of
tyranny, slavery, national humiliation, and
religious prosecution. If instead of celebrat-
ing ST. Patrick, Day. the New York Catho-
lies should celebrate the anniversary of the
Massacre of St, Bartholomew, it would not
more arouse Protestant fanatcism than the
celebration of the Battle of the Boyne excites
the fanaticism of Catholic Irishmen for the
Battle Of the Bayne was victory of one
race and nation over another, as well as one
form of religion over another. The victors
had no mercy; and long after every Wing
statesman, and every liberal Tory statesman
of England, had united in repeating the laws
which oppressed Ireland, the Orange Socie-
ties, only started in 1898, and prescribed by
the law, labored to keep alive the passions
which every British administration labored
to nllay. The badge of the Orangemen is.
therefore. to an Irish Celt what the sight of
a red flag or red shawl would be to a wild
bull
Then the essential distinction of Orange.
ism, at least in the British Isles, is allegiance
to the British Sovereign we'll as fidelity
to the Protestant faith. Though the British
Sovereign rspudiates such allegiance, though
every liberal British Protestant considers
Orangesm as the deadiest enemy of the
psciication of Ireland, it still insists on its
exceptionally enthusiastic loyalty and its
exceptionally fervent Professionalism. Prob
ably the Orange societies of the United
States are composed simply Of Protestant
Irishmeu, distinguished from the British
and Irish Orange societies as the Episcopal
Church in this country is distinguished from
the Church in Great Britain. The Ameri-
can Episcopalian finds no difficulty in sub
stit1tng in his prayer book the name of the
President of the United States for that of
the Queen; but the natura!ized Catholic
Irishmsn believe that no person can be an
Orangeman and at the same time &n Ameri-
can citizen. He would cease. In their visw,
to be an Orangeman the moment he abjures
his allegiance to the British Sovereign. We
bring forward thesa facts, not to justify, but
to explain. the special Irish hatred Of Orange
ism. 1t is much stronger than their love of
the Catholic faith. In the long fight be-
tween the parties. in the old country religion
was repeatedly dishcnored by both. and, in
deed, was brought in merely to give q kind
of conservation to cupidity and tyranny on
the one side, and lawlessness and ferocity
on the other.
1--WE have not the remotest notion that
Orangemen of this country stand for the
two prominent Orange ideas. Why then do
they assume their name? Are they British
subjects Then they ought to know that
the name they adopt is detested by every
eminent British statesman, Radical, Wing,
or Conservative. Are they bigoted Protest.
ants, desrous of limiting the rights of the
Roman Catholics ? Then they ought to
know that they live in country where the
equality of all sects and all churches in the
eye Of the law is fundamental principle
and fact. Bot they are neither. Why then
do they call themselves Oraugsmen AS
Irish Protsstants and naturalized citizens of
the United States, thsy would excite little
animosity even from the most passionate
and ignorant naturalized Celt.'
owe are opposed to the introduction here
of fcuds originally generated under essential
ly different social conditions, in the countries
from which our foreigu-born citizens come.
Mere naturalization will not make such per-
sons Americans; to accomplish this, requires
that the vindictive passions which cling to
Old World memories shall be extinguished
To stimulate this passion is serious offense
against the principle of American citizen
ship. In view of what has taken place in
New York, and independent of the action
of the authorities relative thereto, it is a
question worthy of serious consideration,
whether we should allow our streets TO be-
como the arena on which brutal and igno-
rant foreigners. whether Catholic Irishmen
or fanaticai Orangemen shall DISPLAY their