The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-06
Judge Brennan,s Remarks.

~HO
Judge Brennan's Remarks.
There was a time when the name of an Irish
man was q patent of nobility in America, ere
Irish emigration had yet become the exodus of
poverty and misfortune; when religious perse-
cution and political ostraeism sent adrift from
the shores of Ireland great nunbers Of refined,
exalted and educated men. Such were the
Carols. the Barrys, the Suliiyans and Thorn
tons of the Revolution such the Irish mer-
chants Of Philadelphia. who flung their fortunes
on the side of independence in The days that
tried mems souls and such were the Emmets;
the Careys, the McNevins and OConnors IN the
early days of the present century. These men
occupied a foremost place in the social, profes-
sSnnal and political life of the young Re
ILblic. There was then no exclusive
ness, intended to make an lrlshnan
the pariah of American society. Our exlles then
were like the Sparks from the blacksmith's an
vii, that enlightened their courses as they fed
from under the hammer. of oppression. America
killed for them the fatted calf, placed laurels on
their brows, and bLilded noble monuments to
their memories. Their graves were pilgrim
shrines, and the sod above their ashes was holy
ground They were true to progress, liberty
and law. And they loved one another. But a
change of circumstances and conditions unfa-
vorably affected the status of the Irish in Amer
lea. From 1910 to 1850 they emigrated to this
country in multitudes. These were the exiles
of hunger, poverty and oppression. Their
aonditon was the product of
English legislation, penal laws, rack
diced and uneducated, They were all that Eng
lish laws had made them-laws that were calcu-
lated to debase human nature and to deaden the
higher and holier ambitions of the human soul.
They were,as Mr.. Thomas A. Hendricks remarks
with CALLING irony, natural Democrats Ger
tainly they were. Poor fellows. They were
physically brave; they worshipped the true God.
and had virtues that were indestructibles but the
science Of politics was not among their list of
accomplishments. They reached America in evil
days. If | could deal in deceit ] might indulge
In f1attery; but nay bretherR, / am neither a fiat
terer nor a demagogue. Other men may appeal
to your vanity. | will indulge in truth
you, will give you the spirit
of history. The Irish of that period were singu-
larry unfortunate. They quarreled among them
selves, and excited the disgust of the better
class of Americans and the malice of the baser
elements of American political society.
ORIGIN OF KNow-NoTHNG1sM.
The slave-holding States were the home of
Know5nothingisfn. OConnel had excited the
wrath of the Southern shareholders by spurning
their offers of assistance; and denouEcing their
Institution of slavery; and the cry of ireland
for the Irish which was the war-cry Of the
repeal agitation, was paraphrased in the South
by the war whoop of america for the Ameri-
cans K-now~nothingism was a Democratic
OOi6s MnaCn SERIOUSLY JnfGaC6nCQ 20 over
throw the regular Democratic organization.
A majority Of the Democratic leaders had sense
enough to see that this phase of fanaticism could
not succeed; and to provide for its own perpet-
nation the Democratic party Of the period took
sides against it. But the fact remains that its
home and origin were in the South, and that it
most found favor in the States and cities which
were then and are to-day most powerfully Dem
ocratic. Places like st. Louis and Louisville
ran red with Irish blood, and the malice Of the
mob found vent in heartless exeesses and cruel
ties.
The Know-nothing party was at the height of
its power in 1888. It poned nearly half a million
votes t479, 1861 in the slave-holding States for
Fillmore IN 1856. At the same election, John
G. Fremont, the Republican candidate received
less than 1000 votes Il, l94) in all Of the fifteen
slave7holding States of the Union. There was
practically no Republican party ia the South in
1856, and in 1861 the vast Know-nothing army
was absorbed bodily into the ranks OF the Demo
cratic party, or the party Of rebellion, which was
in the South one and the same thing.
In 1860 the Democrats and Know-nothings
united in the State of New York, the Know
nothing party receiving seven electors as their
share of the Joint ticket. Grover Cleveland was
then = Democrat, residing IN the State of New
York, and il he voted at all he voted for these
seven Accommodating electors, and the chances
are that he voted.
WAS BLAINE A KNowSNoTHING2
1he slanderers might as well say that he as
sisted at the eruciixion of our Savior. He wasan
active Republican in 1885. supported Fremont in
1856, and fought for Lincoln in 1860. The
State Of Maine never ..poiled quite LOCO
Of Maryland gave Fillmore A, 000. No;
Blaine was not q Know nothing. He is the
son of a Catholic mother, and he has declared in
most emphatic terms that he would not, for a
~ word against the religion Of his
mother. / challenge the Democratic press.
] defy the Democratic besses,to produce a single
line or a single word that Blaine has ever spoken
or written unfriendly to the race or religion Of
IrfshMen.
will go further. The Republican party has
been in power for four and twenty years. 1t
has been guilty Of it's sias and 1 ana not its Apol-
pgist but | will defend it against the foul
charges of which it is u~njustly accused / chal-
1enge the Democratic press and the Democratic
bosses; I appeal to the letter Of history, and
defy any man to show me an act upon any stat
ute book. enacted BIZ Republicans, Infringing on
the right OF any man on account of race or re
ligion. Its spirit and its purposes have been
utterly incompatible with the objects OF Know
n0thingien.
SEEK AND w SHALL
II yon want to find the flesh and bone and
spirit of Intolerance which animated Know
ROthingasm in its palmy days, I commend You to
the Democratic party. In Mississippi they shoot
Q man to death for an opinion. In Indianapolis
they seek to ruin his business for an opinion.
IN Maine the irish KnoW-nothings burn one
u their high 1ouled eonntrymen in eAlgy for the
a~tE0cioue crime Of rising above their prejmfice,
and the Iowa Democratic StatRcenveDtien Kisses
the name Of Patrick Ford, The fearless editor OF
tne Irish World You yourselves know well
mat qG1t here ia this city your Irish candidates
IN ne Democratic ticket rum behind their party
vote, Quite recently, am informed, an
estneple young lfishmap Of this city was D
e2nelaate for city clerk; and he ran more than
20 behlna the party vote. Need | cali youR
attention TO Mayer Grace. OF New York Who, on
oeoQpnt 0trhls religion ran 10000 behind his