The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-02
4 RICH THEME FOR IRISH GENIUS.


The Irish, as people, come nearer than
any other, perhaps, in being what might be
called race Of born orators Some Of the
finest speakers, the most persuasive and in
spiriting pleaders have been natives Of Ire
land. Their fame is established, not so much
through having kissed the blarney stone, as
through the promptings Of that innate love of
liberty and freedom that has characterized the
people of Ireland from earliest times. It is
no fault of the Irish people that they are not
a nation to themselves In valor, intelh-
gence and patriotism, they are all that
could be asked or hoped for. In numbers,
power and wealth only are they deficient AS
a compensation for the wrongs they have suf
fered, for the burden put upon them by their
oppressors, it would seem that nature had
kindly come to them with the gift of elo-
quence, with which to plead their cause
With the names of OConnell, O'Connor
Sheridan, Grattan, Curran, Emmett and
OBrien, is the calendar of Ireland made
famous and glorious. The fire and pathos of
genuine eloquence were theirs, and in their
ilnpassioned delivery the cause of that down
trodden people seemed to plead itself. The
Irish of to-day have lost none Of that divine
gift so richly bestowed upon the race.
In America, the adopted home Of 50 many
Irish refugees there is a wide field, rich in
material to inspire the Irish heart and tongue.
Unfortunately enough only too many Irish
Americans have been on the wrong side, and
it is little to be wondered at that they have
not won fresh laurels on the western shore of
the Atlantic. Now, however, with hundreds
and thousands Of Irishmen focking to the
Republican standard, we may again hope to
witness a renaissance of Irish oratory. The
themes that have ever inspired the Celtic
tongue are ready to relight the fire of elo-
quence. The Republican party, as the champion
Of universal liberty and absolute freedom, as
the friend Of the poor and oppressed. as the
deliverer of the Nation from the thraldom
Of human slavery and the crime Of So
cession, as the exponent Of commercial and
political progress and as the defender Of the
American idea, as bequeathed to us by the
founders Of this Republic, has in its elements
heart on fire and turn the tongue into atongue
of fame. There is absolutely nothing that
this element Of American citizenship admires
but is found in the history and principles
Of the Republican party. The individual
liberty and freedom Of speech SO dear to the
Irish heart have been perfected in America
as in no other land, and wholly through the
operations of the Republican party The
shadow of caste that hung over the land so
long as African slavery was allowed to exist
has been lifted, and all men--high, low, rich
and poor are equal before the law and enjoy
the same rights. The man at the anvil is the
political peer of the man in the palace; the
section hand casts as big a ballot as the presi-
dent Of the road; the black stevedore counts as
much on the day Of election as the man
VINO employs him. The Republican party
has brought about this transformation And,
while delivering the country from secession
and slavery while lifting up the lowly to a
level with the highest it has not been I'M
mindful Of the needs Of the Nation CONNER
eially and financially, 50 that today we are
rapidly approaching the point where America
win be the wealthiest nation in the world and
Americans as individuals the most indie
pendent people ever known.
There is in the history of the Republican
party everything calculated to inspire the ora
tor. Its present attitude is in keeping with its
past record. In principles and in leaders it
embOdies the American idea in all it's purity
The interests Of the country, present and
prospective are provided for the issues are