Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-03-10
SPEECH oE HON. JOHN F. FINERTY

SPEECH OE HON. JOHN F. FINERTY.
The HERALD regrets that it can
not reprint in full the speech of the
editor of the Chicago Citizen, at the
Michigan Club Banquet at Detroit,
Feb. 22d, on " Washin gton, the Re-
volutionist." 1t would he all intellec
tual treat Tor our Irish friends. We
extract q few of its pithy points,
The singular message of President
Cleveland to congress:
What are we invited to do by this
message? We are invited to give
up all the advantages we have gain
ed by the sacrifices of patriotism !;
we are invited to
BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS
that have made this country in the
last five and twenty years the super
iOr OF any country Oh the globe. We
are asked to abolish the system that
has turned the industry of the coun-
try inward, the system that helped
to pay the armies and the navies
that conquered treason, the system
that has explored the wilderness and
has belted the continent with those
lines of railways that connect the
Pacific with the Atlantic; the sys-
TEN that enables the American
worklngman to own the soil he tills
and to be the proprietor of his own
rooftree applause; the principal
that beckons here from Europe the
down-trodden panper laborer, that
plants him on this free soil and be-
meath this. free flag, equal in heri.
tage to the man born on that soil
aud beneath the protection OF that
flag. They ask US to surrender
these rights, to surrender these adj
vantages, to quench the fires of our
factories, to close down oar mills, to
60 forth from the mart and the work
shop, to seek to reclaim upon the
prairies the prosperity we delibera-
tely fling away.
Senator Harrison, in behalf of the
oppressed negroes of the south, APP
pealed to the Irish-Americans for
sympathy. l would like to ask the
honorable gentleman and splendid
audience whenever did America APP.
peal to the Irish.American heart
that it was not answered with the
throb of loyalty and the hand of de.
fenses lGreat applause. From
the day when the Continental Con-
gress gave the commission of major
general to Richard Montgomery,
who LETT his heroic dust on the blood
stained slopes OF the Heights of Alb
raham from that day to the day
when the son of the Irish immigrant,
Andrew Jackson, broke forever the
last remnant Of British military
pride on this continent in front of
New Orleans; from that day to the
day when Phil Sheridan, Ienthusias-
tic cheers the son of another Irish
immigrant smashed at Winchester
the chivalry of the South applausel;
from that day until that lurid after
noon when the son of another Irish
immigrant, Gen. John A. Logan lap
plausel NOT only the son of an Irish
emigrant, but the son of an Irish
rebel emigrant, was John A. Logan
rallied the broken union lines in
front of Atlanta after the death of
Mcpherson, Ireland's sword has flash
ed in your cause and Ireland's bra.
vest blood has fructified your soil.
Continued applause Those glori.
Gus chiefs of the race / mention, but
L have forgotten to mention the
grand masses of the Irish soldiery
that filed your ranks, the fiery yalor
that swept impetuously on to
Marye's Heights to meet at their
feet the glorious death of soldiers
WAC fell III the cause of liberty.
Applause.