The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-10
MARSHAL M.MAnoN.


n. ssr,,,,.,t rrsuch solder Noe PARTIAL -
His Hlbernian Relatives.
The recent false reports put In ctrcu-
lstion in reference to the shattered
state of Marshal NlacMahon's health
have for the moment attracted public
attention to the veteran soldier. Foo
ple are asking themselves: Would no
bs appointed commander-in-chief OF
tho army If tomorrow war broke ous
between France and Germany Mar
shall MacMahon's military record Is
unrivaled in modern annals Persons
of all ranks and classes know him and
appreciate him only as a soldie.-so
much 30, indeed. that the title OF
"Duke of Magenta" awarded him by
the late Napoleon III. is almost for
gotten, both by his friends and him
self. and by the outer world generally
who have q far greater admiration for
q Marshal's baton than for . Ducal
coronet. Despite MacMahon's brilliant
career a. dashing and intrepid var
rior, I doubt il he will ever again un-
sheath his sword on battle field
much less be found at the head OF 0
million Of men. In the first place. old
age incapacitates him for any further
active service; and. secondly, he IS 80
obnoxious to the powers that be that,
even if he were young and strong
enough to take command, it is not at
all certain that he would be authorized
to do so. I am not, however, going to
discuss such . question in the present
paper. What I would wish to point
out to your readers, but more particu'
larly to the Irish portion OF them.
is the utter fallacy of supposing
that the Marshal is at all Irish
in sympathy or feeling. I saw
lately in q newspaper. famous TO.
the crnards it floats. that the Marshal
purposes sleeping his last sleep In Irish
dust. This is utter farrago. MacMa.
hon purposes nothing of the kind.
am aware, of course, that some Of my
own enthusiastic fellow-countrymeE
once presented him with o sword. ant
that he acknowledged the gift in terml
of the most refined gratitude. French
men, however, all the world over
have the knack of dressing up sweet
soft nothings in a very brilliant ant
artistic style. They can pile up cour
tesy on courtesy; but such courtesie
do not really mean any thing. Mac
Mahon during his presidency OF tn
French Republic afforded ample proc
of his un-Irish proclivities. Man.
Irishmen who sought audiences wit
him on the ground that they wer
Irishmen were politely bowed out tn
Elysee gates by his aids-de-camp with
out being able to see him. The fey
| Hibernians who, thanks to persever
ance and sundry letters of introduc
ton, succeeded in being ushered int
his presence were invariably treated :
the following reminder from the lips Q
the naughty Marshal: Il am no Irish
man, sir. I am o Frenchman. NJ
country is France, not Ireland; and
am more than astOnished that you
Irishmen, can for a moment fancy tina
I am one of yourselves" 1quote Mac
Mahon's own words textually. for
have met few score of my compatri
OTIS who saw the man and who reporte'
to me the language he used in address
ing them. And yet Irishmen continu
to believe that this scion Of Brian Bor'
stock is proud of his ancestry and hi
origini I think it my duty. in tn
cause of truth. to speak plainly on thi
matter, for there is no use in peopl
bowling down and worshiping an ids
whose feet are of clay. Verb. sat-
Brussels Cor. Chicago Times.