The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-09-07

In America In carrying on the great and
grand work Of which Father Mathew
laid the corner stone. We have had a
history of sorrow and of sadness. Here,
in this great and glorious country, we
have future of happiness, and of glory,
and we can make that future ever so
bright for ourselves if we are. only true
to the labors to which Father Mathew
gave his life that we might be sober
and temperate people. Show me an
Irishman or an Irishman's son, in any
walk of life in America, who has been
true to Father Mathews teachings, and
/ will show you an Irishman or an Irish
mans son who is successful, honored
and prosperous in whatever avocation
Divine Providence may have placed
him. I cannot better illustrate what |
would wish to say as to the blessings
that labors such as Father Mathews will
bring upon the efforts of Irishmen in
this country than by repeating to you
the reply which was made to me some
years ago by an illiterate but prosperous
Irishman in the state of Wisconsin. He
was illiterate through no fault of his
own, but because he had been victim
of English oppression, cruelty and mis-
rule. That victim of English tyranny,
although he would not have recognized
his own rame in print, and was scarcely
able to speak the Anglo-Saxon tongue
intelligibly, was prosperous, wealthy
and respected by all his neighbors.
When saw him at his magnificent resi-
dence, surrounded by all the appoint
ments of a luxurious home and splendid
farm, I asked him how it WIS that,
with all the disadvantages he encounter
ed on landing upon American soil, he
had become wealthy, prosperous and re-
spected. "Ah, Father he replied, "I
took the pledge from Father Mathew in
'38 and I never broke it." applause
How much eloquence, philosophy and
sound practical common sense there was
in that brief reply of that prudent and
wise Irishman who had never broken
Father Mathews pledge. If it could |
have been said with equal truth of all
those who took Father Mathews pledge |
that they had never broken it and
Father Mathews pledge had been taken |
by all 1rishmen upon arriving here what |
a history might have been written for
the Irish race in this country during the
last forty or fifty years
But there is a bright and glorious
future before us. We live under the |
grandest form of human government
the world has ever known, one under |
which every mans rights and liberties |
are protected and guarded by the noblest |
flag it has ever been the privilege of
freemen to defend. (Applause.) We
recognize no criterion of birth, creed or |
color. That only which we recognize |
is the criterion of individual merit and |
worth. Here every man received the
credit that is his due. What an inspira-
ton, therefore, my dear friends, and
what an encouragement this is TO us of
Irish blood and of the Irish race, who
are so proud of Ireland's memories, of
Ireland's heroes and of Ireland's apostles
what an inducement to us to seek to
prove ourselves, in this dear land of
liberty that we love so well, worthy of
The grand old race from which we
sprang, worthy Of the liberties we here
enjoy, and able to grasp the splendid
that temptingly await at
the bidding Of every man who is true to
Father Mathews memory and example.
Cheers.