The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-08-10
WHAT A CENTURY HAS Done.
An Interesting Sketch Of the Century
Just Gone by and What it
Has Accomplished.
HOPE FOR OLD IRELAND.

HOPE tOR OlD !KELAND'
lnshmen's Loye Of Liberty for Ireland
1ntensifsd by Their Love Of Liberty
| for America.
The souvenir programme issued by
the Irish Nationalists, on the occasion
of the union picnic last week, contains
this interesting article: This year of
our Lord 1889 brings with it many in
spring memories. One hundred years
ago the last solemn act of the drama in
which the colonies set the power and
tyranny of Great Britain at defiance
was consummated by the inauguration
of George Washington as President of
a free and independent nation. To no
other element of the many which enter
into the composite character of our
population does this wear and Its pat
riotlc associations evoke such prot ound
interest as to our citizens Of Irish birth
and extraction To them, in an essen
! tial manner, the centennial celebration
means much more than passing pa
geant; 1T is q solemn commemoratlon
of the great sacrifice offered on the
altar of liberty to the God of battles,
100 years ago, and of the trials, despon-
dency, victories, defeats and eventual
triumph of the young republic. 1t is to
them a sermon against despair and a
sign or glorious promise for ultimate
victory in the motherland of their race.
Irish Nationalists, therefore, regard
this occasion with deep significance.
The blood of their kindred-Of thou
sands of Irish fugitives from British
injustice poured out on every battlefield
of the Revo|utoin-cemented the foun-
uation stones of the republic; their
bosoms strengthened it's ramparts of
defence against British aggression, in
the war OF 1928, and again in the
civil conflict when the shareholders of
the Southern States, backed up by
British money, ships and war material.
assailed the national integrity, they
played we'll their part in preserving the
glorious heritage of our Union for pos.
terity. The welcome which the Irish
race received they reQuited in every
crisis of the republic. The Irish Ma
tiona]ists, who gladly and proudly fore
swore allegiance to every foreign power,
prince or potentate, and more especially
to the King or Queen of Great Britain
and Ireland, to assume the duties of
American citizenship, have noble
centennial record to which to point.
Their love of liberty for Ireland inten-
sified their love of liberty for the repub-
lie. True Irish and true Americans
they have been and are to-day. Their
position was we'll expressed by the
"Father of the American navy" Com
modore John Barry, when hailed on the
high seas. in 1872, by Captain Vaughn
of British war ship, who demanded to
know "whose ship is that?" Barry
seized his speaking trumpet and thun-
dered out in reply: 'This is the United
States ship Alliance. saucy Jack Barry,
commander; half Irishman, half Yankee
who the devil are you?" and then tile
ship of the
IRIsH-YANKEE COMMANDER
poured a hot cannonade into the Bri
fisher, which disabled him. and Barry
made his escape from the hostile squa-
dron by which he was surrounded. A
very brief review of the century of
American nat1onhood may be of in
terest. Prior to the revolution fo1
nearly three-fourths of a century the
influx Of Irish emigrants to the colonies
was very large. The destruction OF
Irish manufactures by British legisla-
ton, the enactment of the atrocious
penal code and the rapacity Of the land
lords drove the people from Ireland in
myriads. They brought with them to
their new homes healthy bitter hatred
of British domination which they care
fully instllled into the minds of their
children. When Britain enacted CO.
ercion laws for the American colonies
they were the first to protest. When
British troops were ordered to enforce
coercion they were among the first to
resist. At the Boston Massacre on
March S. ITO, two Americans
James Caldwell and Patrick Carr, were
among the victims shot by the red
coated soldiery. When the die was cast
and the God of battles appealed to, the
Irish fugitives from British justice and
|'their children fell with alacrity into
the patriot ranks from the hills Of New
Hampshire to the swamps of South
Carolina. In the words Of Ramsay, one
of themselves, who was member of
the first Congress and one Of the first
historians Of the Revolution, ''The
Irish were to man on the side Of
independence; they had fed from OPP
preston in their own country and could