The Irish standard., 1889-10-05
IRISH CHARACTERISTICS.
Address Delivered at Hibernian Hall
Holbrook, Iowa, by DR.. T. d.
Shuell, of ParneIl.
THEY LEAD IN BATTLE AND PEACE
In the Field of Patriotism, Wit and
Religion Irishmen Can Hold
Their Own.

Religion Irishmen Can Hold
Their Own.
The following address, which we copy
from the Iowa Catholic Messenger, was
delivered recently dt Holbrook, Iowa.
by DR.. T. D. Shuell, to the Ancient Or
der of Hibernians and citizens in gen
eral:
BROTHER HIBERNIANS AND CITI-
zENs:-As we are essentially an Irish
society whether individually born on
the "old sod' or not, it becomes our
duty to foster the best characteristics
of the Irish race. The other character
istics will not be forgotten by our ene-
mics.
Irishmen have excelied in many
things. They have excelled in bulls
not only in the bulls which toss you in
the air, but in literary bulls. They
often get the wrong word foremost.
either purposely or accidentally. The
Irishman. who remarked OF neighbor
who was addicted to drinking. that he
would wake up some fine morning and
find himself dead, illustrated by the ex
preston what is meant by literary
bull.
Irishmen excel in wit. No people in
the world can cope with them in this
respect. That was witty saving by
one of Old Mans Greek fellows: The
priest advised him to quit drinking, but
met him the next day after such advice,
as drunk as ever. The priest SAYS:
Drunk again, John?'. John quickly
replies: $50 am l, father"
The Irish people vie with the Ger
mans in humor. The Germans possess
the only true, droll humor; the Irish
mans humor is frequently interspersed
with vita thing to which the German
Is often stranger.
Irishmen excel in religious tervor-no
people on earth excel them when they
are religious. lrishmen, in the early
centuries taught religion to Western
Europe. Love thy neighbor as thy
self" and ''do good to those who hate
.thee." as scriptnral precepts, are closely
followed by the Irish race. The Irish
men who follow the old scriptural doc
trine, AN eve for an eye and a tooth
for tooth, are very few, indeed. The
Irishman will fight to-day and befliend
I r6rYfN r
Irishmen excel in forgiveness.
Irisbmen can drop the "brogue" and
assimilate with the majority faster than
any people on record, they can do more
than this, they can throw their weight
of influence against their church and
Mother Country. Such cases occur very
seldom of late years, because through
out the civilized world it is now re.
garded an honor to be Irish. Irishmen
excel as politicians.
Though acknowledging their val0l
and patriotism. in attaining to some OF
the most eminent positions IN the re-
publics and monarchies of Europe and
America; they have displayed another
factor and that is political astuteness
Although it is claimed that only the
people of the Southern part OF Ireland
have kissed the "BlarneY StOne," yet
the ajority of the Irish people act al
though they had kissed it. Whether
merited or unmerited, | know thii
4 much, that a representative of the Irisf
race, Marshal Mcmahon, was President
of France; that leading Irish names arr
r presented IN the aristocracy of Spain
that prominent generals and Statesmen
of Germany and Austria were of th,
Irish race; that even in Russia Wher.
every stranger is regarded as foe
where the imperial power is absolute
AMI where, Notwithstanding anarchisn
and nihilism are lii the ascendant-evel
in Russia the Irish have had generous
representation in the affairs of state.
But let us turn to America. In Cen
trail America and in South America
Irishmen have taken foremost part ii
, moulding their republics. ln tn
United States the history is positive o
the part they took long before the revo
lutiona:y war. This history reads tina
nearly one-half of the revolut1onar
forces were Irish; that no Irishmel
were on the side of England durin
that momentous struggle; that one
fourth of the signers of the Declaratio
of Independence, including the pres
dent and secretary, were Irish; tha
Irishmen distinguished themselves i
subsequent wars, upon the Bench. o
gubnernatorial chairs, in the halls {
congress and even in the White Hous
they led in battles, they led in peac,
/ The Irish people were not officially re,
ognized by the world until recentl,