The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-05-17
MAT THEW HARRIS is DEAD.
Another Of the Rank and File Has
Passed to His Eternal
Reward.
GAL WAYS RIGHT BOWER GONE,

II
| GAL WAYS RIGHT BOWER GONE,
a Sketch Of His Career and an Ell
oquent Address BY William
O'Brien.
I One who signs himself IAN Old Com
rade" writes as follows of the late Matt
Harris, M f., of Galway: It is more
| than twenty years since | 6rst made the
acquaintance OF Matt Harris. Although
living at extreme points Of our lslana,
a common purpose brought us together,
and my regard for him increased as |
become more intimate with his genial
character. his inoffenslve disposition,
aud his deep. nnselhsh devotion TO the
sacred cause which he cherished from
childhsod. He could noe help loving
Ireland; he could not cease to think and
to labor for the oppressed. In what
ever form the National cause was hon
0rably advocated, he gave it his aid,
sacrificed his time to advance it, running
all risks regardless OF his own interests
Beginning his political career as a re-
pealsr. he readily adopted the conc]u-
slons OF the Young Ireland party when
OUonnell failed to drive his coach and
four through the act Of unio,. In 1SA9
! Matt Harris was q or 24 years Of age
young, ardent. full OF enthusiasm; and
this heroic era or our struggle was con
genial to his ardent temperament. and
to his dscislvs method of asserting
Ireland'S claims to self-government.
The collapse OF the '48 movement did
! not cool Che feryur OF his patrlotlsEn
! The tanant'right agitation Of 81 had a
special attraction for him. chiefly be-
cau-e hs had witnessed, after the
famine years, the pitileas EXTERN inatiOn
Of the farming population. AS ma
tional N Welnent, be didn't place much
faith or hope in II; but he warmly es.
poused it. because he saw with anguish
the decirn ation5of the peasantry, and be
thought that
| SHERMAN CRAWFORD ENDEAvoR
to save the people aight result in an
act Of Parliament that would clip the
claws Of naerciless Iaudlord,sm. There
were few men in ireland who had a
greater reason to lab " for che destruc-
tion of the Irish land system than N 1T
IL srris. The ruthless clearances Car
ried out By the notorious Allan Pollok
took place uuder Matt Harris own
eyes Lis saw thousands Of people
driven from their homes, their cottages
leveiled, and their !lttle farms con-
solidated into one iluge holding. But
he had the satisfaction Of recording in
United Ireland few years ag', thu col
lapse and bankruptcy of the Pollok
enterprise. After the Independent
Deposition PArty--ths Keoghs, the
Fltz 4eralds and che SAdlers.--had fallen
under the weight of their own treacherv,
Matt Harris embraced the next organi.
zAtion that offered @ promise oa i'm
pressing the Irish question upon the
minds OF the people Of England.
Whether Matt Harris regarded the
Fsnian movement as u forlorn hope, or
as seontaining tue possibilities OF success,
he went into it with the sincerity and
whoie-heartedneg which characterized
his adhssiou to every form Of resistance
to English injustice and misgovern-
meut. It was during his connection
with this revolutionary party that Matt
Harris gave the highest proofs Of his
disinteresCedness and devotion. Fen
ianlsm demanded exceptional sacrifices,
because its principles were misunder-
stood aud it's aims mi5represented.
Many prominent Nationalists-let nae
mention Smith q Brlen as an illustra
ton
DENOUNCED FENIANIs1,
being under the impression that it was
inherently wicked and lniquitous, al
though it in no way differed from his
own '48 movement. except IN the secret
torn OF its combination. It was this
hostile attitude Of good Iriahmen which
compelled Matt Harris and his col
leagues to struggle against an obioquv
and an antaRonism which no previous
organization had to contend with in
Ireland. Matt Harris was an especial
sufferer from the hostility which dsgged
the marked" man in country towns
His business was Injured, his contracts
were taken from him. and ufluential
people who had been friend y with him
men who had respected him for his
honesty and admired him for his excep
tional abili.Y--passed him by in the
street as though he had been suddenly
ssized with q aiOsthsome disease. or all
the men ever saw. he was the most
auncompl a Teproachful word.
ona;nnt f,aIua frion,3a l,,. ,,,n !, P.,al,c T