The Irish standard., 1892-12-03
THE HONEST NAM
Matthew Thornton, a Native Of Ire
land Who Signed the Declara-
tion of Independ dence.
A MONUMENT TO HIS Memoir Y.

A MONUMENT TOHlS MEMOIR Y.
Col. ]. O. Linehan Clearly Proves
that the Immortal Patriot Was
Not Scotch Irish.
At the recent dedicauion OF monument
to Matthew Thornton at Merrimao, N.
H.. COL John @. I.inehan, of Penacook,
delivered the following interesting -ad-
dress: 4, ,.a* 4
From the time I had arrived at the age
of understanding, it has ever been my de-
light to read of the men whose deeds
have reflected honor and renown on our
good old State of New Hampshire.
The enames of Sullivan, LaDgdon, Stark,
Thornton, Whipple and BARTLETT, as well
as many others of lesser fame, stand in
the front rank among those identified
with the estab ablishment of the Republic.
and the prominence acquired for the
State, through their patriotic labors, has
been maintained, from the time the name
of Major John Sullivan beaded the roll
of delegates at the first Continental Con
gress, in May l774, down TO the present
hour. For throughout the land the
memories OF none are honored more than
those of Webster, Hale, Cass, Wade, But
Ter, Chase, Grimes, Dix, Pillsbury, Gree
ley, Pierce, and many others, whose
efforts in the cause Of freedom-or from
the exalted positions held by not few
Of them-have made their names house.
hold words and acquired new honors for
their native State. .,
With recollection of all this, was
therefore pleased to receive the invita-,
tion to attend and participate in the ex-
ercises of the day, and add my tribute to
that of others who have gathered from
far and near to honor the memory Of
Matthew Thornton, one of the immortal
signers, the Revolutionary patriot and,
as he was most truly styled by those who
knew him in life. "The Horest Man."
And this pleasure was heightened from a
knowledge of the fact that, like myself,
he was native of ireland, the birthplace
OF SO many whose names are identified
with the history of the State and nation.
Judge, then, of my surprise to learn from
the remarks Of those who have preceded
me that although born in ireland, he was
not an Iriehman, but one of a race now:
known as Scotch Irish,, the creation not
of the Almighty but of new school of
writer's, who know more about the origin
OF their ancestors than they ever dreamt
of. According to them, the race origin
ated in Scotland. circumstances obliged
many of them to settle in the North of
Ireland, and from thence they came to
America, and that they we're different
from the Irish in blood, language, morals
and religion.
Now against this idea desire to enter
a most solemn protest, and want to in
form my Scotch-Irish friends upon this
platform and upon the floor, that I am
stating fact, not advancing theory,
when I say that the country first known
to history as Scotia, or Scotland, was
ireland, and the first people called Scots,
were the people Of Ireland. My authority
for this is not confined to writer's Of my
own nationality; the testimony of others,
English and Scotch, can be cited. Buckle,
Green, Leoky, Knight, Chambers. Sir
Henry Mayne and many others. all of
whom agree that the Scots of Ireland
crossed over to Caledonia about the year
SOB, and after long contest, conquered
the Picts and founded the modern king
dom Of Scotland, and from them both
country and people derive their names.
"A glance at the history and geography OF
Ireland and Scotland will convince the
most sceptical Of the truth Of this, for
the surnames Of the Highland clans, as
we'll as the similarity Of the names Of
places, confirm the relationship.
SO that the simple truth is, that when
the Scots from Argyle settled in the
North Of Ireland in 1920, they were but
returning to the homes OF their ancestors,
the connection with which, despite the
repeated efforts OF English rulers to
break, had never been severed, for the
people Of both countries had married and