The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-06-04

Greek, they were guided BY Christian !,
principles and animated by faith in the
justice OF their cause. The slave, though
black, was their brother, and therefore,
they freely shed their blood to make him
free. They faced danger ard death, not
to do a tyrant's will, but to crush tyranny.
They fought with heroic valor, not for
praise or plumber, but to restore the
Union, TO preserve our national existence
to keep one and indivisible the country
our fathers won for us.
The pure motives, the keen sense OF
honor, the unwaven & loyalty, and I'M
daunted heroism which distinguished our
soldiers in the late war, shed halo
round the ceremonies of to-day, and con-
stitute an inheritance at once the boast
and exclusive property of their country
men. They displayed still nobler
quality than courage; they displayed
magnanimity, generosity, Christian chi
valry. Whenever the feeble or the de-
fenceless req uired a protector, or woman
champion, or an endangered church
defender, the protector, the champion,
| the defender were to be found in the
Union soldier who fought for a principle,
not for vengeance or desolation.
Ambition is said to be one Of the viz
tues of the soldier, and generous rivalry
is but it's outward manifestation. The
native American soldier in the presence
of his Irish, French or German comrade
felt called upon even to exceed his natur-
al daring. And thus itwas, that although
often outnumbered, and sometimes de-
feated, our armies invariably displayed
the greatest heroism. In the war natural
born and naturalized citizens fought
with equal bravery and devotion side by
side. Irish, German, Morse and French
citizens proved loyal Americans, and were
among the first to rush in where blows
| fell thickest and heaviest. The records
of the war attest that they contributed
their full share to the victories we won
! and to the glory of our arms.
All we're Americans by loyalty, by COM
mon suffering, by common dangers and
by common deeds. They who have
| mingled their blood on the same battle
! field must henceforth be treated as bro
theirs. The VIE has made us one people
and has removed more than one Of the
old causes of division.
No American can forget that chiefly to
the sturdy Germans of the West we owe
it that the great state of Missouri did
not follow her sister slave states into
rebellion. No American can forget that
in the very darkest hour, when even
stout hearts failed, the brave and impul
sive Irish were among the first to volun
teer in the armies of the Union. Their
blood flowed on every battlefield from
Bull Run to Richmond. And when
Columbia erects her temple Of fame, high
ND on it's columns, written in letters of
gold will be the names of the soldiers
and chiefs of the Irish Brigade. No
American car ever forget that in the
nations struggle for life Catholics sent to
the field, both in officers and men, their
due proportion. The number of Catho
lies in the Union army during the war
was probably more than double the pro-
portion which Catholics bore to the
whole population of the country. After
such manifestations of loyalty, no sane
American can ever countenance an anti
foreign or anti Catholic party in politics.
Catholics indicated their right to civil
and political equality, in every battle
that was fought, in every defeat that was
suffered, in every victory that was won.
No blood flowed more freely than theirs,
and the man who ignores or forgets this
is not worthy of the name of American.
1t is plain that Catholics, as we'll as
Professionals, adopted as we'll as native
born citizens, contributed their full share
to the gaining of our victories, and the
preservation of our national life. And,
therefore, as they had share in the
glorious work of restoring the Union,
SO they should have share in the reward
which is due to the defenders Of our
country. If the flags of our country,
torn with shot and shell, and begrimed
with the smoke of war, are dear to us;
how much dearer are our SCARED vet
Grams who carried those flags in triumph
through the blood-red rain of freedoms
battle? Their bronze medals, their
empty sleeves, and the wounds craven
on their bodies are their titles to the
nations gratitude.
We hear the voice of selfish economists
and Preside philosophers raised against
the pensions paid by the country to it's
veteran citizen soldiers. We are told
that the soldier in war time simply made
a contract with the government, and that
the terms of the contract we're fulfilled
by his daily food and payment while in
active service. In the present time, as
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