The Irish standard., 1893-10-21
THE IRISH RACE.
The Genius of Irishmen Vividly
Portrayed by Hon. John E.
Fitzgerald of Boston.
IRELAND IN THE PENAL DAYS.
The Sons of Erin Have Vindicated
Their Patriotism and Citizen
ship i'm America.


ship in America.
The following is an abstract of the elo
quent address on The Genius of the
Irish Race" delivered on Irish day at
the Worlds Fair by Hon. John E. Fitz-
gerald of Boston
In this gathering today OF men of our
race from every land and cline, and in
the presence Of the representatives of all
nationals the proclamation of Irish unity;
and an announcement to tho world of a
nationality as distinct from that of it's
rulers as it was fourteen centuries ago.
ere she knew the Briton or the Dane,
and If the genius of nation be it's pre-
dominant character or. disposition, then
f6r my race above all races do L claim a
love of fatherland and freedom unexam-
pied in the worlds history. Her story is
sad one. The pages OF her history for
centuries have been written in blood.
War, determination, emigration and star
vation have been hers for many day.
At the door of the humble cot of her peas
antry the spectre of famine has stood
sentinel for many year. Her history is
historical tragedy. made up of many
acts, each ending with the Jail or the glib
bet. Yet, though robbed and ragged,
chained and tortured, she preserved
through all the centuries that intense
nationalism for which she stands con-
spicuous above aud beyond all the peo-
pies of the world today. Force and law
and bribe were used to destroy it, the
hsngman and the jailor did their work,
the awful penal code covered the land
with gloom for two centuries.
~.rhey bribed the flock, they bribed the son
To sell the priest and rob the SIRE
Their dogs were Taught alike to run
Upon the track of wolf and friar,'
but Notwithstanding all this, in the caves
and recesses of the mo, ntains OUT faith
ers who remained at horne, and on the
strangers land, those who were forced to
go, preserved and cherished this holy
spirit as a thing to love, to fight and die
Tor evermore Her rulers prohibited and
bsnned her ancient tongue, fooLshly
thinking that thus would be destroyed
her history and traditions, but in the
tongue OF the stranger abe speaks in fiery
]. prose and poetry the tale Of her woes,
and gives added ornament to the Eng
lish language, She was compelled to
learn and lisp the voice of her Swifts,
her Grattans, her Cnrrans and OCon-
nels, her Meaghers aud her Mitch.
els, and the poetry Of her Moores, her
Davises, her Mangans and ''Speranzas,"
and others, sounding in the ears of their
oountrymen will live forever, keeping
alive and luminous the fire of Irish ma
tionality. The wreck, ruin and havoc
OF the invader through the centurl.s
have helped to keep alive this love of our
land for which our race is distinguished.
And Divine Providence. thank heaven,
is rewarding our race for their steadfast
love and fealty and unity through the
centuries. We were represented to the
world as lawless race, because we
fought and died through the ages, and
refused to be manacled without strife
and struggle. The parliamentary sue
cessors OF the very men who for centuries
chained us have at length acknowledged,
yea, but yesterday, that instead of being
lawless race we have been prosecuted
race, and have at last acknowledged our
right to natural existence and to govern
ourselves, right for which we fought
and which We proclaimed through 700
years. The Irish, thank God, NJ longer
act with fawning, crouching mien-
but proud and erect like men, they ask
for mems rights. The struggle today is
the fight of the masses, English as we'll
as Irish, against the classes-the tri-
nmph is assured and creeping above the
hilltops OF the dear old land, dark 80
long, is the morning light of brighter
and better day And in the shaping of
events which have led to this grand re-
suit, our race everywhere have contri-
buted their share, more especially the
great Irish race in America, and this
brings me to another characteristic
predominant in our race, seemingly
diametrically opposite to the passionate
love Of fatherland which I have de-
scribed. It is the adaptability Of our
race, their capacity to blend and ho