The Irish standard., 1893-06-17

sroaIJEls h II 1 y ii, s.
him tholics Proved their g tthe
Republic 81 tho "a delds.
Father Thomas d Conaty delivered al
splendid GRAFTON o. Memorial Lay be-
fore the Grand Army 81 the Republic at
Concord, n. III, from which the follow
ingextract is taken: sa5 s5
Americanism should know no such
thing as bigotry OF scrlption, for
Americanism IS the assertion of civil and
religious liberty, by which every man is .
free to form his own political opinions
and, FREQ to worship his God according to-
the dictates of his conscience. That We
spring from different races, kneel at diff
ferent affairs, believe ia different social
and political platforms, is no bar TO az !.
honest and pure Americanism.
..Who loveth the flag is man and q brother
No matter what birth, what race,or what
creed
s Shall prejudice excite class against
class and creed against creed? Was It
thus that the Fathers understood the
great principles Of civil and religious
liberty, the children OF Plymouth and
Catholics OF Maryland? Was this the
meaning Of our Declaration OF Rights
Was this what was attained by the blcd
of our heroes who died to defend the
Republic that asserted mans inalienable
rights to life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness?M A danger to our republic
exists in any form OF bigoSry which
would ostracizs the citizen because of
his altar, his race or his color. Men
speak of foreigners; the only foreigner is
he who refuses to assume the dutirs Of
American citizenship, for citizenship
makes America ,,ative land to HIM who
assumes it. A mau's country is the land
of happiness, and the exile coming here
is mono the less true to America because
he loves the land that bore him. 1t is
popular at certain times and in some
places to taunt the Irish-born and the
Catholic with disloyalty to American
freedom. Soldiers, appeal to you. Is
this just, is it fair? What is the test of
loyalty if not sacrifice, and tell me did
the Irish American Catholic ever refuse
to give his share of sacrifice? They
claim no credit for doing this, it was
duty, but they do claim that this duty
done at the cannon's mouth, is test Of
loyalty. When war sounded, there was
no question Of race or creed. Men were
wanted and the Blu9 made all races
and creeds sink in common devotion to
the flag and all became American sol
diers X.
Their religious views never were in
conflict with duty to country; on the
contrary, they we're inspired by them to
greater devotion, because they saw in
the flag the best protection which reli-
gion had ever experienced. We're men
less loyal because chsplains OF different
denominations presided over their: devo-
tions? We're men less united because
devoted women, wearing the white cornet
Of the SISTERS OF Charity, stopped to. give
drink to the parched and dying soldier,
while they whispered sweet words Of re-
ligion and home? Our country and dag
are hostile to all blgotry towards race or
creed; for all creeds and races make our
country and defend our flag. God grant
that our starry banner may never become
the appendage of any sect or class, tor
that moment wedge of disintegration
will enter our body polite and disrupt 1t.
On Decoration Day it waves over all and
sllences all bigotry and prescription. As
a Catholic priest, wi h the blood Of the
Irish race coursing through my veins
appeal to that flag to vindicate my reli-
gion and my race against any imputa-
ton that my Church or my race are q
menace to American liberty.
I appeal to it by the blood shed on
every battlefield from Lexington to APP
pomattox; appeal to it by the names of
leaders from Stephen Moylan to Phil.
Sheridan, from Bishop Carroll to Bishop
Hughes. Yes, I appeal to you soldiers
Of New Hampshire, did you ever meet
drawer or more devoted men than those
who were grouped together in what were
called the Irish regiments, or the men Of
Irish extraction, associated with you in
Jour companies? Who can tell of
Gaines's Mill without recalling the brav-