The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-24
Speeial to the Scranton Tribune.


GPHE other day it WAS noted in the
New York papers that Captain
John c. Delaney, of this city,
u formerly of Lackawanna county,
had written to Mayor Gilroy. OF New
York city, warm letter OF indorss-
meut because of his appointment OF
General Kerwin to police commits.
sionership. The esteem in which Gen.
eral Kerwin Is held by Pennsylvania
veterans, no less than his deserved
eminence as representative Irish
American, made this appointment so
much q subject of general interest
that the captain was besought ut his
cosy suburban home in this city to ex-
plain its significance.
Do l know General Michael Ker-
wihI' repeated Captain Delaney. "Most
assuredly. dear boy; l know him inti-
mately aud regard him as the best type
Of what the worldregards as a real Irish
gentleman. My personal knowledge Of
General Kerwin dates back to the days
Of Bull Run, Antietam, FrederiGks =
burg, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Vicksburg
and Appomattox, and the friendship
which was begotten of those fields OF
carnage has never abated one jot or
title Ia all the twenty. nine years since.
General Kerwin commenced his soldier
career as a lieutenant but by his splen-
did courage. coupled with q brilliant
intellect and an intense love OF the
union cause he rose rapidly from grade
to grade until he became brigadier
general. As to his standing as q SOL
dier and a gentlemen know Of no bet.
ter way TO sum it up than 10 refer you
to the opinions of two of Americas
greatest soldiers-the renowned Sher.
man, dead, and the peerless Gregg,
living. General Sherman said 10 me
the year before his death that if the
war had continued another year and
the brilliant young cavalry officer
(Ksrwin) had been spared, he would
have reached one Of the highest ranks
in the army General Gregg, the
greatest of the living soldiers of the
war, can be seen almost any hour of
the day at his Office and am sure he
will take great pleasure in telling you
what he knows and feels OF and
towards General Kerwin.
IN CIVIL LIFE
General Kerwiu in civil life has
been all that he was in the camp,on the
march and when leading his gallant
Thirteenth Pennsylvania cavalry in
battle. It must not be lost sight of that
Pennsylvania and particularly the an
uulinracite counties of old Luzerne,
uylkill, Carbon and Dauphin, .have
,ecial claim on General Kerwiu, as
fame as a soldier was won as COL
of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania
|alry. Many of his gallant old regi
|nts are yet living throughout the
unties named and they will hail the
bod fortune Of their gallant c0mman-
er with as much pleasure as I do. At
he close of the war General Kerwin
|ettled in New York, but like many
/other patriots of that struggle he soon
, found himself heart and soul enlisted
ia the cause Of crushed and bleeding
Ireland; and into that cause he threw
all his splendid energies. But like
others Of US he soon learned that a
handful of disarmed men could not cope
. with one OF the most powerful gov
ernments In the world. The general
early engaged in the newspaper bust.
ness, and in due time became owner of
the New York Tablet q weekly Catho.
lie publication. Unfortunately for the
general. the Tablet was in the last
stages of consumption when he took
hold of it, but he injected some pure
Republican blood into the veins OF the
moribund Democratic sheet and man.
nnnA 10 HaaY1 a. oil iva Hoio
Der Of years to educate enough of his
people to form splendid contingent Of
the patriotic Republican army. For
fully fourteen years the Tablet In the
hands OF Kerwin the patriot dealt
Democracy the hardest blows it ever re.
ceived. and 1t was to his unselfish de-
votion to the Republican party that
the great body Of Irish-Americans who
deserted Democracy in 1884 remained
loyal to US in 1888 without which con-
tingent Senator Quay could not have
won his fight. II was through Gen.
eral Kerwin's bold aud manly actions in
pounding Democracy that man in our
party like Senators Quay and Platt were
attracted to him, and today know of
no man in our ranks to whom the two
greatest political chiefs of our party
would sooner turn to for counsel and
advice than to General Kerwin.
THE APPOINTMENTS SIGNIFICANCE.
"As to the Significance Of his ap.
pointment and its political impor tauce
/, must divide that under two heads,
first. 1t signifies to me that Mayor Gill
roy, as the new head OF the Tammany
organization Is a cleaner and better
man than his immediate predecessors ;
in word, he acts and proves by this
appointment that he means to emulate
the late honest John Kelley. As to
General Kerwin's appointment, mean =
ing o deal between Senator Platt and
Tamtnany, that is sheer nonsense, for
/ tell you that man doesn't live who
can trade on General Kerwin's man :
hood or unhinching loyalty to the prin
ciples of the Republican party, and in
the next place 1t is both cruel and
cowardly TO charge Thomas G. Platt
with compromising with his political
foes. particularly when he holds the
cold end of the poker, and no man will
charge Senator Platt with any such
nonsense except Mugwump who
don't know him. To me it is obnoxious
In the extreme to read In Republican
papers the sneers and insinuations that
are frequently hurled at such men as
Senators Quay and Platt. and when
ever / see such l cannot help recall a
memorable and instructive period in
the campaign of 1888.
Our treasury was empty and the
great heart OF Quay was sick at thought
OF the daily accruing obligations which
could not be met. In the midst Of bis
dependency Senator Platt called tc
see him, and in less than Eve minutes
thereafter ] WAS summoned to the pres
ence OF the two great chiefs, and Ssns
tor Quay handed me bis Garfield banl
deposit book, containing an insignifi-
cant looking little piece Of paper, and
us the great leader handed me the bool
he said: