Echo de l'ouest. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1883-1929, 1894-12-14
RaDnort de Ia Deuxieme Convention
des CanadienS-F rdnCaiS du d.
kota-Nord, 26et27 Juinl894.
SUITE

tact during the internecine civil war of 1876. Come with me to the
glory field Of the South and behold the thousands of French-Canadians
and Irishmen who lay there in bloody cerements. Will anyone ask
them if they were loyal citizensof this country? Shall we ask them
why they sacrificed the love of life and the love of home to standing
shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee fighting under the union-ins-
cribed banner that was held aloft by Honest Abe Lincoln, the rail
SPLITTER In the settlement of this country, in the foundation of this
republic, in the preservation of this union, the French and Irish were
baptized in fire and blood, thus giving substantial testimony OF their
faith in the liberty loving spirit which pervades the American atmos-
|phere. To those of you who were borne in Canada, who have quilted
tie hallowed fresdes in the land of your birth, who have renowned
fealty to petticoat government, and who have sworn to support the
constitution and institutions of the United States, and 1 am only one OF
the many who most gladly extend to you the right hand Of fellowship,
saving: "Welcome, fellow-citizens, to the bread basket of the world."
And now my friends all Of us are being digested in the mammoth sto-
mach of Uncle Sam. The gastric juice Of education is fast assimia-
ting us into one common brotherhood, that we may become the bone
and ainew, the blood and life Of American citizenship. Uncle Sam,
knowing that some of us were nurtured on the heterogeneous consti-
tuents Of pease and others on the amylaceous qualities which abound
in that succulent vegetable, the Irish potato, entertains no fears Of
Indigestion. It behooves us then to adopt some outward sign showing
that we have entered into the spirit OF the time. In one hand | hold
q pea vine, in the other you see a potato stem. As I bring them to-
wards each other uniting them before you, let US all agree to inter-
Irvine the lily and the shamrock in an indissolvable compact Of good
fellowship. Let us widen our hearts and think only OF the grand futu-
re that awaits our posterity. Think Of the time when al racial indife-
rences will have disappeared and the greatest pride OF Young Amerl-
ca will b6 to shout: II am an American citizen" Many Of the youth.
full citizens of that coming utopian era, in looking up the family re-
cords, can, with commendable pride exclaim: "My greatgrand-father
was q native of Canada who attended the ST. Jean-Baptiste celebration.
and French Canadian convention at Olga in June 1894! 1t was then
and there that my grandfather ushered Rosey Jane into a quiet cor
nr and breathed into her ear the magic word "pease," she replied
apotatoes Whereupon they sealed tho contract by extracting the
saccharine qualities of a smack and their life partnership was filed
with inefable happiness And now young friends that you!have lear
ned the passwords which admit you to the junior degree Of the society
of benedicts. I hope you will make good use Of them. "A word to the
wise is sufficient" Young ladies, specially you of French extraction
who have heard me say I am favorably impressed with your race, l
begto inform you that I am exceedingly bashfull and would ask you to
reverse the order Of procedure in my case, that is, you may claim all
the privileges Of leap year. Therefore as I meet you to day or here
after my left lug will be at your service if you wish to thrill my
heart and elevate my soul to Elysian ecstasy with the charming word,
potatoes" Ladies and gentlemen, 1 thank you.
III Contnuer)