The San Francisco call., 1896-07-25
Demonstrates the Part the Irish
Played in War and
Politics.
SAYS THEY'RE ALWAYS LOYAL.
The Temple Was Crowded From Pit
to Dome by an Enthusiastic
Audience.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The organized
known protectors of our institutions have
been so efectually discredited by recent reve-
lations that further reference TO them seems
like throwing water on q drowned rat
should, perhaps, apologize for once more in
Producing them upon your notice. But like
many other things that are extinct or verging
toward their final downfall, they may serve as
understudies.
1t was a Harvard professor who said that
that community could not be said TO be edu-
Gated, or lay any. claim to O high degree of
civilization in which such society could take
root. The people of the United States have at
last awakened to recognition that. that Har-
ward professor uttered solemn truth. Every
community is rapidly repudiating these dis
ciples OF phonetic spelling, and now they
flourish nowhere except in Oakland, which
the people over there call ''The Athens OF the
Pacific"
Ladies and gentlemen, the men who have
been foremost in this attack upon the civil
and religious rights of Catholics have been
proved, in many instances, to be subjects of a
foreign power, or among those who have only
recently reneunced their allegiance to it.
They may shout themselves hoarse for the
flag, but that is no criterion of their loyalty to
1t. The traitor who harbors the basest design
against it may, and does, employ the same
tactics to divert suspicion from himself.
Greece lost her liberties not by enemies from
without but from enemies within. There are
some nstive-b born Americans in this orga MIA
ton, it is true But they are not the descend
ants OF the men of '76. The men who are
truly loyal are not going around constantly
putting their patriotism on record. We should
remember that there are quite number OF
Americans in existence just at the present
time that America has no reason to boast of.
A goodly number of them reside at the pres
ent time in Montreal, Canada. whittier they
went with the funds Of sundry churches and
city and country banks.
They were very patriotic, too, when they
were on this side of the line, aud the majority
OF them believed that the avenues to advance
ment should be closed to all Catholics.
Not long ago the city fathers of Montreal, for
just and better reasons, seriously thought of
closing up all the city avenues against them.
In fact they are still confronted with the prob
lem what TO do with that vast army of bank
wreckers, embezzlers and absconders who have
Invaded their city, as their presence is de-
moralizing and g bad example TO the young.
There are many heIeont this side vet who are
no IN ore worthy of American citizenship than
are those men who are not content with run
ming away with the bankers money, but in
many instances run off with the bankers wife.
The Congressional Record for January, 1878,
gives us few samples OF the kind of patriotism
which threatened the stability OF the Republic
in 1912, and sample of what we might expect
If these patriots were in control today They
occur in a debate between Senator Dawes of
Massachusetts, and the late James G.. Blaine.
1.-THE Senator from Massachusetts had been
enumera ting the services of Massachusetts to
the Nation and defed Mr. Blaine to point TO
any instance where Massachusetts had made
anything but the most patriotic record. Mr..
Blaine said: 81 will tell you here and now
Massachusetts rafused to pass and tabled a res
olution thanking one of her own naval officers
for victory, because it was gained in an un-
just war. She refused to thank the gallant and
admirable captain of the Hornet for capturing
the British man-of-war, the Peacock.
"That stands on your own legislative jour
nails. II you want the record l can give you
more and grayer instances until the sun sets,
and for Senator from Massachusetts to rise
here and pretend that his State did not bristle
sll over with unpatriotic records, going clear
uD to the verge of treason aid, in the opinion
of some patriots of that day, stepping one
point beyond, is degree OF bravery which
I.it would have been well to show in the war
and not reserve for this day
Mr.. Dawes-Mr. President, the extent of the
offense which the gentlem an can bring against
Massachusetts, in the war of 1872 was that she
lacked the disposition to publicly return
thanks
Mr.. Blaine-No, stop right therei One mo-
ment. Massachusetts, refused to allow her SOL
diers to march beyond the boundaries of her
own State, and refused pointedly to the gem
eral Government to respond TO q call for her
troops. 1t was volunteers from Maine that
marched beyond the boundaries of Msssachu-
setts. The militia that was under the control
| of your Governor refused to go and were not
permitted to go. There is another record for
you.
The bitterest enemies of Catholics to-day in
this country are the descendants of the men
who in the early days of this century were ar
rayed on the side of England, and openly SYM
pathized with that power which kidnapped our
sailors destroyed our commerce and in the
war which followed committed acts of vandal-
| ism at Washington which they would never
dare to perpetrate in any European capital.
The QlSlOyalty oil OdtQOl1CS Is one OF the IL
perstitions men of thatstamp have ever sought
! TO spread. Yet at the very time these men
were stigmatizing as un just war entered upon
| to protect the lives, property and hber-
ties of American citizens, at that very time
! Catholics under Jackson were opposing PAX
enham and Loyalty and heroically upholding
the honor of American arms behind the cot.
ton bales OF New Orleans. Now, let US sup
| pose that a Legislature composed of Catholics
| had refused to aid the General Government in
any war in which 1t was engaged-would these
| patriots ever stop howling about it?
Let us suppose that in the war with Mexico
| they had taken refuge in the plea that il was
| unjust or that they showed for any foreign
| country such deep regard as these men did
| for the implacable foe of this country. foe
| that burned down Washington In defiance OF
| all the rules of civilized warfare.
| Suppose they had been guilty of half the
reasonable acts credited to the members OF
/ that Massachusetts, legislature, what chorus
| of execrations would have gone up against
| them. These English sympatnizeTs had no
! ii was unjust to declare war or enter into
hostilities with a nation that was ponsible
for ali the barbarities perpetrated on this con-
1 tinent during the revolution.
There is one form of attack which our de-
famers constantly employ and which is signif-
CANT In their tissdss les agan,ss fereigners and
unscathed. The wrath OF the godly is gener-
ally reserved for the Irish Catholics.
Though unswervlng in his loyalty to the
| land OF his adoption the Irlshman still pre-.
serves an undying devotion and love for the
! land of his birth. He is told from the pulpit
| the press and the platform that this is en-
| tirely wrong. He IS called upon to forget
/ everything that relates to the land of his
fathers and to remember only that he is an
| American.
This is the injunction given him by men
| who, with unblushing inconsistency. assemble
| together and point out that all the claims we
! have TO consideration as great nation, all the
| success we have achieved, all the good in US
| are derived solely and exclusively from Eng
i lish instincts and are the outcome of the
| greatness of the Anklo-Saxon. What is vice
] in the American of Irish blood is virtue in
the American OF English blood.
The Irishmau cannot turn his eyes to ths
| cradle OF his race, he cannot express affection
! for his native land without Immediately being
! suspected OF divided allegiance, while the
I others can do so without question They may
| move heaven and earth TO trace their ancestry
i back to some British aristocrat Of blue blood
| which the poet called ancient but ignobls
blood flowing through scoundrels ever sine,
/ a-<A ~.