The Irish standard., 1896-05-16
ASHAMED or II

early days.
ASHAMED or IT
Joined the A. P. Apes and Became Dis
gusted With Himself.
One who signs himself An American"
writes to the Boston Pilot as follows:
"A year ago last November I. Joined the
A. r. A. and have been heartily ashamed
of myself ever since am no Canadian,
but am a Yankee. who can trace his an
cestry as native Bostonians, to the sew
enteenth century, and although born and
bred Protestant, am, according to the
Sunday school authority, "Groping
darkness
I served my country five years In the
United States army and during that per-
iod my staunchest friends were OF Irish
blood and Catholic by faith.
was saved from drowning by an Irish
corporal and am partly indebted to one
of the same race for a position IN civil
life after my service with Uncle Sam had
expired; and when realize that l was,
ungrateful enough toesallow my name to.
be enrolled In secret organization whose
members bind themselves by solemn
oaths to work, vigorously against the
comfort of Catholics, especially Irish
Catholics, am unpleasantly conscious
of sense OF utter self-contempt and
filled with desire to confess to some
body what manner of friend am to those
to whom am indebted for my life and
comparative prosperity.
know that a,n not the only member
who feels like a sneak, and is i'll constant
fear that his membership will. be dis
closed, who, like myself joined the order
without proper consideration. I was
mustered in with a half dozen other fools
shortly before the state election Of 1894
and was surprised to observe that three
of the recruits were Enthusiastically Irish
both in name and accent. We were
blindfolded and led into another room,
which, from the .hushed buzz OF CONVEX
sation showed us to be thronged with
men. After proceeding with many left
and right abouts and unexpected flank
movements, our leaders We're sharply
challenged by a voice whose owner, judg
ing by the accent, was better acquainted
with "Rule Britannia" than with the
t'Star Spangled Banner"
At this stage of the proceedings we
were given the opportunity to withdraw.
Nobody accepting, we continued to
wheel until we fetched up before another
Sbig chief who had a most formidable
oath ready for, us. II my memory does
not fail me took three different oaths
that night before three men, after which
we went through some more medicine"
bust ness and at last were pronounced
yxnv~ hHnoro lo1o hoyss nf tho
Order of Arnoreans and entitled to all the
privileges as a full fedged FRIEND or
something to that effect. After the greet
ings and congratulations of the older
honorable members had subsidized, the
meeting was called to order, and the
Catholics soon commenced to catch it.
remember Of biting my lips for very
shame as the business OF the meeting
proceeded. had landed myself in hot
bed of fanaticism.
1t was hard for me to believe that these
men were in earnest, and yet some ut
terly wild and ridiculous sentiment
would rouse their enthusiasm to a pitch
of frenzy, although some of the men pres
ent remained still and appeared only to
listen.
No particular business was transacted.
It was succession of harangues full of
accusations and explosives against the
Roman Catholic church .The HER
archy of Rome" was fayorite express
sion, and was worked in wherever there
was room for it.
Out of possible $50 men in the hall
that night, I honestly believe that Is
Americans, as the term is accepted, could
not be picked out. cannot believe that
any right minded man in full possession
of his senses could accept and practice
the principles Of this bigoted order as
they were expounded ON the night of my
initiation, and as I understood them.
left the hall utterly repudiating every
oath I had SO tauely taken, and swear
ing never to mingle with such a gang
again, and never have,