The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-06

1g.AS
all the rhetoric and defamation and
high sounding phrases OF the men who
were airing their lack Of knowledge
while taking to the galleries in either
house of congress. ..s
&. The same method was employed by
him at the banquet in London on Me-
mortal day, given by the United States
consuls In the United Kingdom to Pat
rick A. Collins, United States consul gen.
eral in London, Among other notables
present from America was Ambassa-
dor .Bayard who particularly must have
felt the force of Watterson's remarks
when he said:s.
81 confess that am lingo, but from
England / learned the lesson and got the
cry; Of greatness and glory for England
-Jlss GU spssu pug 5u:igs 3noQllM ssoS II
seeking turnkey, eager for social recogni-
ton, no resonant lip service, delighted to
have an audience, and rejoicing at the
sound of it's own voice, to impress the I'M
telligent Englishnlan with the truth that
no intelligent American desires anything
except the most constant and cordial re+
1ations of friendship, but all this talk of
guage is only common talk. More than
this, it is in some respects misleading.
Talk of a common language did not pre-
vent the Unifed States from going to war
with England on two occasions. Talk Of
common institutions, where conflicting in
terests are involved, is rather imaginary
than real We are of a commons origin
and of a common blood, without doubt,
and that means that we are good fighters
who may be counted each to stand by his
own: War would certainly be dread
full alternative, but there are yet greater
evils that may overwhelm mankind
than war. the obliteration of which from
human experience would make the emas-
culation of the human species mostly
question of time.
ut was the spirit of the Anglo-Saxon
race that placed England where she is
today. Her warriors are no more for
gotten in her history than are her sages.
To the same martial spirit the American
Union owes all that it is today, and upon
this idea the United States must rely1tp
maintain position among the nations
of the world. It is certainly true that
these two great nations together occupy
a position strong enough to rule the des-
TIMES of the human race, but they are not
likely to agree upon terms until English
men find as much to thrill them with a
feeling of glory and pride at the tomb OF
Washington at Mount Vernon as the
Americans find at the birthplace of
Shakespeare at Stratford-on-Avon.
eff, in recalling the heroic dead, in
whose memory we drink tonight, take
leave to hoist our national bunting a lit
tie higher than the Duke Of York's col
umn; if also trail it in pious homage
before that dome where lie the remains
of Wellington and Nelson, certainly do
not mean to beard the lion in his den, nor
to twist his tail when remind English
men we, too, have in Sherman, Lee, Far
ragut and Stonewa1l Jackson, Anglo
Saxon soldiers and sailors whom all Brit.
ons should delight to honor"
Watterson's speech has the ring of
patriotism in it and shows that the fear
of offending England because of COM
mon language is Of the most ignoble
character. Bowling down to England
because our forefathers may have lived
under the British flag, and submitting to
the sights and sneers Of British states
men because of that common heritage"
are traits incompatible with the Ameri-
can character.