Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-03-18
irish in America.

lflSnmen nave rarely ever received Il
finer tribute than that which fell from
the lips of Hon. George f. Hoar, the
venerable United States senator from
Massachusetts. Speaking at the ban
Duet to Dr. Conaty in Worcester Mass,
Senator Hoar delivered himself Of the
/ following noble sentiments:
"Fhe single event most important to
Massachusetts after the Revolution
ended until the rebellion broke out was
the Irish immigration which began
about 1910. We had good reason to bid
! them welcome The relation of Ireland
to Massachusetts and to American liber-
ty has been quite close from the begin
/ ming. In 1876, when Massachusetts was
suffering from the terrible effects of
/ King Philips war, the generous people
of Ireland sent over contribution for
our relief.
"They played no unimportant part
in the Revolutionary service. One of
the most striking and noble figures in
that military history is the brave Irish
man Montgomery. The greatest mil
itary event in our war Of independence
until the surrender at Yorktown was
the expulsion Of the British army from
Boston. The foot of a foreign invader
has not touched the soil of Massachusetts,
from that day to this.
when Washington's army entered
Boston, after his relieving Putnam on
the 18th of March, l776, with drums
beating and colors flying, and Sir Will
liam Howe with his army and his troops
went out, an event which Burke said
was more like the departure of a people
than the retreat of an army, the watch
word of the day was ST. Patrick. The
good St Patrick came into Boston with
General Washington, and he came to
abide.
"rhe catalogue of the brave soldiers
that the Irish race has furnished to
America is too long for repetition here.
Besides Montgomery, there are Andrew
Jackson, the great hero Of the war of
1912, and Phil. Sheridan, the hero of
the war of the rebellion, of whom Gen
eral Grant once said to me with his own
lips: General Sheridan is supposed by
some persons to be capable only of a
single brilliant and dashing exploit.
There never was a greater mistake: he
is able to conduct campaign over an
extent Of territory as large as any ma
ton in the world can cover with its
troops
Now, it was natural it was inevita-
bic, that these men should cling to the
faith of their fathers. Whatever else
may be said for the Catholic church by
friend or foe, it must be confessed thai
she has stood for the equality of all
souls in the sight of their Maker Her
great poet, Dante, puts the noble and
the tyrant into the lowest places in his
ferno. The Catholic church In Eng
! land, the country from which our an
cestors came, was always on the side
Of the people against the king or noble.
She encountered Tudor and Plantagenet
with as stern thus saith the Lord
as ever was uttered by Hebrew or Puri-
tan lips
There are many of your clergymen
among the dead and among the living
l
OF the people Of Massachusetts. She
still cherishes the memory of Bishop
Cheverus, the first Catholic bishop OF
Boston missionary to the Indians, en-
counterer OF savage and Of pestilence,
the American Fenelo, afterward arch
bishop of Bordeaux and cardinal She
does not forget Bishop Fenwck, my
fathers friend, whose honored dust
sleeps upon yonder hill. under the shade
of the college which he founded.
Il deem 1t an honor that you have
assigned me a part on this occasion
am, as you know, Puritan among
Puritans. dissenter among dissenters
hereto among heretics. After the
way that we call heresy so worship
the God Of my fathers. But | am glad
to bring my tribute OF honor and
respect to Father Conaty. "-Donahoe's
Magazine.