Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-08-13
II Will Be the Figure Of a Soldier of
Freedom, Erect and Proud, the
Embodiment Of Courage.
The Exercises Will Be Held in Dublin
on Monday-A Great Day for
Old Ireland.
WHAT THE INDEPENDENT SAYS

for Ireland. Maybe not Tor the BLUSH
Ireland within our Ireland, but it will be
a gladstone day for National Ireland. On
that day there will be laid the foundation
stone of the memorial to Theobald Wolf
Tone, the military genius and hero
martyr of the Irish instruction. Timid,
unthinking people, people who can not
grasp the moral and lesson of great mems
lives, say that the history of our country
is only biography of those who
failed, says the Dublin Independent.
Alas, it is the story of succession of great
endeavors failures if you will, but fail
ures that were heroic and epoch-making.
Over the dead bodies of those that failed
we will step dry-shod to victory one of
these days. Thank God it is to the menu
DRY of those who died on the scaffold and
in the cell that we do honor today. No
heroes who led conquering armies, but
patriots who in days of dismal crises
stepped out from the ranks of the fearful
and timid, and died so that the lesson of
our nationhood might be read Alright, 90
that those who followed would learn how
self-sacrifce would hallow defeat and
sanctify the despair of the common peo-
pie. Wolfe Tone was no creature of cir
cumstances. He fashioned the opportu-
nifty, he nodded the circumstances; he
laid the train for holy war; he primed
the piece. and fell dead across the breach.
His entire life was pure and earnest
struggle against the foreign power that
corrodes the national energy of our nation
is into the hearts Of or purpose.
had neither Hofer's basis nor Wash
ington's resources, limited though they
were; he had no exchequer, no arms, no
men. Yet he created a revolution that
threatened the sovereignty os England,
and if the winds had not played him
alse in Bantry Bay he would have de-
clared the constitution of an Irish repub-
lie from the steps of the capitol. From
Ireland he was driven to America, from
America he sailed to France. There, in
new republic, just feeling its strength,
and trying its wings, he told the story of
his country's wrongs, and by his genius
and persistency secured the help of the
most feared military organization in the
world. He set sail to the shores of the
Isle in the West with the most powerful
military expedition that ever anchored
off our shores. Storms arose, and the
ships were scattered like white sea birds.
Again he labored, and planned, and
plotted, and another mighty fleet of war
ships set sail from the Texel. And at
Camperdown the sun set on the ruin of
his hopes and the destruction of the
Dutch men-of-war who had the grim pur-
pose of freeing old Ireland from the CEN
ter to the sea. But Tone never wavered.
He set out once again; this time on a
hopeless errand, and IN Tough Swilly he
fought fight as bravely as did Sir Rich
ard Greville when he fought the little
Revenge against the entire Spanish fleet
off Flores, in the Azores. The last scene
in his life was the saddest of all. After
the mockery of trial, the dim cell and
death. His whole career was spent for
Ireland. He told his advisers who begged
of him not to set sail on his last voyage
that he would 60 to Ireland if he went
only with a corporals guard. And
bravely he set out ard unfinchingly he
gave his life for the land he loved best.
Not one hating. one turning aside marks
his career From the very first he fixed
his eyes upon the pilot star and coursed
along. A heroic struggle it was great in
its infinite effort, terrible in its tragic
sadness. France has her Napoleon, Prus-
STA her Frederick, Russia her Peter,
Sweden her Charles. All fought for con-
quest, lust of power urged them forward,
ambition swayed and directed them. But
Ireland has this man-Wolfe Tonel Not
soldier who, like the English Wolf or
Nelson, died supreme in the moment of
victory. but simple soldier who loved
his country and died ingloriously; one
who was failure if you estimate mems
work by immediate results, but who was
no failure before God or man If to leave
An exanplc tnat VIII SnSouiaSS III the
years that are unborn, and if name to
inspire noble actions and goodly sacrifices
be the work Of heroes who mold mems
minds and train peoples yearnings. So
it will come to pass that this 18th of
August will be great day for our Ire
land, and great day, too, for that Ire
land beyond the sea. 1t will be the
manifestation Of national purpose; it
will show the vigor of our belief in our
destiny. The statue to be erected to Tone
will be no pensive figure, no symbol in
(bronze of the sorrows of Erin. It will be
Typical of all that is combative in our
race, II will be the figure Of a Soldier of
Rreedosa. erect and proud, the embodi-
" I'll that q courageous and bold in