Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-31


guns rock the monarchies and empire to
their foundations TO make good that nlgn
resolve that here all snail be free,
and not only fbee in o the ENJOY
ment of life, liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness.
I willingly strike one note of discord. But
recently in this country there has arisen
in some quarters an impression that we
Catholics have no right to or interest IN
this idea in its true light Anyhow, we
have not too many to speak for us and
truth is such sacred thing that its Vlndi-
cation cannot but be most appropriate on
an occasion like this. l will not make
mere assertions. l will not cite witnesses
of conscious or unconscious bias. L holo
here in my hand a brochure by one, Pat
title page that he Is native born Amer
lean of English descent a Protestant and
Republican of the school of Abraham
have listened dispassonately TO some ex-
tracts we shall have more correct ideas
of the right of Catholics to cherish and
to love this flag
THE American colonies" says our au-
thor, were founded at a time when re-
ligious prosecuting was committing fright
full rayages in Europe, where there was
no country which had not its established
church in the train of which followed
all the usual consequences of intolerance
and persecution Bigotry rode rampant
anu gu osGI al ldliuS. All cui
own colonies, except Maryland had per-
scouting laws whereby the right of pri-
Vate Judgment was extinguished. Fright
ful PROSECUTIONS We're carried on not only
against Roman Catholics, but by Protes-
tants against Protestants. In New Eng
land Puritans prosecuted Episcopalians;
IN Virginia Episcopalians prosecuted Pur-
lIans, and everywhere, save in Cathollc
Maryland men were prescribed, degraded,
whipped and imprisoned for opinions
sake In MARYLAND alone was man. free
TO worship God according to the dictates
Of his conscience, and the historian, Ban
croft, says George Calvert, Lord Balti-
more, deserves to be ranked among the
most wise and beneficent lawgivers of all
ages. Thus ran the oath of the Catholic
governor of Maryland: l will not, by
myself, or any other directly or Indirect
", molest or discountenance any person
processing 4, TO believe in Jesus Christ, for
or IN respect of religion.
RAISING to a later period we find among
me me- names signed to the immortal Declar-
atloh or Independence none more illustri-
Gus than that, of the Roman Catholic,
Charles Carroll of Carrolton, and, among
the names signed to the Constitution of
me United States none worthier than
tHoSe OF IhomaS FitZsimmons and Dan
lei Caroll. Listen to the words of George
washington in answer to an address on
penaiI OF Catholics made to him by the
grandfather of General Mead, the hero
of Gettysburg The petition was based
on the blood shed by Catholics in the Rev
olutfonary War: AS mankind becomes
n ore liberal, they will be more apt to al
low all those who conduct themselves
worthy members of the community the
equal protection of the civil government
l nope to see. America among the fore
most nations in examples of justice and
iiberality; and l presume your fellow cit
liens will not forget the patriotic part
which you took in the accomplishment
OF their revolution and the establishment
OF the government or the important as
sistance which they received from a ma
ton in which the Roman Catholic faith
is professed.'"
Without Catholics" says our witness
'the American colonies could never have
achieved their independence. Of
the soldiers of the Revolution, none were
more illustrious than General John Stark,
the Hero of Bennington: General Anthony
Wayne the Hero of Germantown: Cen
eral Richard Montgomery, who captured
the British general and his forces at the
CowpenS; General Andrew Lewis, who
was very near being placed at the head
of the army: the brave General Moylan,
who fought by Washington's side in ev-
cry field: General William Campbell, who
commanded at Kings Mountain: Commo-
dore John Barry, the father and founder
of the American navy commander of the
very first ship to hoist the Stars and
Stripes; Commander Jere O'Brien, who
fought in Machias Bay the first sea fight
of the Revolution-all Irishmen or the
sons of Irish sires.'
asserted that in the War of the Rebel
lion Roman Catholic soldiers deserted in
far greater numbers than any others. 1t
has been officially denied from the War
such facts. Let us endeavor to arrive at
the truth. race is pretty constant in
its characteristics. We know priori
that the one thing an Irishman loves is
a fight He would rather fight than eat.
But we are not left to general reputa-
tlon We have records and documents
as matter of history, fully one-half of
the soldiers of the Revolution were Irish
men Mr. Galloway, the Speaker of the
his examination before committee of the
House of Commons. being asked on this
point, replied: THE names and place of
answer the question with precision There
were scarcely one-fourth natives of
America; about one-half Irish: the other
fourth were English and Scotch" Major
exchange of prisoners, being asked sim
liar question by Edmund Burke. testified
before the same committee 'One-half
were Irish, about one-fourth natives and
the rest were Scotch. Germans and Eng
lish." The speaker here bore testimony
to the aid of Lafayette and Catholic
Canada and to the valor of Catholic Po-
land in the persons of Pulaski and Kos
ciusko-immortal names,
In war and peace Catholics have nobly
borne their part The names of fancy,
CASTOR Ewing, Campbell, OConnor,
Shields and Harvey will live upon the
roll of fame as long as the Republic
Passing to the War of the Rebellion
the bishop spoke of the eminent services
Of Abp. Hughes in the hour of the ma
tons peril-of Sheridan at Winchester;
OF Don Carlos Buell., who saved the day
at Shiloh: of Thomas Francis Meagher
and how his brigade stood the murderous
fire at Fredericksburg. 'It was" says
Longstreet; the abest of Lees lieuten-
ants, the handsomest thing in the whole
war. Six times in the face of a wither-
ing fire before which whole ranks were
moved down as corn before the sickle, did
the Irish brigade charge up that hill
charge to inevitable death. 1 looked with
my field glass, and I looked a long time
before | was certain of what saw | at
flrst thought that the men of Measher's
brigade had lain down to allow the show
er OF shot and shell to pass over them.
for they lay in regular lines. looked for
some movement. some stir, hand or a
foot in notion but no-they were dead
grass >o
The speaker next read the long list of
the military and naval heroes of the war
or Catholic faith. from Sheridan down
ward. ana 1t interested and astonshed
the crowd. LAS to the rank and file, he
SAID, their names on the tombstones will
answer and give the lie to those who are
maligning them and theirs, and who,
WINE they We're fighting and dying. We're
draft" COUSINS ehe
As 1t was in the wars of the Revolution
anu the rebellion. so, we feel assured. IL
WI WI De IN ;. the present war with Spain.
the, Maine The real truth is that II i.
made up largely of Kelly and Burke and
Shea; Moreover. an Anglo-Saxon race
mas mas Iought with Spain on the seas before.
When the Invincible Armada passed IN
the channel in 1888 to crush the British
power. whom think you did the Protest-
a il queen hilzabeth placed in command il