The Irish standard., 1898-08-20
AMERICA AND IRELAND.


tured controversy with the Irish Stand
ara on the question of an Anglo-Ameri-
can alliance, takes it for granted that
our opposition to it is solely due to the
unpleasant relations existing between
Great Britain and Ireland 1t persists
in calling the Irish Standard "a Fenian
and foreign organ" which is published
to crafty the feelings of ''dynamiters
and blaclguards and bigots,' and re-
minds us of all the good things that
Americans have done for Ireland. 1t
emphatically reiterates that the Stand
ard is permeated with the spirit of
"Fenianism," and refers to that physi-
cal force organization as something ter
rible and disreputable. Let us inform
the Times that some of the noblest and
best men of the Irish race belonged to
the Fenian organization. Among its
founders were Charles j. Hickman, the
gentle poet and novelist; Thomas Clarke
Luby, one of the best-trained scholars
of Trinity college, and DR.. John o Leary,
one of the leading medical practitioners
of Dublin. Their offense consisted in
writing against British oppression in
Ireland, and the society they founded
struck more terror into the hearts of
tyrants than all the eloquence that has
fallen from the lips of Irish parliament
tary orators since the days of O'Connell.
Physical force is respected by English
men, and Gladstone admitted that the
fear of Fenianism inspired him to abol-
ish the English state church in Ireland.
The Irish Standard is not migrate
enough to deny that America has always
been friendly to Ireland in it's aspira-
lions for liberty, and that it has gener-
ously contributed Of its wealth to aid
the Irish people during the periodical
famines brought on their country by
British legislation. But we venture to
say that no American of the kidney of
the Times editor has ever contributed
dollar to the suffering Irish victims of
Anglo-Saxon rapacity. The largest por-
tion Of the money forwarded to the Irish
at home was contributed by the Irish
abroad and their descendants. The Irish
in Ireland are not indebted one iota to
Americans of Huguenot or Anglo-Saxon
extraction, like the editor of the Min
neapolis Times, and we take this oppor-
tunity of telling him so.
Ireland has fully repaid the United
States for any succor rendered, either
politically or financially. Prof. F. Spen-
Ger Baldwin, in recent address at the
Old South Meeting House, Boston, told
mis- audience that ireland had contrib
uted more to the making of America
than any other country except Eng
land" In the course of his interesting
address he said:
When did the Irish begin TO come to
America: The common notion that the
Irish took very little part in the first
settlement of America is quite mis-
taken. Large numbers came to America
during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth
centuries. Two things may be said
about the pre-Revolutionary Irish immi-
gration-it was very extensive and it
was not localized 1t poured into all the
colonies from Massachusetts to Georgia.
In the Revolution the Irish bore
prominent and honorable part. Nine
ence were Irish.
AS regards the extent of Irish immi-
grafton during the present century, sta
tistics show that from 1920 to 1897, out
of total of 1S,5o0.OO0 foreign immi-
grants. nearly 100000 came from Ire
land. The only country that has sent
us more immigrants than Ireland is
Germany. The Irish represented in
1890 20 per cent of the entire foreign
born population. Persons of Irish par
entage constitute per cent of the total
population
The editor of the Times would call the
descendants of lrishmen who arrived in
this country in pre-Revolutionary days,
foreigners" because they bear such
names as Kelly, Burke and Shea, and are
N>HAA $50
not of English stock. If citizens with
such names are called "Irish-Ameri-
cans, the Times editor would say they
are "half-American in spirit" but men
bearing English names, who may be
designated "Anglo-Americans,' are "all-
American as the fictitious Mr.. Ray
calls himself in last Wednesdays Times.
Cannot a ray of light illuminate the
deep caverns Of the editors brain to
have. him see the absurdity of his DO
sition?
The Times thinks that the Irish
foreigners are alone in their opposi-
ton to an Anglo-American alliance.
In that he is also mistaken, and Eng
lishmen themselves know better Let
us enlighten the Times on this point.
In his charming volume of travel and
y . =