The Irish standard., 1899-09-23

unadulterated infamy these hired as
sassins stood for. Both countries have
had a taste of the Hessian and both
have suffered at the hands OF these hired
thugs, who were employed by George
III. to shoot down patriotic Americans
as they were afterwards employed to
shoot down patriotic Irishlnen un-
der Lord Cornwallis, who after his
defeat by Washington at Yorktown, re-
turned to England and was made Lord
- lieutenant OF Ireland 1t was Corn
va H;.aand his Hessian soldiers who
b of1c.ld during the years yea from
49, ghen Emmett, Fitzgerald,
Wohcno James Napper- Tandy and
other IrisR9patriots fought for the in
dependence of Ireland. Twas at Vine
gar Hill, Arklow, and other points
where the gallant Irish patriots, in their
heroic and unequal struggle for inde-
pendence, were so numerically slaugh-
tered by the hireling Hcssians under
CORVALLIS. There is not an Irisilman
today whose heart does not throb and
whose blood does not tingle in his veins
when he reads the history OF Ireland Of
that period. The ranks OF the rebels, as
they were called, were recruited from
the Irish patriots, who madly loved
their country and who were gladly will
ing to lay down their lives that ireland
might be free. No matter how mis-
taken they may have been, as our Eng
lish friends no doubt claim, the fact re-
mains that every true son OF ireland be-
lieved in the cause for which he fought,
as so believed the men of the South in
the late Civil War; and those in ireland
who did not join in the rebellion OF 'oS
were looked upon as traitors to their
country. There is not true born Eng
lislman today, however wrong he be-
lieves the Irish to have been, who does
not honor and respect the memory OF
those heroes and martyrs who fought
for Ireland's independence just one
hundred years ago. In marked contrast
to the gallant men who stood by and
fought for the Irish flag were those
towards and traitors who betrayed Ire
land to the British government, among
whom were Dick Croker's grandfather
and granduncle, of despicable memory.
1t has been my privilege to read a copy
of the petition to the King" wherein
these traitors seek to destroy the legis-
lative independence Of Ireland, "humbly
petitioning your Majesty for union
with Great Britain" This petition
bears the signature of-"Henry Croker,
Quartertown,' grandfather of Dick
Croker), William Croker, Johnstown," +"
(granduncle Of Dick Croker).
In order to fully understand and ap-
preciate the significance of this, it must
be borne in mind that every loyal and
honest Irishman OF that time, like the
men of the South in 1906, were in
arms against what they considered to be
the unlawful invasion of their soil. I'm
agine, if you please, a loyal Virginian
or Louisianan OF 81 to IS thus strik-
ing a cowardly blow at the cause for
which the flower of Southern chivalry
so bitterly fought. That was the situa-
tion in Ireland from 1898 to 1903, and
the traitorous Croker who betrayed his
countrymen is responsible for the birth
of the traitorous Croker who betrayed
the city of his adoption. Twas in the
year 1899, when Robert Emmett was a
mere youth of eighteen, and yet old
enough to shoulder musket in defence
of Ireland that the Croker thus be-
trayed the cause for which Robert EN-
met, of immortal memory, afterwards
sacrificed his life (18o3), at the age of
twenty Parnell's grandfather, true
son of Ireland that he was, Indignantly
refused to dishonor himself and dis
grace his country by putting his sigma
ture to that disloyal and traitorous doc
ument, which some knavish fool asked
him to do:
After the rebellion was crushed many
OF these hireling Hessians settled down
in Ireland and married there. It was
not possible to conceive how any Irish
woman would marry one of those Hes
slams, and Irish women did not. With
out an exception, I am happy to say,
these hired cutthroats married among
what was known as tory families, which,
more correctly speaking, were those
who hated the Irish and everything
that was Irish. 1t is not my practice to
attack women, and 1 shall not do so
now; but, in order to make this story
complete, l give the facts as they are,
unpleasant as they must be to a party
by the name of Dick Croker. His
mother may have been one of the best
women in the world, and I hope that
she was, for know of nothing against
her, other than that she was daughter
of one of these Hessian soldiers. Coutte
Croker, of Johnstown, County of Cork,
son of Henry, the traitor, of Quarter
town, was Dicks sire. The calling fol-
lowed by Dicks father, that of black
smith and horse doctor, was an honor
able one, something that cannot be said
for the occupation pursued by his beat