The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-29
One of Them a Minister of the
Episcopalian Church.
A PATRIOTIC AND ELOQUENT REPLY
He Charms the Audience with
His Brilliant Oratory.

HUI. john l.. Ilnclly, Oh chicago,
recently appeared before the Eel
lowsllip Club OF Unity Church,
Oak Park, Cook county, ILL.,, and
took the negative side in a de-
bate on the question, "Rcsolvcd, That
we should cultivate the friendship of
Great Britain" Opposed to him were
Rev. MIR. Anderson, of the Episcopal
church, and Mr.. Butler, member OF
the club, who followed each other on
the British side. When they had fin
ishcd recess OF few minutes was
takn and then Mr.. Fincrty made reply
as follows:
He was glad to have lis text from
the speeches Of two fellow countrymcn,
for Anderson was MacAndrcws angli-
cizcd, and with the Mac converted
into SON at the wrong end. (Chccrs
and laughter.) The Buffers came over
to Ireland with Henry H., IN 1171. A
few OF them had found their way to
America since that time, but all the
American Buffers were lrish too.
(Chcers and laughtcr) Both the clo-
qucnt gentlemen. particularly his friend,
the Rev. Mr.. Anderson, had dwclt On
the friendship displayed toward Ameri-
ca by England during the late Spanish
war. What were the specific acts OF
friendship to which they referred? Did
English broadsidcs sink the Spanish
fleet in Manila bay, or was it Dcwcy's?
(Cheers.) Did English soldiers carry
the trenches OF FL Caney or storm the
hill OF San Juan, or was it the soldiers
OF Lawton, oi Kent and OF Chaffcc?
Cloud chccrs.) Did the English col
licrs exclusively coal our vessels, or
did they not render the same service
to the Spaniards? Did the English par
lament pass resolutions OF sympathy
with America in the course OF the strug-
gle? Where, when, how did England
prevent combination of Europe
against us, as had been frequently and
falsely stated? Would Mr.. Anderson
answer? CA pausc) Would Mr.. But
Ter? (Anotlcr pause.) Would any
gentleman present answer? Like the
Roman orator, he (Mr. Fincrty)
paused for a reply daughter and
prolonged appausc) Now they saw
how much solidity there was in mere
assertion and how easily lie may be
propagatcd for want Of judicial investi-
cation. There was absolutely no foun-
dation for the statement he challenged,
except that when England saw us able
to take care OF ourselves the tone OF her
press changed from one OF depreciation
to one OF adulation.
Mr.. Butler had been eloquent on an
ciont history. He said we owed almost
everything to England How did we?
The common law was not exclusively
English. Our statutory law is almost
exclusively American. The American
government is in no sense modelled on
that OF England. There was no resem-
blancc whatever. The English language
was composite tongue, stolen from all
Europe and some OF Asia. (Laughter)
All the nations had contributed to it
more or less The best of it was bor-
rowed from the Latin and Greek, chiefly
through the medium OF the Norman
French. The short, ugly, vulgar, snappy
"cuss words were Saxon-all there
was of English about them. (Cheers
and laughtcr) The Americans had i'm
proved on the so-called English tongue;
so, too, had the Irish. (Cheers and
laughtcr) Look at the long roll OF
Irish orators, poets, literateurs and
statesmen who have developed and
broadencd the English language and
they would be convinced AS for the
liberty-loving Norman barons, OF whom
Mr.. Butler spoke, who wrung the magma
charta from the cowardly King John
and the confirmation OF it from his in
competent son, Henry ILL.,, they were
SO ignorant that they had to make their
mark with cross. (Cheers and laugh
ter.) Perhaps, like Constantine, they
meant Gin hoe signo vinces"-"by this
sign we conquer" (Applause.) They
nevcr thought OF the liberty OF their
Saxon scrfs, who wore brass collars
around their nccks and did all the hew-
ing OF wood and drawing of water He
referred them to Ivanhoe for a true
picture of the early Norman period in
merry England"
Mr.. Butler was, apparently, better