The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-02-11
THE ARMY OF WASHINGTON.
Hon. Thomas j. Garsnn Says 1t Was
Half Irish.


Historical society, recently held in New
York, the new president-general, Hon.
Thomas j. Gargan, of Boston, said in
part:
A distinguished man, who wrote near
ly a century ago, said that all history
was a series of lies which a few men
agreed to consider facts. We all agree
that much of the history that has been
written by men who preferred to see
things through their prejudices rather
than their eyes, and no people have
suffered more from the ignorance and
prejudice of INDEPENDENTLY Eng
lish writers-than the Irish people. I'm
fortunately, many New England writer's
inherited the prejudices of their English
ancestors and have either deliberately
slurred the contributions of the Irish in
our history, or have failed to record
them. A discriminating and critical
public demand that the searchight shall
be thrown upon the dark spots. We are
now in this scientific age rewriting much
of our history and revising our judy
ment of men. We cordially welcome
this new era, confident that when ali the
facts are carefully scrutiniZed and crit-
cally examined, the Irish in the United
States have nothing to fear, but on the
contrary will gain UNNECESSARILY in the
minds of all intelligent and impartial
men.
In the first volume Of the journal of
This society papers will be found of the
early history of the Irish settlers in New
England, by Messrs. Murray, Linehan,
Smith, Brandon and Shcahan, members
of our society, thus preserving in per-
manent form facts useful to the future
historian. The New England historian
has never been noted for modesty in
claiming a full share of the glory Of our
country for New EnglanGers, or, as he
is prone to write it, descendant Of the
Anglo-SaXon race. While honoring as
they deserve to be honored, the men of
Boston and Massachusetts who initiated
the war Of the Revolution, we are not
unmindful of what others have done to
establish this form of government of
ours, founded upon the doctrine-not of
the divine right of kings or of any other
ruler, no matter what he may call him
self-to rule people, but the divine right
of the people to rule themselves, and
lest we forget in our hour of conquest,
let us recall again the doctrine of the
founders of this government-that all
government ought to rest on the consent
of the governed. In establishing this
government, the Irish element were a
very important factor. In the British
house of commons report fifth session,
Fourteenth parliament, Vol. Kill. page
3O3, we find the report OF an investiga-
ton OF the causes Of defeat in the war
with the colonies-thc investigation was
held in 1719-A1aj.- Gen. Roberts. who
has served "a years in America, was
asked: How are the provincial corps
composed, mostly from native Ameri-
cans or from emigrants from various
nations of Europe?" He answered:
Some OF the corps. mostly of natives;
others. believe the greatest number,
arc enlisted from such peoplc as can be
got IN the country, and many of them
may be emigrants. remember Gen.
Lee telling me that he believed half the
rebel army We're from Ireland" In
Vol. MIL. British commons report.
page ADJ, Joseph Galloway, a native of
PENNSYLVANIA, speaker of the assembly
of the colony for IL years and delegate
to the First Continental congress, who
became a violent Tory in 1913, was ex-
amlned for several days by members OF
the house OF commons. Among The
questions asked was: THAT part of the
rebel army that enlisted in the service
Oh congress, were they chiefly composed
of natives of America, or We're tho rroot-
Ell part OF them English. Scotch or
Irish Galloway answered: "Thc
names and places of their nativity neinr
taken down. | can answer the question
with precision. There were scarcely
ohe-1onrth natives of America: one-half
Irish, the other fourth English and
Scotch
The Irish contributed thcir full share
to the war OF 1872 In the war with
Mexico, and in the war that kept tho
Union whole. All facts relating to the
part borne by them should be carefully
collected. In the late war with Spain
we have large field for Investigation
From the state of Massachusetts one
NTH or her quota of soldiers were nm
mistakably of Irish ancestry; the Ninth
regiment, Massachusetts volunteers
went into the field as IN Irish Ameri-
can regiment: of the other four reei-
ments and the large number of sailors
an impartial Investigation would show
surprisingly large number of men or
IRISH ancestry, and what is true of Mas
sachusetts is true of every STATE in ,ha
Union.
Gentlemen, while we are proud Of our
origin and our ancestry, we do NOT for
get that above all we are Americans
that we earnestly desire that all tho
different clements that go to make ;n
THIS nation shall be blended together.
This American republic is a mighty