The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-02-25
HIS SERVICES AND INFLUENCE
Qualities That Make Him Valuable
as an American.
ADDRESS BY HON. WIN. McADOO
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Under Cleveland.

The following notable address on THE
American Cclt was delivered by Hon.
William McAdoo. cX-assistant secretary
of the navy, and an lrishman of the
Presbyterian religion, at the recent ban
quot of the Amcrican-lrish Historical
Society, In New York:
Mr. President and Gcntlcmcn-I came
here tonight simply to excuse myself for
not being able. as requested, to read Il
paper which | promised your commits
tee on Immigration to the United
States from the Province of Ulster, in
Ireland" II am still honorcd by your
society | Will be glad to read it at a
future meeting, with view to showing
not only the influence of this immigra-
tion on the history of the United States,
but the fact that these Immigrants con-
sidcred themselves Irish without any
qualifying clauses, and were SO regard
cd both In America. England and Ire
land. Modern political cXiEcncics are
playing sad havoc with cthnology If
an lrishman becomes distinguished at
homo or abroad. In field. forum. market
or shop, he is Immediately made an An
glo-SaXon; but if he brings up in the
police court, he is simply common
Irish Cclt. The Anglo-SnXon race is
claiming everything good In the world,
and they are bent upon leaving not
much of the world for any body else.
r,, IL, l,,
Anglo Saxon, even if You had an Irish
father and q Russian mother. II by some
,, divine miracle and phenomenal transfor-
nation nll men and women with Celtic
blood in thcr veins could wake up in
the morning with some startling DEM
onsiration of the fact, such as green
hair and yellow eyes. there would be u
frighiul con#"rnaton in the ranks Of
Anglo-SaXondom even in the great city
of New York, and in some Of the back
settlements into which the first imml-
grants from ireland wandered, and
where even their names have been
transformed If one could run all races
other than the Anglo-S Saxon out of the
lIngnnd's while to form an alliance
with what remained, and she would treat
them in that Kindly pdlronizing and
cOntcmptuous way that she does the ul-
tri-luyal Canadians. II needs no learn
ed historian to show us the splendid
record Of the Irish in Amciira, nor how
endurinGly they have stamped their
highest and nobcst racial impulses on
every page of American history. Some
of their critics snrcrngly point to the
apparent fact that they have been almost
too conspicuous OIL the field or military
action and more ur less lacking in the
more patient and plodding ways OF COM
mcrcc and business. They assert that
they have attained more in these intel
lcctual diversions and pleasing arts OF
speech and hand, or in the mere drudg-
cry Of unintn tnIligcnt labor, rather than
in those achievements in agriculture and
manufactures. which is said to be
marked characteristic Of the heavenly
Anglo Saxon.
This is IL gross libel on the lrishmcn OF
America We have here tonight at our
board such Il thoroughly representative
business Irishman, who In vast enter
prise, splendid achievement, industry
and doggcd perseverance,, crowned with
the highest success, can give the best
Anglo Saxon in the states or England, In
any venture from building railroads to
managing them, the sharpcst competi-
ton of his life: and Mr.. John ID. Grim
Minis, Of New York, is but one OF
splendid army of men of Irish birth or
descent who are in the very forefront OF
the great industrial armies as captains
and generals of these tremendous forces
which nowhere play so important a part
us in the United States, and nowhere is
the competition among them more keen,
nay, more deadly, nor requiring higher
talents and greater courage. why, IN
this very metropolis you cannot point
to any great field Of action--lcaving out
the learned professions, i'll which tho
Irish race is most markedly conspicuous
in banking, manufacturing, commerce,
ship building, and all kinds OF industrial
and railroad enterprises, in which Irish
names do not appear i'll the dircctorates.
fiji the managers Offices, plan and exc
cute the great battles Of modern finance.
Say we need hot speak of the learned
professions, because there the keen Wit,
the bright, sharp intellectually, wonder
full racial adaptability, breadth and
grasp OF mind, and love OF learning,
have given them most commanding In
nuonco. the same is true of congress, in
legislatures: municipal bodies, and III