The Irish standard., 1899-04-01
A REMONSTRANCE FROM GERMANS.

A REMONSTRANCE FROM GERMANS.
The 1rislAmerican citizens of the
United States were the first to utter
their protest against any entangling al
liances with foreign nations, especially
with Great Britain. In all the leading
cities of the country, meetings have been
held by citizens OF Irish birth or ex-
traction, vehemently protesting against
any alliance with their inveterate enc
my. The Irisll-American press OF the
country, during, the past year, has OPP
posed any copartnersllip with England
for any purpose whatsoever. OF all
American citizens, those OF Irish de-
scent know from sad experience the
perfdy OF England in her non
observance OF international obligations.
Not one treaty or stipulation of the
most solemn character has England ever
kept with the SISTER island" The treaty
OF Limerick was broken 'ere the ink
wherewith twas writ was dry The ar
ticles of the Legislative union, which was
carried by force and fraud in 1900, have
been slamelessly violated by the stronger
country. and in disregard OF every prin-
ciple OF justice Ireland is to-day crushed
by oppressive taxation in violation OF
a solemn compact. The Irish-Ameri-
cans. therefore, are uncompromisingly
opposed to any treaty, alliance or under
standing between this country and Eng
land, whereby the two nations would
agree to "pool their issues" against Rus
STA, Germany or France. The Irish
Americans could not be induced to fight
England's battles on sea or land with
the Stars and Stripes and the Union
Jack floating in unison.
The German-American citizens, whose
loyalty to the republic is beyond
question, stand with Irish Americans in
opposition to an Anglo Saxon alliance
OF any kind whatsoever. That numer-
GUS element Of our population feels ag-
gricved at the unwarranted misrepresen-
tation OF their fatherland by the lying
press OF this country during the late
Spanish war. Last Monday
night in Chicago a meeting Of German
Americans was held in the Auditorium
to vigorously protest against the impu-
tations cast upon Germany by the Eng
lish American newspapers, and ringing
resolutions against any alliance with
England were adopted amid the cheers
OF enthusiastic thousands. Copies Of
their declarations were ordered to be
forwarded to the President and his
Secretary OF State, as we'll as to the SEN
ators and representatives in congress.
In one of the resolutions they say:
1--WE emphatically object to the attempt
to stamp our people as Anglo-Saxons
and to make them subservient to Eng
fish guile. Not England, but all
Europe, is the mother country of the
white inhabitants Of the United States"
One OF the German speakers under
took to show that the American people
are not Anglo-Saxon. In the course
OF his address he said: "The Germans
have not the least prejudice against
Englishmen, but they protest decidedly
and resolutely against the claim that the
American people is an Anglo-Saxon
people, or, in other words, an English
people. There is no Anglo-Saxon
people in existence. The word Anglo
Saxon is chosen only because it would
not sound nice to call the American
people an English people But to us it is
immaterial what designation is used. We
want to be Americans, not Englishmen.
Even before the separation from
Great Britain there were hundreds OF
thousands of Germans ,Dutchmen, Irish
men, and Frenchmen in the territory
now forming the United States, and
even then the American people was not
an English people any more. Accord
ing to the last census the number OF
non-English Immigrants and their chill
dren was twelve millions, and it the
grandchildren are added it is no exagge-
rated claim that at least onc-third OF the
American people are not sprung from
the English. But in spite OF its va
rious clements the American people is
internally, and especially to the outside
world, a united people. 1t is not an
Anglo-Saxon people, but is proud Of
possessing name Of its own, and, OF
this name, respected and esteemed
throughout the world, we shall not al
low it to be deprived. Anglo-Saxons
we are not, but Americans we are with
heart and soul"
We hope the German-Americans OF