The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-14

the writer Capt. William F. Mason Nc
earthly, late of Gen. Robert E. Lees con-
fidential staff, and later still confidential
aide to the Gar Alexander II. Many
another. Irishman, engineering, mining,
surveying, would be found wearing the
cars uniform and ready to fight his
battles. What are they to do when the
supreme conflict comes in the East be-
tween the Russian bear and the British
lion? They have evidently made their
| choice.
| Even so accomplished diplomat as
Sir Nicholas O'Connor might appeal for
advice and assistance to 1.-The greatest
| diplomatist of his time," as Gen. Patrick
A. Collins, the American consul-general
to London QS92-6), declared the marquis
of Duffern to be. And where would the
marquis Ee found if not at his own
home in the County Down, seven miles
from Belfast?
Let us suppose the scene of diplomatic
representations transferred from St. Pc
tersburg to Vienna. Who is a privy
councillor to the emperor Of Austria, and
most eminent among Austro-H Hungarian
statesmen? None other than the e1ev-
enth Viscount Taafe and Ballymote of
Sligo, Edward Francis Joseph, chamber
lain to his imperial majesty, Knight Of
the Golden Fleece, Knight of Malta,
Knight of st. John, Grand Cross of the
Order of SIS. Maurice and Lazarus of
Italy. The "Peerage of Ireland" regu-
larly enrolls the Taafes, a family so we'll
| bestowed on the "ould sod that plain
John Taafe, of Swarmore castle, Ardee,
in the county of Louth, has STAY acres
of his own. Baron Hoenning O'Carroll
is today secretary Of the Austrian lega-
ton in Sofia The Flight of the Wild
| Geese" spread Catholic lrishmen all over
Europe after the defeat of King James.
But in Spain and Austria they have es-
pecially thrived.
There is wealth of suggestion in the
line of the Austrian army register al
luding to the prominence Of Baron Jo-
ham O'Brien "for the affair Of the Black
Lake, May 49," Victor Organ is an Of
ficer of the 4Sth; Hayes OConnell of the
59th. and Johann O'Fanagan, of the SD
infantry. Baron Thomas Brady is an
Austrian Encouragement; Freiherr Nc
Nevin O'Kelly is captain of militia;
Graf O'Kelly Won Gallagher was a ma
jor-general, and Baron John Macguire
won honors hundred years ago.
The Celt-Ibcrians, as the earliest of
the present race in the peninsula are
called, were undoubtedly akin to the
! Celt-fibernians. For centuries there
| were cordial relations between Spain
and Ireland, both Catholic countries to
| the core. The Spaniards settled the
coast of Galway. where the coleens are
to this day endowed with eyes and
tresses Andalusian in their jetty beauty;
and when a cry of distress went out
| from beeaguered kinsale toward the
close of the Seventeenth century, a
Spanish fleet came promptly to the res
cue. The defeat of the allies on that
occasion drove Red Hugh O'Donnell
among others to emigrate, and the
names of ODonnell and O'Day became
famous in the military annals of the pc
ninsua. Marshal Leopold ODonnell
helped expel Joseph Bonaparte. Gen.
O'Donnel led against the revolt of AS
and afterward became Queen Isabella's
| ,r;, IA,
relations. The Leopold O'Donnell who
suLdued the Riffs, in 1861. was made
duke of Tetuan; and the duke of Tetuan
who, as prime minister, received our
tian. is his son.
The O'Sullivans and O'Driscolls and
Hugh ONeills, who went to Valladolid
and Lisbon soon after the arrival Of the
O'Donnells in Spain. are still in evidence
among the most faithful devotees Of
those cities. The O'Reilly for whom
O'Reilly street in Havana was named,
and the O'Higginses and Lynches for
whom Chilli named warships, came to
America by way of Spain. And. speak
ing of distant quarters of the globe, there
is Sir Robert Hart, an Irishman, at the
head of the imperial custom service in
China.
| Perhaps the most really powerful
Irishman. If we consider him as con-
trolling the destinies OF millions of hui
man beings, is Sir Robert Hart, of Pc
kin. Sir Robert, by his exceptional abil-
ity and justly moulded mind, has for
more than a quarter of century had
the absolute confidence Of the Chinese
government. So far as any man might,
he has wisely guided its policy, and has
done much to inculcate the highest
standard of morality in governmental
affairs.
In Rome there have been for ages
Irish princes of the church." Ferdi-
nand Count O'Gorman. Knight of the
Order OF Christ and Commander Of the
Order Of Gregory the Great, has been
since 1873 private chamberlain to Pope
Leo XIII. He had fulfilled the same re-
lation to Pope Plus TX. and he is not
only Roman count. but also Guardian
of the Tombs of tho Imperial House of
Austria in the Ducal Chapel in Nancy"
all