The Irish standard., 1900-09-15
Part Played by Them During the
Revolutionary War.
! sAnBarl's DEBT TO TIE nlBRpNlAss
An Able Vindication of Them by
Michael B. Holiness

The following letter recently ap-
peared In the Jersey City Journal from
the pen of Michael B. Holiness:
In reply to your correspondent, "The
Same American" who in his former
letter oyer the title "Another Kind of
American" assailed the Sixty-ninth
Regiment OF New York, as we'll as
everything Catholic and Irish, allow
me to state that did not say that Col.
Stark or the brothers Sullivan were
Catholics. l simply, quoted the Ian
guage used by Lieut.-Gov. Bates at the
Hibernian banquet at Boston, in eu-
1ogizing men of the Irish race for the
noble deeds they had performed in the
cause of American Independence, for
the preservation of the Union, and
against every enemy that ever dared
to assail this Republic.
Whether the men referred to by the
Lieut.-Gov. were Catholics or not it
matters not with me. am proud Of
them as representatives of that an
.cient race, which for more than seven
;centultes has never given up the
struggle for liberty and national In
dependence. Irish Nationalists place
with pride in the calendar of Irish
patriots, notwithstanding that they
were Protestants, such names as En-
met, Wolfe Tone, Mitchell, Lord Ed
ward Fitzgerald, the brothers Sheares,
Charles Stewart Parnell, and many
more whose memory will ever be re-
vered and honored by the Irish race.
But while giving full credit to these
men, who, although Pr0testants, fa-
vored the extension of civil and relig-
ious liberty to their Catholic fellow
citizens, we would be recreant children
of the Gael were we to allow without
protest, and tamely submit to the
abuse of the Catholic members of our
race. whose record at home and
abroad in the cause of human freedom
compares favorably with that of any
race that ever engaged in the struggle
for liberty.
According to the testimony of DR..
McNevin, an Irish rebel and a Protes-
tant, whose memorial monument may
be seen in st. Paul's Church yard on
Broadway, New York, placed there by
resolution of Congress, John and
James Sullivan were the grandsons of
IN Irish soldier who served with
Sarsfield and defended the walls Of
Limerick, against the English army,
nnder William, Prince of Orange.
If they (the sullivans) lost their
ancient faith and became Congrega-
tionalists, it was because the Irish are
essentially church-going people, and
these descendants of the man who
fought for liberty for Ireland under
Sarsfield were not given an opportun-
ity of practicing their religion among
the hills of Maine and New Hamp-
shire, where their father and grand
father found refuge after the treaty
Of Limerick was signed, and it's pro-
visions violated by England.
When we come to call the muster
roll, of those who fought for and won
independence for this Republic, Irish
men and Catholics need not hang their
heads in shame.
Z. No American can truthfully deny
that John Barry, the first commodore
: sof the American navy, who was born
ln~-Wexford county. was Catholic
and an Irishman. Charles Carroll, of
Carrollton, Nd, signer of the Decla-
ration of Independence, friend and ad-
wiser of Washington, who was edu-
Gated by the Jesuits in their college in
Maryland, was the son of a Catholic
and an Irishman. 1t was Major Kelly,
nm Irish Catholic, who was ordered by
Washington to destroy the bridge over
STONY Brook, near Trenton, during the
retreat of the American army through
New Jersey in the fearful winter OF
1776.
No sooner had he, with handful
of the Pennsylvania militia begun to
destroy the bridge, than the van of
Cornwall's army appeared. The enc
my, perceiving his design, opened on
him with grape and roundshot. In
the face of this terrible fire Kelly
maintained his ground, throwing the
planks into the stream until the bridge
was rendered impossible for artillery.