The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-11

brother in Ireland; the simpler and more
naive humor is less apparent, l admit. but.
the other hand, his caustic quality has
gained more point and force and he can
make it score like rapier. When an Irish
man retains the naive and combines it
with the caustic, he has an effective
eapon indeed Not few of our people
here are possessed of this. lady told
me of an Irish tramp q would like to
think that the genus is rare), who, having
been helped al her house, went on to the
next whose mistress, though wealthy and
lavish, habitually refused to encourage
aims seekers, schooling the maid to inform
all such that "they had not anything eat
able in the house" The broken Irishman,
getting refusal, podded his way back 10
the house at which he had been helped,
and he said: "Ma'am, you'll excuse me
for troubling We a second time for help, L
never do such a thing, but this poor fam
lily over the way is in sore need, L think,
and if We wouldn't mind givin' me hunk
of bread or piece of pie to fetch to them,
goodness will not forget We if Gas God for
bidD you should ever happen 10 ran INTO
the same disthress."
The old faction spirit still clings to our
people abroad as well as at home; and our
i'll wishers are fond of saying that you
cannot leave two Irishmen in room alone
or one would kill the other in Vldlcatloh
of his method of freeing Ireland. And so
they tell US that this want of cohesion, OF
agreement, of unity is one of the big de-
fects of our nature in America as well as
at home The people who call it fault
because we do not always agree regarding
WAYS and means are superficial thinkers.
Some one has said that the curse OF our
Irish nature is accumulated indlVldua1ty.
That this is the key to the problem ad-
NIT but that individuality accentuated IS
a curse I deny Other nationalities there
are. and successful ones who let one man
or two men think for them and crowd like
a flock of sheep wheresoever the driver
drives them. They are successful. Con-
tented sheep will grow fat. But every
freshman sets a value---too high value, IL
Won lile-on his own intellect, and thinks
for himself. and thinks that he can think
as well as his neighbor if not better. And
though. collectively, this is a misfortune,
it is an admirable trait individually.
From the ordinary worldly-what you
call the practical-point of view then'
Irishmen may be unfortunate in their ma
t1,res but looked at from the moral Level,
sc good men should look az such, they are
snecially blessed. Once two of my coun-
trvmen disagreed about the right and the
wrong of a subject. and at length came
To blows. When one of them knocked
out" the other Gf you will permit me
borrowing from the language of your
D..
asked. "Have We got enough, Plenty
Tor1 knows" "Who's right. then?"
You're right of course-though the divll
take me if l believe it." Then, give US
a shake of your fist, and ye're free TO be
Iieve what We choose, so long as we don't
want to shove it down my throat That
was an aptly illustrative combination OF
assertive individuality and moral toler-
ance.
For. though the Irish-American does not
get proper credit for it, he is very toler-
ana individual-much more tolerant now
than before he quilted home. Even the
North of Ireland Orangemen, who, with
the possible exception of Mohammeds
henceman is the most intolerant individ-
nal that ever stalked over the earth, grows
broad liberal and Irish in America Yet
among us Northern Irish the old feeling
of party animosity takes long killing. I
admit On one ST. Patricks day an I'M
gracious Mayor refused the right of hav-
ing the green hoated over the City Hall.
An indignant Northern Irishman was, to
an American group rating the contempti-
BILE Mayor at grand pace. One of the
Americans interposed, But Charlie. if he
granted you Irishmen such privilege on
this day the Dutch would ask to have
their flag hoisted on day of their cele-
bration." Certainly, an why shouldn't
they?" said the just Charlie, holly. "Oh,
but then the French would ask to have
their flag, too. hoisted on their day" AN
of course so il should" Charlie assented.
"And then the Swedes would look for the
same privilege" Certainly; why not?"
And you'd let the Dagos have theirs,
too" Justice is justice, even If a man
is q Dago," and Charlie looked about him
with bold. challenging air And you'd
give the Greek and Jew the same right"
"The Greek the Jew and the Turk" as
scented Charlie "And on the 18th of July.
of course. the Orangemen would fly their
flag on it?" Instantly Charlie placed
fearful fist under his questoner's nose and
said, 81 would br ak the neck of the man
who would propose it,"
The partial distrust and dislike with
which, >at one time, the Southern Irish
and the Northern Irish in America viewed
each other. are much mitgated in these
days ! think II was principally because
of the non-Celtie element, or, at least, nom
Irish, for which the North was noted,
that the Southerners detested us, the Far
downs. II will be remembered how, when
the greenhorn tumbled down a dark sewer
and the Kerryman hailed him to know IL
he was far down. the poor fellow fear-
fully replied mo no, thank God, I'm
only from Limerick" Even between the
purely Cesic and Irish Northern and the
Southern there is an interesting difference
Of characteristics Whether or not 1t is