The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-11-16
THE IDEAL FRESHMAN,
What He Should Be in the Land
of the Free.

NO. +. a. ". IL. vi llcllcpln county
Mimi, Mr.. J. G. Gubbns spoke Oh
"What the IriShman Should Be- an,
said in part:
l believe that Almighty God intend
cd the lrishman should occupy Il llrg
or space in and contribute NOR,
abuntlantly to the economy of TIL,
Universe, and be Il greater force fol
the good of his fellow man, than TIL,
native of amy other land.
The IrShman is the child of God
He was brought up to reverence hi:
Creator. to bow his head ut mention
men holy. and he is taught from earl.
infancy to keep in mind that his lif,
on earth must be such as will cntitlt
him to be received with open arms il
the realms of bliss. The lriShmal
should be true to his early trainin.
and the traditions of his fathers. And
one of the traditions of his sircS tha,
the IrShman should adhere to is the
Independence of Ireland. He should
keep in mind those lines of the poet
'Frccdom'S battle once begun,
Bequcathcd from bleeding sire to son
Though bafhcd oft, is ever won
No matter where he pitches his tent,
the Irishman should he on the side Of
liberty. lie should deSpiSe and hate
injustice and wrong. and it gives me
pleasure to be able to say that the
son of Erin has invariably cspoused
the cause of freedom and opposed
tyranny and injustice.
This has been the history of the
freshman in the United States. From
the inception Of this government, he
has stood by it and fought for it be-
cause he believed this was Il land of
frecmcn. who. believing in freedom
for themselves, would fan see others
free. 1t never entered the IriShman's
head as he charged up Mary's Heights
with Mcaghcr. in the Civil War, that
thirty-livc years aftcrwaru his sons
would be asked to enlist in AN army
of conquest, flying the Stars and
Stripes, the undetermined emblem of
liberty. That the American people
have fallen from the high pedestal on
which they stood for one hundred and
twenty-five years is not the fault of
the IriSlIlnan. 1t is the fault of
wealthy spectators that infcst this
country and are permitted to shape it's
policies. The IriShman believes with
the poet that
Ear 'lrarrr the grave or the prison
Humid by one patriot name
That the trophies OF all who have
On librrty'S ruins to fame"
The lriShnAn should not and does
moi seek to tear down, but build up
the temple of liberty. He would not
take one stone from the foundation
of this republic. as laid by it's found
crS. When | say the IriShman,
mean lrishmcn generally, or the great
majority thereof. There is an exception
to every rule. and the exception proves
the rule. And SO we find. here and
there, Il man of Irish blood giving his
assent to the British policy of con-
quest and ruin. He does this, not be-
cause he believes in it in his heart,
but for the sake of wallowing in the
mirc Of political favoritism. For sucl,
lr:shmcn have no respect. lrishmrn
should be consistent, upright and hon
Orable. lriSllmcn should not attempt
to carry water on both shoulders
Rather let us be one thing or the
other.
For fifty years the Boston Pilot has
kept this motto ut the lcnd of it's
front page as Il beacon light for it's
readers:
LET all the ends thou aimcst ut be
Gods. thy c",lntry's and truths"
First God. then his country. is the
motto of the freshman. Because he
WAS denied liberty ut home. the Irish
man crossed the Atlantic and he
brought to the land of his adoption a
stout heart and strong arms TO battle
for existence and help to develop the
Il L.,
share toward making this republic the
mighty power it is.
In the beginning he stood by the
struggling colonies and offered his
money and blood as Il sacrifice for
their Independence In 1872 he was
again in The forefront of the fight
erty said at the Worlds Fair. "rhc
lrShnHn aimed his guns with Me
DOnougl. and fought with jackson ut
New Orleans. And when the agitation
of the slavery question rent the rc-
public in twain and the greatest war
i'll history let loose its horrors on Co
lumbias soil. tho lrishman was again
found in the ranks of those that stood
for freedoms flag. He had had a
taste Of bondage in Ireland He had
heard O'Conncll cXclaim, if he could
send his voice carcering across the
Atlantic. he would say to tho slave
owners of South Carolina, Beware!
Gods tlunderbolts are hot and when
the war came it was but natural that