The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-10-26
GENERAL JAMES SHIELDS
A Bronze Statue to the Hero at
washington, D. C.
Editor Irish Standard:

A bronze Statue to the Hero at
Washington. D. c.
Editor Irish Standard:
10 one who for full decade of
years has enjoyed the chosen quietude
of. home occupation, after perhaps
more than an average share of diver
5sified public activities, 1T seems like
forcing ones self ON the stage again
amongst the younger actors to ask to
break silence, for the first time, in the
columns of the Irish Standard.
But calls Of duty come at times from
which length Of years does not exempt,
without other justifying conditions;
and hence this letter in response to
such call, for the spirit is willing.
AS q reader of the Irish Standard for
several years, under your vigorous edi-
torial management, full many time
has this old Irish heart of mine been
tenderly touched by the personal his
toric sketches (for which due credit
has been always given to others) Of the
patriots, warriors and statesmen of
other times, whose life works, whether
at home or in other lands, have left no
stain of dishonor on the brow of dear
Mother Erin.
CHANGING back at those sketches now,
as memory recalls them, the first that
bids me come back to Erin Mavour-
neen"-where oft am in my day
dreams and nocturnal journeyings,
seeing old, familiar scenes and living
again the days that are over, Is your
sketch of Richard Labor Shfel, whose
Longorchard home, the Crannagh
House, and its wooded surroundings
knew even in my young boyhood years;
but for the information that he sleeps
the sleep that knows no awakening" in
the Longorchard cemetery-the old
"churchyard"-I am indebted to the
Standard.
Nor have forgotten "a Vision of
Tara" read in those boyhood years
'an authorizes book" as now remem
Der it-Cong since gone out of print no
doubt) of which Shiel was popularity
the accredited author. A few passages
therefrom were then dndelibly inn
pressed on my boyish mind, one of
which, the London cockney's boosting
superiority over the Irish there repro
duced: "Those Hirish hare not the
descendants Of Hadam hand Heve has
we harew Other boastings were less
flattering to the cockney's genealogy
and SO pass them.
The book was written, as 1 now re-
member, for the purpose Of showing
how dn penal times the English people
were misled in regarding the Irish as
(. an inferior race, aud to be governed
as such.
Well, whatever might be truthfully
said of the English people of that pc
riod it is a we'll known and admitted
fact that the English people Of our
time are candid and honest; and who
does not know that in business and
social intercourse the English, Scotch
and Irish know no distinction of ma
tionality? 1t Dis with the ruling classes
the Irish people have been kept in per-
petual warfare.
And who does not further know that
not a few English statesmen of late
years, lovers of justice have 1abored
as true friends of long oppressed Ire
land?
The next sketch that memory recalls
Is that Of General James Shields by
the historian r. Cudmore. In 1850 the
general was visiting N[illnesota's first
state governor, II. III. Sibley, at his old
home at Mendoza, where I had the hon
or OF an introduction to the general by
the governor-two grand types of no
Die manhood-and oh! the unafrecten
simplicity OF manner and language of
MIN of whose deed of daring I had
read, in rescuing with but a small
chosen band of followers, from within
the Mexican garrison, an English gen
teman and his lady-captured tourists
and placing them safely without the
American lines
OF that deed of daring no mention
is made i'll the history of that war, rs
for military reasons no doubt it was
not noted in the war records from
which the history was made. And this
brings me to the call Of duty In re-
Spouse to which this letter was writ
ten.
~ Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting
here at st. Paul, perhaps three de-
cades of years ago, Mr.. p. Cudlnore,
whose book, "Hstorlc Memoir" I
have read, and have again lately
glanced over; and 1T affords me sincere
pleasure to inform Mr.. Cudmore and
all interested readers of the Standard
(and they surely are not few that the
state Of Illinois has duly honored, in
death, him it had so much honored in
life, as will he seen from the docu-
mentary proof here appended.
And how came the writer of this
In possession Of this documentary
proof? seems fit question to here
ask and answer.
Having known in a general way
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