Washington sentinel., 1901-05-04
ERIN'S SONS.
The Irish Race In the History OF
the South.

societies OF montgomery, hla'i MI AleA
Troy, Of that city, made an eloquent
address IN response to the toast The
Irish Race in the Sunny South" In the
South as in every part OF the United
States, the sons of Erin have Deen dis
tinguished in war and in peace, IN the
professions, in business and in politics
Mr. TroY's Spsech was happy and just
tribute to the ability and achievements
OF the sons of the Emerald Isle whose
lot has been cast with the South and
who have left the ir impress on its history.
Among the eminent men Of Irish
descent whom Mr.. Troy enumerated
were Charles Carroll, Of MaTylan
Thomas Nelson, OF Virginia; Edward
Rutledge and Thomas Lynch, Of South
Carolina, siguers Of the Declaration Of
independence. In the Revolutionary
War there were William Thompson,
John Rutledge, Rutherford, Howard,
Mcclure. Read, Dooly, and hundreds Of
others. It was an intrepid Irishman,
Sergeant Jasper, wto in the British
attack on Fort Moultrie, on June as
1916, VIII n the flagstaff which aoated
the crescent flag OF South Carolina was
cut away by shot from a British frigate,
sprang over the parapet, fastened the
flag upon a staff, and, amid a storm Of
shot and she'll planted it upon the
bastion. The Irish Americans Daniel
Carroll, OF Maryland; George Read. OF
Delaware; John Rutledge and Pierce
Butler, of South Carolina, we're among
the framers of the Constitution. During
the war with Mexico an Irish American,
James K Polk, was at the helm Andrew
Jackson, a man who gloried in bis Irish
ancestry, was elected President, and
John c. Calhoun. another Irish Ameri
can, was chosen Vice President.
"What have the Irish in the South
accomplished" asked Mr.. Troy, an
swering his own question with the state.
ment that lit would be far easier to tell
what they have not done" They have
established colleges said the orator,
and maintained them. They have built
and managed them. Thev have
built cities and governed them. They
have been IN the legislative halls to make
laws and then sat on the bench as judges
TO construe them. They have been
Representatives in Congress, Governors,
Supreme Court judges, United States
Senators, Cabinet Ministers and PresI'
dents. They are in the South now
pursuing their peaceful lvocations-some
in the sacred Office Of the prizes hood,
some as merchants, farmers, doctors,
lawyers and in all the honorable callings
in civil life. 1--WE see Southern members
Of this race" added Mr.. Troy, in ali
the grand events OF our race, We see
the fire and enthusiasm of the Irishman
in Patrick Henry in the Virginia House
Of Delegates, uttering the battle cry
which won the Revolution Give me
liberty or give me DEATH We see him
in Charles Carroll, with a price upon
his head, who sc orned danger by adding
of Carrollton,' as an indelible desig
nation of the individual to his signature
of the Declaration OF Independence
We see him in battle at Kings Mountain.
the Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse-in
fact, in all the battles Of the Revolution
from Concord to Yorktown. We see
him in Andrew Jackson at New Orleans
and il Stonewall Jackson at Chancel.
lorsville."
When the Southern States seeded
and appealed to the arbItrament Of arms
many a gallant Irishman cast his lot
with the Confederacy. 1--WE see the
Irish ce," said mir. Troy, "in Pat Gle.
burne, the 'knightliest of a knightly
race whose bright sword waved and
glittered in the thi"kest OF the fight;
who, a private soldier in 1861 end a
brigadier general M 1862, after winning
renown and glory at Shiloh, Perryville,
Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, leading
his handful Of men against 10000 Of the
enemy, strongly entrenched behind
breastworks, and carrying two OF them,
laid down his life on the bloody field Of
Franklin" Among other lrishmen OF
the Civil War period were Abram J
Rya n, the poet priest, "who touched his
harp and the air was filled with music;''
Daniel J. Ryan, the youDg brother OF
the Father Ryan, who gave his life for
the COME deTacy; Pat O'Connor, who,
mortally wounded in battle, gave his
sword TO his commanding officer and
asked him to give it to his mother and
tell her there wa S no stain ON it. 1--WE
see the Irlshmen OF the South" con
cluded Mr.. Troy. 'in brave Tom Nc
Douough, Fred McManus, Dennis Mad
igan. Frank Monnihau and thousands OF
others laying down their lives for their
country. Their patriotic blood stained
every battlefield from Manassas to Ap-
pomattox and from Shiloh to Benton
ville."
The deeds of Irishmen, as Mr.. Troy
justly says, ill some OF the nobIest pages
OF the South's history. No element oil
the South's population is more worthy
of admiration and respect than the de-
scendants OF those sons of Erin who left
their native land to escape from British
oppression and make homes for them
selves in the land ofthe free. In no part
Of the country is the Irishman more
honored than in Dixie land. He has
stood tor Southern progress, for mate
rial development. for liberty and fol
all that makes the good citizen. The
Southern Irishman richly deserves al
that Mr. Troy SAID OF him.-Bak kiM0y,
Sun.
The whispering Wonders or the
Capitol.
The Capitol guides have filed a pro