The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-06-14

SttS ii Huole Stittue proclaim the SlOr'
of Ireland, rs the statues of Rocham
beau and Lafayette proclaim the glor,
of France.
Without France the American Revo
luton was Il failure. Would another
revolution have taken place at IL late,
date, and succeed, is Il question ope.
to speculation. Who knows? The Col
onies would for Il long time at leus
have been overwhelmed with the mem
cries of defeat. Great Britain woul,
have granted notable concessions
Perhaps, the British flag. guaranteein.
far-reaching autonomy, would today
have the place of the Stars and
Stripes" even in case of IL compile c
separation from Great Britain, p rilars
a government less freedom-"ivinw than
the Republic would today sway til
destinies Of our land. At best. tn.
creation of the Republic was pcstpone l.
and the influences going out from ii
were refused to the world ut the clos
OF the eighteenth and the opening of
the nineteenth century. How mucl
there was at stake in the cntrcnch.
mcnts around Yorktown. What might,
problems. Frcncllmen. your country
was called to aid in solving VIII n Lei.
fayettc ana RGcllambeau were cross
ing the Atlantic.
The triumph or the failure OF the
| United States meant the triumph or
the failure OF popular liberty, of demo
cratic government. The spirit Of de-
mOcl:lcy had been astir amid tho
dreams of nations: it was now making
supreme effort to take living con
crete form i'm America. thence to sen /
| its brcathngs far and wide over the
world. Crushed i'm America, if WAS i'm
despair, and for II long period at least,
would not again have shown itself
upon the earth
France saved America. and with
America she saved popular liberty
The American Revolutionary war WAS
as seldom a war of history was prcg-
nant with mighty results 10 have
taken a part in that war;. to hive
turned in favor of America the seal.
of victory, WAS Il feat sublime, o:
which Il great and ma"nanimous pro
pie may forever he most proud. The
triumph Of tile American cause signi-
fled not merely the birth Of Il new nal
ton, Of a nation destined in the piss.
age of years to grow into giant stature
and giant power. 1t signifiu.I. what
is of immensely deeper Importance, the
lifting up Of the MASSES of mankind
into Il new cOllSciuuSncs of tnei.
rights, into Il new Inheritance of social
and political liberty; it signiiicd the in
stitution of democracy In the life of
humanity. AS the sequence of it,
there WAS Hn utter change i'm social
and political life; there was tile iratgu-
ration of an order of things to which
the world heretofore had been utterly 4;
stranger. With wondrous appropriatr-
ness, though, of course not noticed at
the time did the English drums during
the surrender beat--',rhc World Is
Turned Upside Down." Talk as man
may of the perls of democracy. or the
ricissitudeS more or less alarming,
which accompany it while it is sup
planting older regimes, dem, crlcy, I'M
tier one form or another, is now tue
assured sovereign of tile future, and,
when its balance sheet is drawn. j,
will he seen to have been the patent
lever through which humanity will
have sprung upward into higher
spheres of liberty aud happiness.
America and France. you have covered
the world with democracy.
Democracy triumphant in America
soon waited it's l,reathings across the
Atlantic to France, where, in tie gencr-
Gus and aspiring souls of Frances
sons it found congcnial sail. Ear from
me to pray or excuse excuses and
mantle: these disgraccd it and retard-
Hl its bcneticcnt reign. What [ praise
and admire is the glcry of today. To-
day France is Il republic even rs is
America herself; today the starry flag
and the tl1-cOlored emblem, liberty ana
democracy; today together France an
America hold the advanced posts in
the forward movements of humanity:
together France and America guard
liberty and bless humanity.
This is the result of the glorious all-
ancc that brought Rocllambcau and
Lafayette to America six scores of
years ago!
And this, another bond, one most
enduring, to bind together France and
the United States-bnth republics bo:h
the embodiment of democracy, both the
guardian angels of liberty. both the
precursors of its universal reign.
Friends, hosts and guests. again tho
toast-Francc and the United States.
Honorcd guests. France in your per-
son. rcvistS our shores to Sc how
stands in this year of grace 1902 the
United States, which she knew so we'll
in the days of Rochambcau and Lafay-
cite.
Arc we worthy of YOU? Have we
grown as we gave promise to grow?