The Irish standard., 1902-02-22
A PROTESTANT PAPER
Pays q Graceful Tribute to tho ST,
PAU PHelate.

rays Graceful tribute TO tho st.
PAU P1elate.
The following warm tribute to Arch
bishop Ireland recently appeared in
1.-The Outlook
Archbishop Ireland is one of the
foremost citizens of the United
States, and his eminence and influence
are explained by one of his own
phrases: '"The watchwords of the age
are reason, education, liberty, the
amelioration of the masses.' An
ecclesiastic, he has been in sympathy
with the national liberty, the ordered
freedom of modern life; a priest, he
is a profound believer in education;
the representative of great and pow
erful religious organization, he is de-
voted friend of freedom; and his life
has been conspicuous by reason of his
manifold and influential endeavors to
share with the masses of the people
the religion, morality, and intellectual
and social capital of the world. For
more than forty years Archbishop
Ireland has lived in st. Paul, Identify
ing himself from the beginning with
the life of the Northwest in all it's
best aspects. Born in Ireland, his
bovhood was passed in America. His
earlier education was obtained ut the
Cathedral School in st. Paul, his
theological education in France. For
ty-two years ago he was ordained a
priest. During the Civil War he served
his country as chaplain for a Mime
sofa regiment. Twenty-siX years ago
he was consecrated bishop of st. Paul
Since that time his personal history
has been Il part of the history of the
country. His vigorous personality,
his franlness, his courage, and his
decided views on many questions
have sometimes aroused the animos-
ity of influential men; but his SINGER
ity and his disinterestedness have
never been questioned. Every year
has cleared away the misconceptions
which always surround the path of
bold and able man; and he has won
the profound respect not only of those
who agree with but of those who diff
fer With him.
Archbishop Ireland is first and fore
most an American citizen. He is a
patriot Of the old-fashioned kind; Il
man who loves his country with the
passion of enthusiasm; who is not
blind to her faults; who does not evi.
dence his devotion by belittling other
countries OF antagonizing other forms
of civilization; but who shows in his
attitude, his spirit, and his habitual
utterance the affection OF a man who
never forgets that he is a member of
great nation; that his country is
something more than an abstraction;
and that, in all relations of life, he is
a true patriot who puts the interests
OF his country above those of his
party, and who never fails to remem-
bcr that he owes allegiance to ma
ton.
Every man who has the patriotic
feeling must be a representative citi-
zen, for 10 man can love his country
i'll any intelligent way without taking
a profound and immediate interest in
public affairs. Archbishop Ireland
has been conspicuous as a friend of
public education. Unlike some priests
in every Church, he has never shown
the slightest fear Of the spread Of
truth; on the contrary, he has thrown
all his influence in the direction of
opening the doors and letting in the
light.
Archbishop Ireland has been con-
spicuous also by his advocacy Of many
reforms, among them the temperance
movement. The first Catholic Total
Abstinence Society was organized
by him thirty-three years ago; and he
has put his mark on St. Paul in the
noticeable reduction of drunkenness
III IAttC S1CS, III IllC LuG
yilest resorts, and in a changed at
mosphere throughout the entire COM
munity on the temperance question.
He has used all his influence, not only
as a citizen, but as an ecclesiastic, to
make intemperance disreputable land
to restrain it by public opinion and
by wise restriction. He is a speaker
of magnetic quality; direct, effective,
pictorial, convincing, with a gift of
humor which comes from his race and
is indicated by his face-a gift which
puts him at ease with men and has
added immensely to his influence
with them.
Archbishop Ireland is fine type of
the American Catholic; progressive,
broad-minded, thoroughly loyal, conse-
Grated to his work, and interpreting
the spirit of Christianity in terms of
practical service, Of everyday fidelity
to political duty, and in rational eff
forts to reach and save men.
Hands Across the Sea.