The Irish standard., 1903-03-21

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come famous throughout the civilized
world as 1.-THE island of saints and
scholars" AS a center of Christian
education, her schools and universities
were crowded by the youth of Europe,
the zeal and eloquence of her mission
aries was felt and heard everywhere,
i'll the service of God. Afterwards,
when oppression and tyranny de-
prived her sons of everything but
hope and faith. they displayed that
remarkable love of country, that pas
sionate patriotism which burns no
where else with such Il glow as in
the heart of every true Irishman.
Penal laws, contiscation, the threat of
determination could not make them
forget any more than their kfnsman
in the highlands of Scotland that
The fertile plain. and softcned vale
Were once the brthright of the Gael"
The bitterest enemy that Ireland
ever had admits that "thc sun never
shore on a lovelier country as nature
made it, and that Its people possess.
and have always possessed qualities
which it is impossible to ovcr-cstimate
and which are rare in the choicest
races of mankind" A people passion
ately courageous, loyal and affection
ate, OH such land, under skies fair as
the dream of a poet, when driven in
exile over the world, could not help but
make and leave their mark on the
worlds history.
Far from the mother-land that
nerved their arms and stecled their
hearts, the flower Of lreland's chival-
ry shed it's best blood. like water to
maintain the glory of the arms of
France, Spain and Austria. On the
battlefield of Fontcnoy, immortalizcd
by their valor and by the genius of an
Irish patriot and poet, some of those
eXiles stood with the treasured
wrongs of fifty years, in their hearts,"
and saw the French s1uadrons scat,
tered like chaff before the steady on
slaught of the English columns. They
saw the English columns advance,
until in the words of the poet:
zone volley crashes from their lines
y,<r1,
With empty guns clutched in their
hands
The headlong Irish broke
and what was the result? Why:
con Fontenoy, on Fontenoy, like Gag
les in the sun,
With bloody plumcs the Irish stand,
the field is fought and Won"
While the expatriated Irishmen Of
the 18th century occupied the posts
Of danger OH the continent and won
distinction in the service of the
crowned heads of Europe, those of the
succeeding century, with umerling
sagacity turned their faces toward
the setting sun and sought and
found homes and country OH the
rugged shores of America. Here the
Irish patriot found all that his heart
could deserve, "away from his own
beloved island of sorrow"
Here lie found room and incentive
for his natural aspirations. Here, too,
he found employment for his surpas-
sing military qualifications in the
wars against the common enemy of
his native and adopted land. Oh, my
friends, the Irislman was here, in
force ut the very beginning. He
helped to lay the foundation stones
Of this mighty edifice Of civil and re-
ligious liberty He stood by the
cradle of the young republic and help
cd to guard it in it's infancy from the
foreign invaders and in it's manhood
and strength, he helped to free it from
the bans of disunion and human slav-,
cry. Every great project for its de-
velopment and astounding progress
has felt the kccnness of his intellect,
the strength and the dizziness Of his
hand. In recompensc, he has found
for himself and his postcrity a coun
try that is in fact, ''great, glorious,
and free" He has found here new
and greater Ireland, where 2O,O0O,-
600 of his race glory in the proud
privileges of American citizenship.
Did you ever notice with what alac-
rity the typical Irishman rcnounccs
all allegiance to the reigning sover-
eigns of Great Britain and Ireland,
and embraces the obligations Of an
American citizen? He does it with
out any mental reservation and with
ca ger JOY, because his whole life at
home. had been one long protest
against enforced allegiance to a for
eign yoke and a pirate flag.
The really patriotic Irishman, on be-
coming a naturalized American, finds
that his new love is entirely compati-
Bile with the old--the one is the com
plement of the other. Through him.
venerable Erin and fair Columbia Oh
ter into and maintain the most cordial
and harmonious relations. In c0nclu-
sion, permit mo to say that we who
live in the early morn of the 10Th cen
fury can SEQ the clouds which have.