The Irish standard., 1903-02-28
They Defend Their Race From Aspersions
Cast Upon 1t by Bigot in
New York Herald.
And Claim They are Well Entitled to Be
Received as Loyal Citizens
of the Republic.

Herald, one Allan Robinson, secretary
to the commissioner of immigration
at Ellis Island, published some narrow
views on European immigrants and
made a special attack ON the Poles.
The Polish citizens of Indiana became
indignant at his statements and ad-
dressed protest to Senator Fairbanks
and Congressman Crumpacker, in
which they say, in part:
Unable to enjoy their inalienable
rights in their own country. the sons
of Poland came to worship and enjoy
liberty in this land of Washington.
Nor do they come here as strangers
or trespassers, but they come as to
their own home and heritage, won for
them by their world-renowned heroes,
the illustrious Kosciusko and the val
liant Pulaski-two knights Of Liberty,
overwhelmed by concentrated despot-
ism in their own land, crossing the
seas and giving to strangers that
which they were unable to obtain for
their own countrymen. They so loved
liberty that they rested not until they
saw her, drawn as it We're, from the
heavens and entlroned to rule on
earth.
The prerogatives of liberty that the
people enjoy in this land were to be
those of unhappy Poland. But despot-
ism prevails-for time. Its days in
Europe will soon pass away. The very
havoc it creates will of it's own ac-
cord cry out: 81 have betrayed inno-
cent bloodv' Poland will yet be a
blessing to Europe, as she has always
been in the past. Poland is the pivot
upon which the peace of Europe turns.
Poland is political necessity. From
her shall yet come, as from Bethle-
hem, the Emanuel of Liberty, and in
her shall all nations be blessed All
because each and every Pole is an
avowed worshipper at the altar Of
Liberty and his creed is equal rights.
The juggernaut of a century and more
of despotism is crushing our national
life, but not our spirit. We are as de-
voted to our ideals to-day as we ever
were; and cherish the memory of our
unhappy motherand now more than
we ever did However, since we have
ton elsewhere. We find her counter
part here, and we love and cherish the
blessings of liberty here as the same
that were to have been ours there.
Aye! We believe yet not that she is
dead-but sleepeth- waiting for the
spontaneous cry Of Europe to call her
to a more glorious existence.
But why do the unthinking nativists
of this land so belittle us? Because
our despotic conquerors persecute us
even here. They have conspired
against us, hoping to kill even our
memory, lest we return to overthrow
despotism and enthrone Liberty They
are still afraid of us. OF late it can
truly be said: "Conscience makes cow
ards Of us ALL"
To bury our memory they have in
many instances bribed and subsidized
false press, endowed spurious pub
lications to falsify and comfort the
facts of history, in order to set us in
false light before the public.
They send spies and traitors among
us with money and other allurements
to disturb and divide us among our
selves. ..
In our own unhappy land they have
robbed us of our national and natural
rights, setting us under exceptional
and specially oppressive laws.
They have tried to rob us Of our
language by forbidding its teaching in
public and in private. They tried to
fog into our defenseless babes a
knowledge of their harsh tongue.
They have confiscated all Of our best
publications. They have made it i'm
possible for our press even. to exist
They have ruined most Of our ma
tional monuments; appropriated all
our many educational endowments to
propagate their own barbaric culture.