The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-12-05
of England that ireland might b


free. l am we'll aware that not only
in England and America, but even in
Ireland itself, there are those in these
rev, and we hope better times, who
will sheer at the brave acts of old as
foolhardy, unwise and i1npracticable.
They say it is eminently practical age
and that it is concerned only with ma
tsrial results-with dollar and pounds
achievements-and that the glorifca-
ton OF those whom they deem rash
minded idealists is misleading, if not.
useless.
If man were machine this would
be true. If the whole business of
time were to feed and wear clothes,
and die like dogs, the new gospel
would have few to combat it. Hap
PLY for mankind, however, the soul
of man has not resigned the throne;
the spirit OF man still rises superior to
his surroundings; the heart OF man is
as important as his head, and the head
OF man, as it grows wiser, understands
better that Righteousness Justice,
Truth and Liberty, are the highest of
all earthly possessions, and that to
seek these first is the only way to
make the lesser things worth having.
The year 1867 marked the closing Of
great epoch in America, in which
Ireland and the Irish race had been
profoundly influenced and the current
OF their history markedly changed.
The great republic had terrified and
astounded the world by the awful
struggle for its integrity of territory
and the freedom of all its Inhabitants.
North and South had poured their
blood and treasure in generous oceans
for devotion to their convictions. The
triumphant North had freed the negro
slaves, and in the awful processes by
which this was brought about the
1risllman came to have standing and
surety of place in the United States
such as he had never had before. The
war for the union was splendid OPP
portunity for the Irishman in America
to vindicate his character, establish
his courage, and carve his way through
fields sodden with blood to the proud
position OF a recognized factor in the
national life OF America
His part in the American Revolu-
ton had been forgotten or obscured,
and the Irish names which filled the
rosters of Wasllington's army we're
paraded in history as belonging to
that remarkable hybrid the Scotch
lrishman." When hatred could not
expunge them malice even Anglicized
them. The celebrated report in the
House of Commons. that Irishmen
termed the body of the Revolutionary
army. was CLOSED over by Anglo
Saxon historians, and even omitted en-
:irely from so-called standard his
tories. The Irish soldier of the Revo-
luton, a vcritablc terror to the Eng
lisl enemies OF the republic, was in
later days, by the modest writer's Of
New England, relegated to the re-
sions. OF myths and shadows.
The American Tories claimed all
the fruits which Celtic proves had
won, and Holland was given no credit
t"r being the pioneer of popular lib
ertv and democratic institutions, so
largely copied here. The children of
Ireland were debarred from any share
In the glories of the new republic. In
the years that followed, the freshman
who landed on these shores, plastered
with literary libels, logged by centen-
NAL prejudices, and barely escaping
humiliation at home. was met in many
quarters by bitter bigotry and unre-
lcntlng hatred. His virtues became
handicaps to his advancement; his
vices were exaggerated to the point
OF grotesqueness; and he met on one
hand flippant Indifference, and on the
other merciless opposition. His de-
vction to religion, which should have
excited admiration and respect, was
in the eyes OF his inhospitable enemies
the fountain OF hatred and wrong; his
opposition to England. which should
have insured him hearty welcome in
the country which England had tried
10 ruin, was attributed not to patriot
ism but to natural rebellion and in
;bility to govern himself; his courage
was attributed to a brutal pugnacity-
an animal combativcncss which sought
quarrel for quarrel's sake, and he
was supposed to cspouse no cause
IRON conviction or unsclfshness His
generosity among the close and hard
listed was esteemed as sign OF recll-
less profligacy and thoughtless waste.
and his best impulses were deemed as
Wildly extravagent and devoid of rea-
sons the largeness OF his heart and the
very nobility OF his soul were looked
upon as objectionable weaknesses.
and, above all, his quick assimilation
in the citizenship OF the republic was
openly charged as having base designs
upon religious liberty and constitu-
tlonal freedom! In his poverty he was
doomed to the hardest and most exact
ing OF manual labor; he was repressed
in his ambitions, and denied in many
Quarters the opportunity of earning