The Irish standard., 1903-02-14

after the close of the Revolutionary
War: LET the shamrock be entwined
with the laurels of the American Rev
olution and let truth and justice
guiding the pen of history, inscribe on
the tablets of Americas remembrance,
eternal gratitude to Irishmen."
After our independence was won,
Catholics, headed by Bishop Carroll,
presented an address to Washington,
which contained these words: while
our country preserves her freedom
and independence, we shall have a
we'll founded title to claim from her
Justice, the equal rights of citizenship,
as the price Of our blood, split under
your eyes, and our common eXertions
for her defence under your suspicious
conduct. Upon these grounds we ex-
pect the full extension of equal rights
from the Justice of those states which
still restrict them" In his memoir
able reply, Washington said: Your
fellow citizens will not soon forget
the patriotic part you took in the ac-
complshment of their revolution and
the establishment of their government
or the important assistance they re-
ceived from nation in which the Ro-
man Catholic faith is professed."
With all this splendid history, we
Catholics need never use the faltering
accents of apology when speaking Of
"our country" Well may we be
proud because our people have made
themselves part and parcel of Amer
lean life.
And not only in the war for inde-
pendence, but in every war in which
these United States have engaged,
have our brethren in the faith borne a
most honorable part. In the War of
1912, in the War with Mexico, Catho-
lies fought side by side with their
Protestant brethren, and in the I'M
happy Civil War Of 1SG1-65, whole
regiments and brigades of Catholics
''murched to the music of the Union"
and shared in the glory of every
triumph. Shields, Rosecrans, Sheri-
dan, Meagher, Corcoran, Garesche,
Mulligan, and Mulholland are names
ever to be remembered.
1t was Catholic priest, Father
John Ireland, who carried needed am
munition to the Fifth Minnesota Regi-
ment on the firing line, and enabled
them to save the day. And Father
Ireland is now the great Archbishop
Ireland Of st. Paul, whose name and
fame are world wide. On the bloody
field Of Shiloh, just before the awful
charge of the Irish brigade, Father
Tracy stood above the kneeling ranks
while shot and shell were blowing
through them, and pronounced the
sacred words of absolution. And so
at Gettysburg Father Corby gave alb
solution to the Irish brigade on that
dreadful field. Hardly had the
"Amen" been said, when there came
the command: "Fix bayonets!'
"Charge" and away dashed the brave
fellows.
There was another priest, Father
Stephan, whose memory will always
be especially honored in Washington,
who was chaplain in the Army of the
Cumberland. When a division of that
army was penned up at turn Of q
deep and broad river in Tennessee,
sorely pressed by the Confederates
under Forrest, Chalmers and Bragg,
it was Father Stephan who engineer
ed the building of the bridge over
which the beleaguered army passed In
safety. And this after the army en-
gineers had pronounced the feat i'm
possible. For this service to the
Union cause, the greatest captain In
the army personally thanked Father
Stephan.
Call the roll in the various avOca-
lions and professions of life and Cath
olics are not found behind their fellow
citizens of other beliefs. In literature
there is a Gibbons, n Spalding, a
Miles, Ryan, a Stoddard. Il jeffrey,
Roche, a John Boyle O'Reilly and a
Maurice Francis Egan speaking to
their day and generation of the love
of the noble and the good. In oratory
we may point to the names of Daniel
Dougherty, Archbishop Keane, Arch
bishop Ireland, Bourke Cochran, oul
own DR.. Stafford, and many Others
all Of them men of wondrous power
We are glad, too, to remember that
among the Jesuits, the Dominicans
the Paulists and the other religious
orders. pulpit orators are numerous
and noted.
On the bench we may point to Chief
Justice fancy, Judge CASTOR, Justice
White. Justice McKenna, Justice Nor
ris. Judge Brady, Judge McDonough
but recently appointed by President
Roosevelt, and others who stand fol
all that is best in the traditions Of
American law. And so in every walk
of life Catholics may be found side
by side with their non-Catholic neigh
bors. Faithful to church, loyal tt
country our place Is in the vanguard
of progress. Senator Hoar was righ
when he said-but it took some cOur
age to say it in the senate of the
United States-"The American Cath