The Irish standard., 1903-02-14
The Catholic Nations of the Old World
Contributed Generously to
Cause of Liberty.
In Time of War and Peace Members of the
Catholic Church Have Been
Loyal to Country.

had tried to defeat the creation of the
commission, issued a most bigoted and
anti-Catholic address-on the line of
our modern A. Z. A. fulminations-
and 1t was this reasonable document
(for 1t was practically treasonable ut
that time) that turned the Catholics of
Clmda from the American cause.
And yet, Notwithstanding, it is a
historical fact that two regiments Of
Catholics came over the borders and
fought in the ranks of the Continental
army.
Through weary months of despond-
ency the patient army struggled on
until Catholic France came to the
rescue and made American independ-
ence possibility. In the North
American Review, some few years
ago, Senator Edmunds wrote of the
probability of the failure of the revolu-
ton "but for the ancient hostility Of
the king Of the French to the British,
which was brought into effective play
Mt the critical moment" But Amer.
icans were not concerned Mt the time
--nor have they since been concerned
with the motives that animated
France in coming to our assistance.
1t is enough to know that she gave her
generous help-gave us her army
and that she sent us Il Lafayette, a
ROchef0rt, De Grasse.
When the French feet appeared of
the New England coast, every Amer
lean heart was animated, and when it
lnndcd at Newport 5000 French troops
the struggle for independence was
practically decided. The historian,
Shea, writing Of Rochambeuu's arriv.
al, wrote: "An army of Catholics,
with Catholic chaplnins, observing the
glorious ritual of the church with all
solcmllity, was hailed with joy in
New England. The discipline of that
army, the courteous manners of Of
liccrs and privates, won all hearts,"
The greatest of all Americans, the
man whose memory every American
citizen must always revere, Washing
ton, in a general order issued to the
patriot army, appointed day of
thanksgiving to the Almighty Ruler
for raising up a powerful friend among
the nations of the earth to establish
our liberty and independence upon a
lasting foundation"
Catholic Poland sent her chivalrous
sons, Pulaski, Kosciusko and many
others, to fight for our American free
dom. The Catholic princes of Ger
many-while they sent no material
aid-united in a strong protest against
the disgraceful hiring of Hessians for
service in the British army. This
remonstrance had very decided ef-
feet in ending the Infamous system
devised by England to crush out the
spirit Of American independence.
Even Spain-humiliated as she stands
to-day-was our good friend during
the Revolution. She sent ut one time
$2OO,O0O, at another $15O,OOO and
again BLANKETS sufficient for ten regi-
ments." But the most important aid
she rendered the American cause was
in preventing an alliance between
Russia and England.
Catholic Ireland-whOse long night
of sorrows seems to have no morning
gave freely Of her life blood for
America. Arthur Lee, writing to
Washington in 1777, said: 1.-THE re-
sources of our enemy are almost an
initiated in Germany and their last
rcsoursc is to the Roman Catholics of
Ireland" and then he added: "Every
man Of n regiment of conscripts raised
there last year obliged them to carry
him aboard ship bound hand and foot"
Mac Nevin, the historian who wrote in
1909, declared that zone Of the Eng
ish pretexts for refusing redress to
the Catholics of Ireland was that 49,
600 of them fought on the side of
America" No Irishman, or the son
of an 1rishman, should ever forget the
words of Parke Custis-Washingto
adopted son-spoken at a great dem