The Irish standard., 1904-03-26
AN ELOQUENT ADDRESS.
Delivered by Rev: j. J. 0'Mahoney al
Duluth, ST. Patrick's Night.


>srand Rapids, at the Lyceum theater.
.,uluth. st. latrick's night before i
large and appreciative audiences:
ST Patrick's day on American soil
is almost as religiously kept by all
classes and creeds as if it We're Il ma
tiona holiday. 1t is honored by all
American citizens with such IL degree
of enthusiasm that to people foreign to
tue spirit of this great day it seems
almost incredible that Il purely Irish
festival should evoke such universal
rejoicing. 1t would seem passing
strange, especially i'll our times. when
we are told that all the success achiev-
ed by this republic has come about
mainly through the skill, energy and
indomitable determination of the An
glo-SaXon, which we are boastfully told
predominates here And English states
men across the ocean and their dupes
on this side have put their heads to-
gether, have unfolded their plans for Il
they observe can be brought about
with absolute certainty by an alliance
of Anglo-SaXon England with Anglo
Saxon America. Nevertheless, the old
patriotic spirit which characterized the
men who fought and won the battle Of
America still lives in our midst. Wise
t1,\ f,
be deluded by these extraordinary out
bursts of England's friendship, but are
apt rather to dwell upon the times
when England placed every obstacle in
the way of Americas progress and
tried all stratagems to destroy the in
tegrity of these United States. 1t is
because this old-tme American spirit
still finds IL home here that this nation
al holiday of Ireland has almost be-
come Il national holiday of America
For although 1rishmcn owe an ever
lasting debt of gratitude to the United
States for her assistance in many Il
sad hour Of their history for rescuins
them from misery and degradation. and
elevating them to citizenship and all
the material benefits reped tlcrefrom.
still America must always feel Il rev.
er;lnce towards the Irish because they
have watched by the cradle of Column
bias liberty. They have given their
hearts blood for her preservation in
many Il hard-fought field. they have
dccl;lmed from American ScnHtrS and
taught from American pulpits the two
fold lesson of religion and patriotism.
Some may consider it efrontrry on our
part to thus celebrate our glorious
feast. But we. thinking revrrcntly in
the past, consider it only simple justice
to lift our green i1ay side by side to-
day with the Stars and Stripes. the
flag that succored America in many IL
sad crisis of her history
Yes. lrrland's sons have been of un-
speallAble service to America. no mat
tor what phase of the question we may
take up for consideration. Standing ut
the threshold of American liberties.
looking back at the revolutionary days
which thrill the heart of every true
American. what beautiful examples of
Irish hcroism loom up before our ad-
mirin% gaze. George Washington,
whom we style with truth the father
of our country, spoke in terms of I'M
Stintcd praise of Irishmer. and surely
there is no one rash enough to i'm
peach or question his opinion. The
whole history of that revolution is
ablaZe with Irisllmen who rendered
possible by their deeds the existence
of our country and cmancipated the
cOlonists forever from the scrvile sway
Of England. Edmund Burke, that great
Irish statesman, was sitting OH an
English commission appointed by royal
authority. to search into the reasons
why English soldiers suffered such
terrible defeats OH American soil.
Amongst other questions put to IL Ger.
tain Maj. Gen. Robertson who had
spent twenty years in the English
army in America. here is one put by
the great statesman: How" asked
he, sis the American army composed?
Are they emigrHnts from Europe. or
are they natives?" He said. Gen. Lee
informed me that half the rebel con-
tinental army was from Ireland Some
of the most distinguished officers of
Washington's army were Irish or of
Irish descent. Maj. Gen. Anthony
Wayne, Maj. Gen. Knox. secretary of
war, Brig. Gen. Stephen MOylan. the
famous commander OF 'Moylans Dr;,-
goons.' the story of whose achieve
ments could be heard OH every lip in
those days. was Il brother of an Irish
Roman Catholic bishop. In the French
armies of Lafayette were thousands Of
lrishmen. Count Arthur Dillon an Of
hcer of great renown, among the
French forces sent to aid this country.
had an Irish regiment of his own
Niscomte Walsh, an Irislman living in
Paris. was forced to leave his country
through the penal laws directed against
his countrymen, from his own private
purse fitted out several French war
ships which We're sent to the aid of
this country. What American can,
i'll the face of such evidence. ever
say that Ireland has been faithlcss to