The Irish standard., 1904-08-20
BLUE AND GRAY
Heroes Of North and South
Passed in Review.
Americas Fighting Stock In
rivalled in War.

Fineness of grain is the distinctive
quality of the American fighting man.
And his intrepidity is supplemented
by a quiet determination, unostenta-
tious readiness for emergency. alert
ness that time and again have flow
cred into splendid deeds, says the
Boston Republic.
There is something about the Gamer
lean fighting man. that causes the
blood to thrill more gloriously through
the veins as his name is spoken. He
has inspired splendid poetry; his deeds
have become a sacred memory; his
achievements cannot be blotted out
while the republic endures.
A nation is made worthy or ignoble
by the heroes it chooses as represent
ing in enlarged form the national ge-
MUS. The French peasant girl has
been powerfully influenced by the
splendid purity of Joan of Arc. Fred
erick the Great still casts the shadow
of the sword and visor over Prussia,
and Sheridan, Sherman, and Grant still
evoke torrents of enthusiasm over the
American imagination which shows
how surprisingly vital is their control
of our national psychology today. They
rule our spirits from their urns.
We have few heroes. Our charac-
ter does not express itself in spectac-
ular beroics. We have not learned
the ritual of hero worship. So
when the occasion comes that
requires elaborate stage-settings
and the adroit use Of the lime
light the Americans sense of humor
saves him from grandiloquence. Ask
the American to pass the hat for the
monument fund, or to head the sub
scripton list, or to take the contract
for building the monument, or to
dream out some inspiring design for
the bronze memorial pile-and he is
ready for the task.
But when he goes to WARM the
rocking-chair period of it-when there
is brass braid, music and multitude,
bunting and band, he goes with rather
deprecating manner And this semi
apologize air clings to him until he
gets into the thick of the fight, where
glory or death waits; for him at sun
down. He not only has the fighting
strain that has been carried in the
blood from the days of Paul Jones and
Jack Barry, and Decatur and Hull, but
he fills the definition of a gentleman
given by Oliver Wendell Holmes: zone
who is willing to die for little things
When speaking of the American
fighting man, as the balladists and
writer's of popular songs delight in call.
ing him, a little incident that reveals
his quality comes to mind. f.,
Captain Craven, who went down to
his death with his ship, '.Tecumseh, 50
in the battle Of Mobile bay, was a
typical exemplar of the best qualities
of the American gentleman soldier.
The monitor was sinking beneath him,
when he and the pilot, John Collins,
met at the foot Of the ladder leading
to the turret. Both men hesitated,
and Craven stepped back politely.
CATER you, pilot" he said. The pilot
mounted the stairs and was saved.
There was nothing after him but the
bubbling water Of the bay.
1t is just that touch of chivalry that
makes the heroic figures of 81 so ap
pealing to the young men of today.
The Catholic has especial JUS
LITIGATION for pride. The story
of the Catholic regiments, the
dramatic tale which recounts the
deeds Of the Ninth Massachusetts, and
the Twenty-eighth New York are too
we'll known to need recapitulation. A
history of brave deeds, magnificently
done! No man-certainly no woman!
with Celtic blood beating out it's
song of martial valor can read that
blood-stained and tear-dimmed history
without a mist before the eye and a
strange vibration of the heart strings.
The Catholic who marched beneath
the Stars and Stripes found his valor
duplicated and his heroism matched by
the Catholic who yielded romantic
allegiance to the bonny flag of
Dixie"
AS examples: Sheridan in the blue;
Semmes in the gray.
General Phil Sheridan is an excellent
type of the soldier whose brilliant
bravery, abundance of resource and
mistaken fortitude win the idolatry Of
the soldiers under their command. Car
lyle described Napoleon as "a little fell
low five feet two with banged hairv'
This is exactly what "Phir' Sheridan
was not. The deep. lines in his face