The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-29
NO GOOD REASON
How Can Irishmen Vote for the
Eulogist of the Monster
Who Massacred Our People at
Drogheda and Wexford?

lrlShmen to the Roosevelt cOlumu, anu
there is at least some show of truth
in their claims. One editor Of an Irish
Catholic paper in Boston has "fopped"
over to the Republicans, but whether
he can deliver" the votes of his read,
ers is another question, says 'Hiber-
man." a well known religious and poll
teal writer in the New York Gaelic
American.
OF course 1 can understand how an
Irishman who has been "seen" and
fixed can vote for Mr. Roosevelt, yet
l hope there are only few such; but
how an Irishman possessing a con-
science and intelligence can give his
suffrage to the apologist and laudator
of the ever infamous Oliver Cromwell
passes all comprehension. If there is
any one man in all history whom Irish
men hold in special abhorrence-and
for the best Of reasons-that man is
Oliver Cromwell. Macauley tells us
that his avowed purpose was the ex-
,tirpation Of the Irish race. For cold
FLOODED atrocity his campaign in Ire
land surpasses anything in the history
of civilized warfare. Never, perhaps,
since the days Of Nero was there
more cruel and relentless tyrant than
the man whom Mr. Roosevelt selects
as the object Of his eulogy. 1t is not
on the authority Of any enemy of
Cromwell that I make these asser-
tions, but from the words Of Crom-
we'll himself. In his official report of
the siege Of Drogheda he says:
Our men, getting up to them, were
ordered by me to put all to the sword:
and, indeed, being in the heat Of ac-
ton, l forbade them to spare any that
were in arms in the town, and think
that night they put to death about two
thousand men. Some fed to St. Peters
church, whereupon l ordered the
steeple to be fired. In the church it.
self nearly one thousand were put to
the sword. believe ali their friars
were knocked in the head promiscu-
.ously but two"
Cromwell omits to tell us that this
massacre took place after the garri-
son had been promised that their lives
would be spared should they surren-
der. From Drogheda Cromwell pro-
ceetled to Wexford, where similar
scenes of carnage were enacted. Again
women and children were butchered
indiscriminately, and the friars
''knocked on the head" In pursuance
Of his deliberate plan to "extirpate the
Irish race" lie collected 10000 men
and G,OOO boys and shipped them to the
Barbados as slaves. and so effectually
was his policy carried out that, Mt the
end Of six years, out of the whole
$4,000 there were only twenty me,
left.
Surely there must be something
radically wrong in the mental make
up of the man who makes hero out
Of such an inhuman monster. And
yet this is what Mr.. Roosevelt labors
to accomplish. Justin Mccarthy says
of his work: perhaps the best de-
fence of Cromwell's policy is that
made by Theodore Roosevelt, presi-
dent of the United Stntes, in his able
and interesting Life of Oliver Cron-
WE'LL" In his resume Of Cromwell's
character. on the last page of his book,
Mr.. Roosevelt says:
''Snoner or later justice will be done
to him; sooner or later he will be
recognized. not only as one of the
erptest of all Englishmen. and by far
the greatest ruler of England itslef,
but as Il man who. in times that tried
mems souls. dealt with vast questions
and solved tremendous problems;
man who erred. who was guilty Of
many shortcomings. but who strove
nightly toward the light as it was
given to him to see the light; man
who had the welfare of his country
men and the greatness Of his country
very close to his heart, and who sought
to make the great laws of righteous
ness living forces in tho government
of the world"
l suppose that the slaughter of nom
comhatants the massacre of defense
less woluen and children. the butchery
of the friars who were knocked on
tile head" by his orders, are among
the shortcomings. which our strenu-
GUS president acknowledges in his
hero Let me ask: SIS the profcssed
admirer of one of the worlds worst
despcts Il safe man to have at the
head Of the government? How would
the American people like to see Mr..
Roosevelt. commanding troop of
rough riders, enter the halls Of Con-
gress and, in imitation Of the man
whom he eulogizes, say to the legis-
1ators, as Cromwell said to the men,
bers of Parliament: "Come, come!
we've had enough of this; I'll put an
end to your prating;" whereupon he
drove them from the hall?