The Irish standard., 1905-04-22
IRISH HISTORY
Vice President O'Sullivan of
the A. o. H. It's Champion.
Urges Hibsrnial's Everywhere
to Encourage It's Study.

preSl0ent, James +. D0lan, OF the A.
o. H., Is sowing seed that is destined
within a very few years to bear good
fruit. 1t should, and undoubtedly will.
attract to our rank class of you1a
men which has hitherto kept aloof;
kept aloof because of lack of knowl-
edge of Ireland's heroic history and of
thousands of incidents in that history
which we regard as glorious heri-
tage. writes James O'Sullivan to the
Michigan Catholic. One does not re-
quire to prosecute a very exhaustive
inquiry into Ireland's past to be con-
vinced that her achievements in the
noble causes of religion and freedom
are worthy of the most brilliant sons
of the race. The study of this subject
in our schools Is awakening an inter-
est which promises to be far-reaching
and permanent in its results, which
will arouse in the old, as we'll as in the
young. spirit of just pride in the
matchless devotion of their ancestors
to Faith and Motherland. We have
suffered for years because so many of
our young people had not been edu-
Gated in this direction. 1t was worse
than neglect, as there was system of
false education going on all the time.
1t is unfortunately too true that much
of their alleged knowledge of their
grand old country was derived from
antagonistic sources, from those In
fact whose fixed policy it was to revile
and ridicule us. Yes, the ancient ene-
my having failed to quench the fire of
Faith and Nationality in our hearts,
endeavored by its poisoned literature
to bring upon us the scorn and con-
tempt of our fellows in every land.
Anyone glancing over the so called
jokes in many of the daily papers can
not fail to be struck by the great
stretch of the imagination it takes to
extract wit from what is absolutely
nothing but brogue which has been
specially invented for us, and which
no one ever heard spoken or saw writ
ten, save alone that which is produced
by some cheap, superficial "joke" writ
er Our young people, who know moth
ing of the sacrifices of our race, who
have not been told the story of the
cruel penal times, too often imbibe
these trashy things and are impressed
by them. They may have heard on st.
Patrick's day, or at Emmet's birthday
celebrations some few things on Ire
lands former glory, and of her aspira-
tions for nationhood, but these occa-
sions are but once year and are con-
sequently forgotten, while the vicious
Misrepresentation are kept before
them every day. There can be NO
question of the existence of this condi-
tion of affairs, and the remedy is the
one so ably championed by National
President Dolan, the study of Irish his
tory in our schools, to which would
add a systematic study of the same
important subject in the home. Priests
all agree that it is not enough for a
child to go through the course of reli:
gious instruction in the school, but
that within the sacred precincts of tbs
home the essential devotion to religion
must be established. 1t is SO with
Irish history. If we leave all to the
schools and do nothing at home, it
will not be so effective. What right
have we to ask that Irish history be
taught in our parochial schools if we
neglect it ourselves? And let me say
that if we encourage it in our homes
it will be much easier to get it intro
duced in the schools.
1t must be remembered that If we
succeed in arousing thoroughly Irish
spirit among our people, we must be-
gin by putting literature in their hands
that will create a desire for more in
formation, that will prompt them to
seek for greater knowledge. We are
shamefully negligent in this respect.
We do not give to our Irish-American
and Catholic papers and magazines the
encouragement which they deserve;
but on the contrary are more prone to
criticize them because of some real
or fancied defects; defects that when
real are usually due to the lack of
generous support. Every one of our
papers and magazines is silent but
trenchant worker in our cause, and
whatever we may do to sustain them
will be rewarded hundred fold. Does
any thinking Hibernian believe that
without the aid of our national organ
we would have made the same strides
IN u.c last five years? Certainly not!
II ;lways workine. 1t goes ir.o
over Cne hGr1red and eighty THOUSAND
homes. 1t speaks to an audience Of
over half million every month. Ev-
cry issue of it makes new members
by intensifying the interests of its con-
stituents. Let us help it's work by add
ing other like literature to our stock
of reading, and the results will show,
not alone general building up of the
order, but also marked accentua-
tion of all our national ideals, hopes
and aspirations
One more word, which seems to me
to be not now inappropriate. We have
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