The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-03-18

1OunS ireland Patriots In America"
was the subject Of most interesting
lecture delivered by Rev. J. j. O'NIa-
honey at Virginia, this state, yester-
day (St. Patrick's day.. The speaker
said:
Ireland, crushed for many centuries
under the iron heel Of foreign ascend
ancy, has been deprived in conse-
quencc of many material advantages
which bring glory to the freeman's
state. Many ignorant Of the Irish ma
tional character will attribute these
losses to the erroneous part Ireland
has played in history during the past
seven hundred years, for instead of
resisting the demands Of the conquer
ing power and hurling defiance at it's
legislative enactments the Irish peo-
pie should rather have thrown over
board their antiquated manners and
customs-a baneful heritage from the
past-nnd have harnessed themselves
to the imperial chariot of England in
its mad rush after lust and gnin. Yes!
that would appear to have been the
rational course for our fathers to have
pursued If we accept as infalble those
modern canons of political philosophy
which estimate all things spiritual as
well as temporal by n money standard.
However, with all due Difference to
the opinions of those modern sages, 1
am inclined to believe-thanks to the
chivalrous instincts not yet rooted out
of the bosom of humanity-that ma
tional honor and pride have not yet
sunk as miscrably low as to be judged
by such vulgar criterion, and indi-
viduals who invariably act upon it
rapidly degenerate into worse than
serfs. 1t is true that If the Irish peo-
pie today or in the past were to adopt
that scrvilc policy of greed and gold
their history would not be darkened
by so many scenes of blood and mis-
cry and the dark angel Of dcsolation
would not have spread it's dreaded
wings with such almost fatalistic con-
stancy over the homes Of that island
people. Still If they have been sorely
dealt with in consequence Of their re-
fusal to sacrifice their God-given
rights as holocaust on the altar Of
the British constitution, there is ample
recompense for them in this fact, that
there shines forth on the pages of
their annals galaxy Of distinguished
patriots that have made the name of
their country venerated throughout
liberty-loving Christendom.
1t WIS for n long time the custom
amongst English speakers and writer's
inimical to Irish interests, to designate
all our patriots rs bloodthirsty revolu-
tionaries, exceedingly turbulent and
savagely disposed rather to behold the
downfall Of all legitimate authority
than content with their grievances
duly redressed. Nothing could be far
ther removed from the truth. The
armies enlisted under the red flag of
anarchy have never derived many re-
cruits from ireland. For many ages
tie soil Of that blessed isle has been
rcddened with human blood shed in
war. For upwards of two hundred
years the blood of the Irish brigades
was generously spilled in defense Of
almost every European flag, but never
in the history Of these adventurous
spirits that has come down to us do
we discover a trace of that maddencd
frenzy which indscriminatcly over
turns. or strives to OvcrtUrn. the capi-
tol and the altar. Marshal McMahOn.
the famous hero of Magenta. rcanimat-
cd the corpse of French nationality 9f-
ter the disastrous Franco -Prussian
war: but during his career as first
president of tho modern republic Of
France how we fail to trace in his
public official career any of these sick
cning and tyrannical cnactmcnts which
those would-be statesmen passed to
destroy liberty of conscience during
tho last few years in that fair country.
If We are in search of the charac-
tcriStics of Irish patriotism it is not
necessary for us to go to Europe to