The Irish standard., 1906-07-28

A short, sturdily built man, looking
fifty-fve fairly. with a rubicund COM
plexion, full blue, Irish eyes, snow
white hair parted in the middle, a
small, closely trimmed white mus
tache, smile of cordial sincerity, Sc
we're plainness of attire, graceful sau-
vity of manner befitting-I should say,
rather than growing out of the diplo-
matist-and l was face to face with
Hon. Patrick Egan, late Minister Of
the United States to Chill, says a
writer in The New York Daily News.
I venture to say that America does
not contain today-and 1t is gravely
doubtful if Ireland does-any single
individual roundabout who has swirled
such tempestuous waters of national
and International significance first and
last as this self same Patrick 'Egan.
He has about him that low, slowly
uttered, precise diction of the Dublin,
taught tongue. For Dublin pronuncia-
ton of English is no misnomer; it is
the cleanest cut, most explicit, most
definite use of vowels and consonants
known to English utterance anywhere
on earth; and Patrick Egan, taken to
Dublin by his parents when but a
mere child (from Norfolk County,, hao
its delightful acoustics drilled into him
together with an ever essential knowl-
edge of Latin.
Mr.. Egan is born diplomat. He is
cautious, prudent, n-committal, well
poised, not easily trapped into an
opinion, supremely polite, extremely
considerate, superlatively painstakine,
given to saying the good thing OF
others, careful to walk in the middle OF
the road on leading TOPICS conspicuous
for being unbiased in judgment, free
from the prejudices that make ene-
mics, and withal so kindly natured
that he has, the fundamental equip.
rnent of the pronounced diplomatisr
in every detail.
is 65 years of age, although an 1S41
birth settles that point. And yet when
I run over what he has been through
you'll readily agree that he has crowd
ed a world of the severely strenuous
life into even that space of time. But he
doesn't look the age, surely, and he
ho 1,o no a
been. But there it is-history, nation
al, international history, and there is
no going behind that.
Before he was 20 years Old, because
of exceptional gifts as a mathema-
tician, he became bookkeeper and con-
fidential man for one of the biggest
grain houses and milleries of Dublin,
and was virtual head and had control
of this huge business, when he began
to take an active interest in the Irish
Nationalists movement, becomlng-and
it might as well be stated right out
plainly here at the outstar, that he be-
came so because he had the brains so
to become-the prime mover in the
Martin election fight in County Louth,
that brought about the ballot in Ire
land. And Martin, who died in 1875
was the first member of Parliament
of the present Home Rule party.
1t was Patrick Egan who was Char
les Stewart Parnelrs political god
father"-as Parnell hilnselr expressed
it, while it was in Egan's cf1lce. IN
Dublin, in 1879, that the prelimtnaries
took place in the formation of the
Land League. The organization OF
this League in October, 1879, was as
follows: c. S. Parnell, president; Pat.
rick Egan. treasurer; Joseph E. Baker
M. P and VIM. O'Sullivan, NJ. p.
trustees; Michael Davltt, Thoma:
Brennan and Andrew Kettle, secretar-
les. And Parnell later swore, before
the Times commission, thas Egan was
responsible for the fnciplency and for
nation Of the League.
In 1880 Mr.. Egan began devoting his
entire time-with others-to relieving
distress in Ireland, anc In August OF
that year the British government in
stituted State prosecution against Par
nell and twelve others, among them
Egan, Parnell, Egan, Dillon, Il. n Sui
iivan and Thomas Brennan composed