The Irish standard., 1906-01-06
RREATHEs THE TRUE SPIRIT.

BREATHEs THE TRUE SPIRIT.
Antelope, N. D., Dec. 80, 1905.
Editor Irish Standards:
Enclosed find one dollar, for which
met. 1 want my boys to grow up
patriotic Irishmen. Yours,
JOHN CONLON."
The above note breathes spirit
worthy of communication. 1t speaks
the intense loyalty Of a people. 1t
bears unconscious testimony of the
character which has enabled the Irish
race to preserve itself in the midst of
discouraging circumstances. If you
can fully enter into the spirit which
prompted the writer of that note you
will understand how the people of Ire
land have managed to live and hope
where others would have despaired. If
you can imagine instead of an Amer
lean citizen located upon the broad
praires of the Dakotas, poverty
stricken peasant in the barren noun
tain wastes of western Ireland, ex-
pending Il few shillings that he ha
been enabled to gather together TO-
the teaching of his native languag>
to his children and for the sup
port and maintenance of his ancient
religion, you will have picture of that
indomtable spirit which today diff
ferentiates the peasantry of Ireland
the world. Americans, upon whom
as Il rule, the ties of nation
a!ity and religion rest all too loose
~, are likely to look upon the man
who will deny himself the ordinary
needs of the physical man in order to
provide for the spiritual and intellect
Il reality. Such however, is not the
case. There are those living, and his
tory. supports them, who can tell of
the manner in which the people of Ire
land submitted to the loss of their lit
tie holdings rather than to deny thei,
religion. 1t was once the law in Ire
land, and not long ago, that one had
but to renounce the Catholic religion
in order to hold property and that
any member of the Family did so h
became entitled to all the property
the family. 1t is not disparaging
other peoples to say that such a law
would have resulted in great many
pretended conversions at least. The
reverse was true in Ireland.
When the sons Of Ireland, remove
from their native land to the United
States, Canada and Australia, take an
active interest in promoting the nation
al feelings and instilling those feelings
into their children we can understan
how the inhabitants Of Ireland, al
though far from prosperous in a com
mercial way, enter actively into move
ments for the study and revival of theil
ancient language. The man whose cor
respondence to this journal we hav
taken the privilege Of publishing want
copy of the Life of Robert Emmett
for his boys to read in order that they
may have some of their fathers spirit
He does not need the book for his owr
use. The story of Robert Emmett wa
probably told to him in his childhood
American flag. far removed from the
incessant conflict which characterize
the life of the Irish people, the Life
of Robert Emmett Is probably mys.
terry. The father desires his boys t.
understand something about the sad
history of the Motherland of their an
cestors.
We can scarcely imagine an exile
from the cruelties of the Russian gov.
eminent or German who stole away
from his country toavoid military ser.
vice. wishing to instill into hin progeny
love for the Fatherland. The Irish
man in this respect is different from
any other immigrant.
II the sons for whom our corr .spond-
ent purchased the Life of Robert En-
met inherited any Of his spirit we
cannot imagine them as belonging to
that class of Irish-Americans who are
ashamed Of their parentage and their
nationality. We would not expect to
find the sons Of such a man changing
the name inherited from the father to
conceal. II possible. their Irish lineage.
It would be equally surprising IL the
sons Of such q parent should in their
ignorance scott at the religion. language
and customs Of their ancestors. We
should rather expect to find them TAX
ing a patriotic interest in the land of
their forefathers: reading its history,
wondering at the sacrifices made to
preserve natione>-v and religion and
honoring and respecting the name of
their parents. BY so doing they will
be better American citizens. BY con-
trasting the conditions under which
their father lived with the conditions
under which they live they will come
to know what glorious thing it is to
live in a free country where men can
think for themselves and worship God
5.
Sss;SS ;s;S