The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-10-20


Marshal Ney himself was forced to re-
treat and the key of the French posi-
ton seemed lost, those brave children
of France stood their ground. In vain
the allied cavalry, steel clad and des-
perate, Numbered on their squares, in
vain the allied batteries belched the
grapeshot that crashed amid the bay
onets, these young heroes repulsed the
assault, deployed into line, rushed up
on the allied guns ana captured them,
cheering for their Emperor and coun-
try and laughing in the teeth Of death!
prolonged applause.)
| And SO. too, in our own Civil War,
When the veterans, North and South,
We're depleted, our boys Of both Sec
tions filled the vacant ranks Of their
brothers gone BEFORE" and fought and
fell with veteran fortitude in Ptckett's
van at Gettysburg and in Hancock's
at Spottsylvania (renewed applause).
When next our young men are called
to battle, as in 1898, it will be shoulder
to shoulder as comrades and as BROTH
ers, and their strength and valor, fused
by skill and discipline will make Amer
lea victorious on sea and land over ev-
cry foe that may dare to assail her
(great cheering).
| One of the speakers who preceded
me said that all of you, young men,
are not of 1risi, blood. There are
among you Poles, French, Germans,
Austrians and Italians. So much the
better (applause). There is glorious
blood flowing in all Of your veins and
Ireland's blood has flowed with that
of your fathers on many a gallant and
unforgotten field (aprlause). Ameci-
can has nobly welcomed all our races,
and, In return, we give her unstinted-
| ly our affection and allegiance. So,
also, did your sires, young men. When
the call to arms for the salvation of
the Union sounded, there was no ques-
ton as to origin or previous national
ity The foreign born men Wed with
the native born in defense of the ma
! tional 1ag-they took all the hard
ships and dangers of war together Gap
plause). How 1najestically the poet Of
Ireland and America, the gifted John
Savage, puts it in his splendid Muster
of the NORTH
From the Rhineland and the Vine
land,
| From the Shannon and the Scheldt,
From the ancient home Of genius,
| From the sainted land Of Celt;
From Italy, from Hungary,
All as brothers Join and come
| To the sinew-braclng bugle
And the foot-propelling drum.
All proud beneath the starry flag
To die and leave secure
The liberty they dreamt Of
BY the Danube, Elbe and SURF"
prolonged cheerirg.)
Yes, boys, you and yours have
brought to us "the glory that was
Greece and the grandeur that was
Rome" the learning cleaned from
Egypt, the chivalry of Poland, the solid
virtues of Germany and the resplend-
ent genius of France. (Applause.)
Well may the Irish boys be your
friends and classmates-your Compel
itors in the class-your comrades in
the ranks. (Applause.)
1t may be that am now addressing
many embryo generals-colonels at all
events. (Cheers and laughter.) may
be speaking to q. future Lafayette,
Rochambeau or DeGrasse; to a kosci-
| uzko or a Pulaski; to a De Kalb or a
Won Steuben: to Paul Jones-if in
deed there are any Scotch boys among
you; to a Barry, Sheridan or a
Shields am certain there are some
Irish boys among you. daughter and
cheers) In short, there is no period
to my possibilities, but 1 cannot state
them all-they will, no doubt, be re-
corded in our future history in letters
that shall not fade. (Applause.)
I ought to apologize for having de-
tanned you, and I do. There are others
to follow, and to them, as to those who
preceded me, you will listen with
qualification. I could not refrain, since
was called upon, from saying what
have said. and again repeat, and
| with emphasis, the truth that in the
young men particularly of any nation
lies her chiefest strength. Upon them
rests her future, which they will guar
antee by their wisdom in peace and
their valor in war, by the loyalty of
their fearless hearts. the genius of
their stainless minds and the strength
Of their young arms, which will carry
their flag unconquered through every
| struggle and plant it, amid the adj