The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-05-18

Ingram as to the authorship of '9S, as
we'll as his views on the South African
war will doubtless prove interesting.
In the predatory note to the book he
says. The poem entitled The Memory
of the Dead was published in The
Nation newspaper in April. 1s43, when
was in my twentieth year. That was
the early period of the so-called Young
Irelanders, whose policy, though de-
ficient in sanity. was inspired by nobler
feelings than have since. for the most
part, been manifested in the public
conduct of the most popular leaders.
"Their political projects were, as
soon saw, chimerical; but their action.
though violent and precipitate, was not
sordd or demoralizing. I never was a
member of the group. but some of them
We're known to me, and had one friend
among them, John (afterward Judge)
O'Hagan.
1.-The Memory Of the Dead was my
only contribution to The Nation. 1t
has already been reprinted, with my
name, in several collections of Irish
verse. l have reproduced it here,
though differing in character, as in
date, from the other pieces in the vol
ume. because some persons have be-
lieved, or affected to believe, that
am ashamed of having written it, and
would gladly, if I could, disown it's au-
thorship.
Those who know me do not need to
be told that this idea is without foun-
dation. I think the Irish race should
be grateful to men who in evil times,
however mistaken may have been their
policy, gave their lives for their coun-
try But I have no sympathy with
those who preach sedition in our own
day, when all the circumstances are
! radically altered. In my opinion no
real popular interest can now be fur
thered by violence
Perhaps no more biting arrangement
of the conduct Of Joseph Chamberlain
in provoking the South African war
was penned than the following sonnet
by DR.. Ingram, published in his book
of poems under the heading
1899.
Farewell, old year, unhappy ninety
ninaf
No personal cause have l to hate thy
name.
While thou vert here to me no suffer-
ing came;
No bright young life, reared at this
! hearth of mine.
AT call of duty joined the battle line.
mourn the public loss, the public
The blot thou leavest upon our coun-
try's fame.
On history's page this record will be
thine
That a vain man (Chamberlain) by
Englands evil fate
| SlctIeu Will VI ICl Eo"C1 " Suiuo anu
wound the state.
BY mingling serpent guile and menace
rude.
Goaded a patient people into war,
And made our good Victoria's evening
Look on surging sea Of brothers
blood.
A few months earlier DR.. Ingram had
addressed another sonnet "To the Pres
ident of the Transvaal."
Kruger hail thee. late born ironside.
Who ieered at by a skeptic, scoring
Yet. bold in warfare and in council
sage.
With steadfast, strenuous effort has
The lawless greed and overweenins
pride
THAT sought by open force or treacher-
Gus stealth
To STAY or wound thy homely common
| wealth.
Helvetia of the South. Whatever be.
tide,
Valor and constancy to guard her right
Are thine and hers: yet lacks there
something more
To spread within her bounds tn.
, sacred light
| OF science and all humanizing lore.
And rear amid her brave and stalwar
The tender flowers of gentleness ant
5 grace.
That these sentiments of friendlines
l for the brave Beers were no new one
t with Prof. Ingram is evidenced by tn
following, written by him in 1884, il
}, answer to a sonnet by the late Protest
ant Archbishop Trench in memory o
4 Sir George Colley, the British genera
s killed by the Beers at Majuba Hill: