Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-18

strength, exulting In it's Christian
| character and it's social order, delib-
erately robbing people of it's nation
hood and lands. then planning to rob
them of their faith. After seven CEN
! turtles of tyranny, misrule and religious
martyrdom, the Irish people in Ireland
are still strong in their faith as Cath
olics and strong in their determination
to rule themselves. Ireland still re-
mains distinct, having conquered the
penal code and the prosecutor, and
holds aloft as in the early centuries of
her Christianity the white banner of
spotless loyalty to the Catholic church.
To the credit of the national spirit
of the Irish 1t can be said that no
power of the alien ruler has ever been
able to extinguish in the people hope
for ultimate freedom, nor has it been
able to deter the people in their de-
termination to work for nationhood.
True to Catholic Teaching
Through all her years Ireland has
stood In the eyes of the world as
synonymous with Catholicity. AS a
nation she has remained staunch in the
faith which ST. Patrick preached. In
fidelity and atheism have found little
place among her children. She has
never run after the fads and fancies
of false gods nor has deceit or threat
of tyrant been able to destroy her
loyalty to the Catholic church. Re-
markable in the early days of her
early Christian life for her love for
learning, she has preserved that love
despite legislation and persecution
against it. At this present moment,
when the barometer of literature rath-
er indicates the lower levels, when
realism, which is but another name
for animalism, seems to be a promi-
nent aim in literature made to sell and
not instruct, 1t seems like the ignom-
my of fate that the thoughts of men
are turning toward the Irish litera-
ture, realizing that in it is to be found
that touch of the spiritual, that keen
development of the imagination. that
strength of the romantic needed to lift
us out of the grossly material which
pervadeS much of modern literary
thought.
The "ceItc Fringe"
Scholars of English are today con-
ceding that one of the great elements
of beauty in the English literature of
the past is that which is termed the
Celtic Fringe which gives to it it's
magic, it's spiritual and romantic
beauty. Strange, indeed, that this ac-
acknowledgement should be made for a
language and literature which for so
many centuries were used as weapons
to destroy the record, the fame, and
the character of the Irish, branding
them as uncultured and ignorant, and
glorifying in the fact that stronger
Christian power was needed to pre-
vent disorder and chaos in national
life
The Irish in America
"To'no nation does Ireland owe more
than to America, and to no nation has
Ireland given more loyal service. This
republic has given to our people
home and a citizenship which invests
them with all the privileges of free
men. The republic has received in re-
turn the loyal devotion Of their Irish
lives and in its days of danger the red
blood of their soldierly hearts. We
never can forget the strong words of
the late Senator Hoar, who, when
speaking of the Irish in their relation
to America, said. The Irish brought as
a dowry to this marriage which the
centuries are to weld the great traits
of the great races-capacity to pro-
duce great men under most adverse
conditions, capacity for rapid elevation
when conditions are favorable, SOL
dierly qualities, the gift of eloquence,
the power of severe patient labor,
passion for owning land, strong domes-
tlc aIIecIlOnS, CudSllly, ueep religious
feeling
Elements of Strength
"Our Irish blood and our Catholic
faith give us elements of strength for
our American citizenship; both are
sources of courage and inspiration for
manhood and liberty. Our Catholic
faith gives us our belief in God as the
foundation of all social strength and
fidelity to His truth is the norm of
all life and the means of that morality
which alone can save society. We can
pass by the caluminator and his cal
umny against our people as neither
ignorant nor improvident, except as
the vicious laws of the alien have made
them so.
"The day we celebrate is day of
faith, faith in God and in the mother
land. 1t is day of gratitude to the
God whose grace brought our fathers
into the Christian life, day of graf
itude to the nations which received
our fathers and blessed them with the
privileges of citizenship.
The Major Chord
"Never mind the minor chord to-
night of sorrow and persecution. Let
us rather take the major chord of glory
and of honor. and from the days of
scholarship and freedom to the pres
ent moment Of a worlds national