The Irish standard., 1909-07-17
RIorous JULY cELEsRArloN.

RIoToUs JULY cELE1RATIoN..
The Americans Of the United States
celebrate the national day of their in
dependence on the Fourth Of July: the
French commemorate the outbreak Of
the Revolution and the fall of the
Bastile on the 14th of July; and the
Orangemen of Ulster celebrate the 18th
of July, on which was fought the
battle of the Boyne, whereat King
III Of England with his veteran
troops from the continent gained vic
tory over his father law, King James
II of England and VII of Scotland with
his small army of Irish Catholics, who
espoused his cause because he was
their lawful king and was of the Catho-
lie faith. 1t is Of the 18th of July cele-
bration we shall treat in this article.
1t is a matter of deep regret to all
sensible Irishmen. whether Catholic
or Protestant that after the lapse Of
lowers Of King William OF Orange in
Belfast. the first commercial city in
Ireland. INDUCED their sectarian pro-
pensities last Monday by rioting with
their Catholic fellow citizens A Lon
don dispatch to the Minneapolis Jour
nal says that the hospitals of Belfast
were filed with victims of the fray
and that a pitched battle between 300
policemen and a squad of rioters lasted
for more than an hour Many stores
in Belfast were sacked" says the dis
patch, land the loss is said to be
heavy. Nearly all the windows in one
section of the city were smashed By
flying rocks thrown by the combatants."
Fortunately no firearms were used.
We had fondly hoped that the
orangemen of Ulster had got ashamed
Of their rowdyism and abandoned their
grossly insulting airs played on the
18th Of July to provoke the Catholics
to retaliation: but they are as bad as
ever IL the report is not exaggerated.
There are good grounds for Ameri-
cans and Frenchmen to celebrate their
July anniversaries, but none at all for
Orangemen. because their forefathers
nothing to the victory &C.
hieved by King William and his veteran
foreign troops on the banks Of the
Boyne river. So angry was King Will
liam at the cowardice Of their progeni-
tors at the Boyne that he threatened
to shoot them when fleeing in disorder
from Hamilton's Irish cavalry.
The Orangemen of Belfast and sur
rounding country have evidently spent
little time in reading the account Of the
battle from authentic sources Green,
the English historian, testifes to the
gallantry of the Irish recruits in the
army Of King James. The cowardly
king for whom they fought fed to
Dublin before the battle was over.
Exchange Kings with us and we will
fight the battle over again." exclaimed
an indignant Irish ofYlcer. The Irish
army retreated slowly and was not
followed by Williams troops That
is evidence enough that the Catholics
were not SO badly defeated. They did
not disband, but fought again at
Athone. Aughrim and Limerick under
Patrick Sarsfeld, the earl Of Lucan,
who did not participate in the Boyne
affair as he was guarding King James
from capture. -
What would be thought Of the Cath
olics Of Ulster II they celebrated every
year the glorious victory won by their
at Benburb on June S, 1916,
when Owen Roe O'Nein routed tie
Scotch under Major General Robert
Munro? o'Neill with 5000 foot and
500 horse completely defeated Munro
with 5000 foot. 500 horse and seven
pieces Of artillery. OF the Scotch g.
42s were killed and $50 taken prisoners,
with Lord Montgomery and II Of
ficers; while the Irish loss was 70 kill
led and 200 wounded. The artillery
colors. arms and ammunition Of the
Scotch fell into the hands OF the Irish
after the Scotch had precipitately fed
from the field.
That was victory to be proud Of,
and yet the descendants Of the victors
have never celebrated the anniversary
OF the battle and crowed over their
Protestant neighbours.
The best men Of Ireland have al
ways condemned the foolish antics of
Orangemen on the 18th Of July and
heartily desired unity among all Irish
men. Thomas Davis. the Protestant
patriot, said in verse over sixty years
ago:
Rusty the swords our fathers un-
sheathed-
William and James are turned to