The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-04-10
!. 1. FATHER TOM BURKE.
On Tho Genius And Character Of The

81 4
on Tho Genius And Character Of The
sFSss 3S Irish People.
MI. In q lecture in Boston on Sept. %,
1872, Father Tom Burke, tho famous
Dominican preacher, had the following
10 say concerning the Irish people:
4 u Men of Ire!and-men of Irish blood
linen of Irish race, an Icish priest,
nm here to speak to you Of the genius
and the character of the Irish people.
Fam come to speak to you OF the his
tory Of our nation and our honorable
race. I am not ashamed Of the history
of my country. I say, taking it all for
al, that it is the grandest country and
the most glorious race to which the
genius of history can bear record
There are two elements that consti"
tute the character and the genius OF
every people. The two elements are
the religion of the people and their
government. I need not tel! you that.
Of all the influences that can be
brought to bear upon any man. or
upon any nl,ion, the most powerful Is
the influence of their religion. If that
religion be from God it viii! make a
God-like people. If that religion be
from Heaven. it will make y heavenly
people Ii that religion be noble. it
will make noble people. Side by side
with their religion comes the form OF
system of government under which
they live. II that government be just
and fair, mild and beneficent. 1t will
make a noble people. If that govern
ment be the government of the people
governing themselves as glorious
America Gees today-it Will make
government. a lover of the country.
and a lover cf the institution Nnder
which he lives. But if this govern
nent be 4 foreign government-the
government of a. foreign race it will
make an alicuated people. If that gov
,ernnent be an unjust and tyrannical
and revolutionary people.
What is the first grand feature OF
the Irish genius and the Irish charac-
ter? It is this: that, having once re-
ceived the Catholic faith from st.
Patrick, Ireland has chung to it with
fidelity surprising all other peo-
IT.
that, faith during 300 years against
all the power of the nortn--uncon-
ouerable-when the Danes c1ideavored
to wrest from Ireland her Christian
faith, and to force her back into the
darkness of Pagan infidelliF. They
have struggled for that faitn during
800 years of English tyranny and Eng
lieh penal law. They have suffered
for that faith. loss Of property, loss
Of friends. loss OF nationality. loss Of
life. But, Ireland. glorious Ireland, has
never relinauished the faith which she
received-lud she is as Catholic today
as in the days when she bowed her
virgin mead before st. Patrick to re-
ceiye from him the regeneratins waters
OF baptism. This. l say. is the first
beautiful light in the character and
genius of the people of ireland.
~ The next great point in the genius
and character of the Irish people Is
the bravery and valor and courage
that have heen tried upon a thousand
fields; and. glory to you . Ireland!
9rish courage has never been found
wanting: never. They fought for a
thousand years on their own soil. The
cause was e good one: the fortune
of the cause was bad They We're de-
feated and overpowered upon hum
dred, yea q thousand fields; but never
from the day on which Ireland's
sword srrnng from it's ecabbard to
meet the first marauding Dane, down
to the day that the last Irish soldier
persisted Oh Vinegar Hill-never had
Ireland been dishonored or defeated by
the cowardice Of her childran. Why?
IVY H6nCe comes LIlS uSnC OE our PEG.
pie? answer that it comes from this:
that, 1re'and as a nation; and Irish
men as a people have never yet drawn
the sword in bad, treacnerous. or a
dishonorable cause. We have fought
on Thousand fields at tone and
abroad; We have been from time ia
time Obliged to shed our blood in a
cause with which we had no sympa-
thy: but Irishmen have never freely
drawn the sword except in the, sacred
cause of Gcd. of the altar of God, and
OF sacred liberty--the best inheritance
Of man. Search the annals o; the mill,
itary history of Ireland. Did we fall
back upon the Dane when. for three
Esnturies--500 years-he poured in
army on army on Irish soil?
isss Did we ever give up the contest. or
sheath the sword, or say the cause was
Il lost? Never! England yielded and adj