The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-09-11

Cockburn aiding with his own hands.
Led by this inhuman wretch, the in
vaders rushed to the capitol. . build
ing of unusual magnificence at that
time. Discharging their guns at the
windows. the vandals burst in the
doors, and with triumphant yells bore
their leader to the speakers chair,
from which with clownish gravity lie
put the question: Shall this harbor
Of Yankee democracy be burned?"
A yell of animation rang through
the hall, and the great building was
soon In flames, and in a brief space
the noble structure that had been in
course of construction more than
twenty years. and containing the Ii
brary of congress and vast collec-
ktions Of official documents of i'm
mense historical value, was enveloped
In flames that shot up into the sky
and proclaimed the awful calamity
that had come upon the capitol If
our country. Meanwhile. the torch
had been applied to other public build
ings. business establishments and pri-
vate residences, including one former
ly owned by George Washington.
have, indeed, to. this hour" said
Mr.. Bush in 1885, the vivid impress
sion upon my eyes Of columns Vt
smoke and flame ascending all through
the night of August "a, 1914, from the
capitol. presidents house and other
public buildings. as the whole were
on fire, some burning slowly, Others
with bursts of flames, and sparks
mounting high in the dark heavens.
This can never be forgotten by me, as
accompanied on that memorable
night President Madison and his par
ty. If, at intervals, the heart break
ing sight was lost to our view, we
found it again on some hilltop or emf
nence. where we would pauze to gaze
at it," .N -
Mr.. Madison had secured the pub
lie papers, the Declaration of Inde-
pendence and the priceless painting
of George Washington, and locking
the house deposited the key with the
Russian minister, Mr.. Dashoff. All the
afternoon bands of soldiers looted the
houses Of the city, and great was the
store of plumber. Enraged at the es-
cape of the president and his wife,
whom they wanted to capture and
show in England, the thieves broke
open the White House and looted it
from garrett to cellar. That which
they could not carry away-furniture,
paintings, library-was burned. Moth
ing but the lateness Of the hour and
threatening storm prevented the
vandals from firing the war depart
ment.
overawed by the enormity of their
crime and the forces of nature, the
British stole. silently forth from the
fiame-swept city on the night, of sAu-
gust "a, and beat a hasty retreat 70
their ships Slowly and mournfully
the hopeless inhabitants returned to
their desolate homes. The value #
the entire amount of property de-
stroyed at Washington was estimated
at over 100000.
The British parliament warmly APP
proved of Cockburn's act Of vandal-
ism. When the news reached England
salvos of artillery were fired from the
tower of London and bonf1res blazed
all over Albion in joyful celebration
of British barbarity. Parliament
unanimously voted thanks to Cockburn
and Ross. 1t also decred that at his
death monument should be erected
to Ross in Westminster Abbey, the
burial place Of men Of British re-
nown, and the title. of Ross of Blad-
ensburg" was decreed to the general
and his heirs forever.
Briefly. this is the story Of the
burning Of our national capitol by the
British ninety-five years ago today.
Let it be told to our youth that they
may not forget that this same nation,
whose vandalism and 1nhumanity de-
luged our land with the blood of pat
riots and clothed the nation in sack
cloth and ashes, is now pleading for
an alliance with our country in order
to maintain her existence in the fam
lily of nations.
We have forgiven. but let us not
forget.