The Irish standard., 1909-04-10
BEFORE THE KNIGHTS OF ST, PATRICK
Prof Gayley Was Received With Great Applause and HE
Address Made a Profound Impression
on the Audience

PrOf. Charles Mills Gayley, VINO is Az
the head of the Department Of English
Literature in the University of Cali
fornia, delivered a magnificent address
on the subject of Irish Influence on
Civilization" before the Knights Of st.
Patrick. at their banquet in San Fran
cisco. on March II. He said In part:
III we are to consider soberly the
subject of Irish influence on civiliza-
ton. it is necessary that we determine
first the essential quality of the Irish
race. Let us turn to an estimate Of
the Irish spirit which should be I'M
partial. for 1t is made by an English
man-a sane. keen, and kindly critic of
Irish MISUNDERSTANDING Arnold. He
says that the characteristic of the Celt
Is his ardent aspiring after life, light
and emotion; 1t is to be expansive. ad~
venturous and gay. In other words to
be animated. But says Matthew
Arnold, In his cold, English way. that
very characteristic carries with 1t Its
defeat The bold nature of this cslt
/, always ready to react against the
despotism OF fact and, as such. 1t lacks
the measure, balance and patience ne
cessary to success, In spite. therefore,
Of the gayety, the hunor. the kind
heartedness, the chivalry, the holiness,
the brilliance, the delicacy OF taste. and
the imagination Of the Celt.' he has,
according to his English critic, failed
of the highest success in the realms of
poetry, of music. Of art. of science, of
business and Of politics. Do we
agree with Matthew Arnold? Is it
true, as he says. that only by infusion
Of the blood of the creeping Saxon
an infusion compounded Of measure
and balance and patience--the Irish
man has attained to anything In the
way of achievement or greatness?
Shall we grant that the Irishman, with
no such infusion of foreign blood III his
veins, has never attained to the ideals.
to which patience and balance and
measure as we'll as his own animation
are necessary? say no, by no
means. I say more. What difference
does 1t make to me, what difference
does 1t make to you, what difference to
the Irish characteristic as shown in
civilization, whether Ireland has inter-
mingled its blood with foreign strains
or not? 1t is not the blood only, 1t is
the common mood that makes the ma
makes the citizen. Tradition, training.
atmosphere and purpose as we'll as
blood constitute the mood, the spirit.
Are we any less sure of the American
characteristic, because in American
veins there courses the essence of the
varied bloods Of the world? BY no
means. Whether Scotch-I Irish, Eng.
lish- Irish, American Irish. or Milesian-
Irish, so long as Ireland Is his mother,
the Irishman is the son of Ireland, no
matter who his father was. What was
1t that Horace said Of the literature Of
Greece? When Greece was conquer
ed she took captive her barbarous con-
queror.' So, too, it may he said. Hi
hernia CAPITA forum victorem tepit.'
When ireland has been conquered she
has every time taken her conquerors
captive. Hence the proverb, Ipsis
Hiberniores Hibernicis.' The sons Of
1reland's conquerors are more Irish
than the Irish Themselves 1t is true
Of the sons Of Danish invaders, Of
Strongbows Normans. of Cromwells
soldiers, who had married Irish moth
ers; the sons Of these mothers were
more Irish than their Irish grandsires.
What matter whom Hibernia weds, so
long as Hibernia's sons perpetuate the
spirit Of the Irish soil? OF that spirit
we speak. Can it be maintained that
in, religion, and philosophy, in poetry.
and music, and art, in science and
business and politics. the contribution
Of Irishmen has failed of signal in