The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-04-17
A Speech by Matthew Cummings, National President of
the Ancient Order of Hibernians, at Banquet
in City of New York.
ON EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE FOR EMERALD ISLE
Says That in Case Of War Between Germany and England
Germany Will Have Unanmou. Support
of Irish Americans.

On the eve of the sailing for ireland
on Saturday, April 3. of Matthew Cum
mings. National President Of the An
cient Order of Hibernians. and the Rev.
Philip H. O'Donnell, State Chaplain of
ed by Archbishop O'Connell. of Boston.
the National Chaplain, to he his rep
resentative. to cement the relations be-
tween the Order here and in Ireland.
England and Scotland. they were tho
recipients Of A. complimentary ban
quet at Shanley's, given by mora than
three hundred prominent members Of
was a. real Irish banquet. served in the
Roman Court of 1.-THE Old House at
Home" by an Irishman with Irish
walters, and the menu was printed In
the Gaelic on q, green card. AS It was
Friday, only fish was on the table. It
was the first public banquet Of the kind
ever arranged In New Ynrk. Presi-
dent cnrnniuss.- In response to this
toast, Our Mission,ys spoke as follows:
"I am asked to speak to the toast,
Our Mission I might say that the
mission Of the Ancient Order Of FIiber-
mans has been for centuries, and par
ticularly for the last 7S years. to or
ganize and unite race. a. scattered
race, a prosecuted race, q down-trod-
Gen race, virtuous race, g. brave race,
an unconquered race (applause). And
so, my friends. we will continue our
mission.
or the sons Of Irish exiles. But what
has been our history in this country?
You heard Judge stapleton SO elo-
quently tell you tonight (applause).
You heard the other speakers dilate
upon the same subject. But may say
at this lateNhour that 70 years ago the
Ancient Order Of Hibernians was first
instituted right here in the City of
New York. They were then few In
rule, illiterate because remember edu-
cation was a crime at that time in the
old land. They organized for their
own protection in this Irish Catholic
organization, the only organization
that represented their race, They did
not join a Catholic organization for
any reasons Of bigotry. or for any clan
ish reasons. but simply because their
race was persecuted for centuries for
those two crimes. religion first and ma
tionality afterwards, and they COM
bined both as no other organization
combined them. We are unique in that
respect. 1t Is the only organization
that combines religion and nationality.
let me say, my friends, while we
are thoroughly Irish in every fiber Of
our being, in every drop Of our pure
| Irish blood that has been handed down
to us from BUR cl1aste mothers and our
brave fathers. every member Of our
organization is an American citizen
without any superior (applause). When
the flag was fired upon at Fort sump-
ter and before that (Which will not
20 back to tonight). those poor Irish
immigrants, driven from ireland in the
famine years Of '47 and '4s, and after
wards in the fifties organized together
Joined fraternal military organizations
They lost the uprising in '4s because
they did not have the arms in the first
place. and IL they had the arms they
did not have the military training to
use the arms. And SO they Joined fra
ternal military organizations, and you
had here in New York the Phoenix
Zouaves. who were afterwards the gal
liant seth, and we had in Boston the
old 9th regiment, whose companies a
flew years before that were disbanded
on Boston Common because they were
Irish and for no other reason. But
when the flag was fired upon. your
gallant 69th marched through the