The Irish standard., 1912-06-01

dreaC Britain with indecent haste un-
der the instruction Of the British
Premier issued a proclamation recog.
nizing the belltgerency of the South.
In the darkest days of the Civil War
aid and comfort was given by Great
Britain to the rebels Of the South and
the great shipping ports of England
were havens of refuge for the armed
forces of the Cohfederacy. Napoleon
III. Emperor Of France, believed that
the great Republic was on the verge
Of dissolution and threw his mighty
influence against the Union cause.
The speaker said that he desired to
revive no racial antipathy, but as an
American citizen and for the truth
of history he would teach the chill
dren of the present generation to
read Charles Summers addresses in
the Senate of United States delivered
during the first years of the war with
regard to the conduct Of the foreign
powers. He said that John Bright
alone among all the great English
statesmen upheld the cause of the
Union and even William Ewart Glad
stone was a friend Of the Confeder-
ates and financial contributor to
their war chest. The minds Of the
great masses Of the people Of England
and France were poisoned by their
great public journals and in the dark
est days Of the Rebellion the spec
tacle was presented of Henry Ward
Beecher, Congregational minister
being dispatched to England to pre-
sent the Union cause to the English
people and the Catholic Archbishop
John Hughes visiting France for a
similar purpose.
Tho Foreign Born Citizen Was Loyal.
The speaker called the attention Of
the audience to the fact that the I'm
ion Army was composed not only of
native, but also Of foreign born citi-
zens. He said that the foreign born
and newly naturalized citizen fully
realized the significance of his oath
Of allegiance and was prepared to
demonstrate. his absolute loyalty to
the. country and the flag which had
given him ana his children place OF
refuge. The speaker described in de-
tail the heroism Of the soldiers and
officers of Polish, French and Irish ex-
traction and detailed the heroic serv-
ices in the War Of the Rebellion of
General James Shields, a native born
1rishman, the first United States Sen
ator from Minnesota, and Knute Nell
son, a Norwegian by descent, now a
United States Senator from this state,
| who carried a musket as private
| soldier during the entire War of the
Rebellion in the ranks Of the Union
Army. Special emphasis was laid
, upon the loyalty of the great German
population Of the Middle West and the
| Northwestern states under the lead
ership Of Carl Schurz in Wisconsin,
Franz Hecker in Illinois and Franz
| Sigel in Missouri. He closed this
part Of his address by assuring the
audience that they need have no fear
of the problem which many Memorial
orators discern in the difficulty OF
"assimilating" foreign born elements
of our citizenship. He held up the
foreign born citizen Of fifty years age
to the emulation Of the present gen.
Grafton and declared that in every
crisis America must depend upon her
self and must look for assistance tc
no foreign power.
Tho Armies Of the West.
The speaker described the import
ant part played In the War by the
Western soldiers and generals, unde,
the leadership of Grant and Sherman
resulting in the control Of the Ohio
and upper Mississippi and finally cut.
ting the Confederacy in two by the
surrender of Vicksburg. He drew &
parallel between Grant and Sherman
both graduates Of West Point, botl
in civil life at the outbreak Of the
war, both plain, prosaic characters
to the outer sense and fit colleagues
for Lincoln. He closed q description
of the surrender at Appomattox b,
describing the character Of Grant a.
illustrated in his direction that tn,
Confederates be allowed to keep theil
horses because they would need then
for the spring plowing and farm work
Minnesota the First to Answer tn,
| Call.
Mr.. Lawler said that the people O
Minnesota had special reasons fol
celebrating Memorial Day, on accoun
Of the splendid record Of this state ii
the War of the Rebellion. On Satur
day, April 18th. 1851, the authorities
at Washington were advised that For
Sumter had surrendered. On the fol