The Irish standard., 1913-01-04
Delivered in the City of Boston by
the Late Famous Dominican,
Rev. Father Burke.
The Genius and Character of the
Irish People Was the Subject
of His Discourse.
A True Irishman is the Represent
ative of Race Which Never
Fled From a Foe.

The following eloquent lecture was
delivered in Boston forty years ago
by the late Rev. Thomas N. Burke,
the famous Irish Dominican, who was
there on visit to the United States:
Men of Ireland-men of Irish blood
men of the Irish race, l, an Irish
priest, am come here to speak to
you of the genius and the character
of the Irish people. 1 am come to
speak to you of the history OF our
nation and our honorable race. l am
not ashamed of the history of my
country. l say, taking all for all,
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 genius of ev-
cry people. These two elements are
the religion of the people and their
government. I need not tell you
that. of all the influences that can
be brought to bear upon any man.
or upon any nation, the most power
full is the influence OF their religion.
N that religion be from God it will
81 1tlsAlake a sodltkst perpfe. II rhat'-rss-
1isi$n, he ,frdm heaven, it will make a
heavenly people. Side by side with
their religion comes the form or sys-
tenn of government under which they
live. If that government beSjust and
fair, mild and benehcent, it will make
a noble people. If that government
be the government of the people
governing themselves as glorious
America does today-it will make
every man in the land a lover of his
government, a lover OF the country
and lover Of the institutions under
which he lives. But if that govern
ment be a foreign government-the
government of foreign race-it will
make an alienated people. If that
government be an unjust and tyran-
nical government it will make re-
bellious and revolutionary people.
What is the first grand feature of
the Irish genius and the Irish char
acter 1t is this; that, having once
received the Catholic faith from st,
Patrick, Ireland has clung to 1t with
q fidelity surprising all other peo-
pies. They struggled for that faith
during 300 years against all the pow
er of the north-unconquered and
unconquerable-whe the Danes en-
deavored to wrest from Ireland her
Christian faith and to force her back
into the darkness of pagan infidelity.
They have struggled for that faith
during 300 years OF English tyranny
and English penal law. They have suf-
fered for that faith loss Of property,
loss of friends, loss Of nationality,
loss of life. But Ireland, glorious Ire
land, has never relinquished the
faith which she received-and she is
as Catholic today as in the day when
she bowed her virgin head before St.
Patrick to receive from him the re-
generating waters of baptism. This,
say, Is the first beautiful light in
the character and genius of the peo-
pie of Ireland.
The next great point in the genius
and character of the Irish people is
the bravery and valor and courage
that have been tried upon thou
sand fields; and glory to you. o Ire
land! Irish courage has never been
found wanting-never! They fought
for thousand years on their own
soil. The cause was good one; the
fortune of the cause was bad. They
were defeated and overpowered upon
a hundred-yes, thousand-flelds;
but never-from the day upon which
Ireland's sword sprang from it's scab.
bard to meet the first marauding
Dane down to the day that the last
arish soldier perished on Vinegar Hill
never has Ireland been dishonored
or defeated by the cowardice of her
children. Why? Whence comes this
light Of our people? / answer that it
comes from this: that Ireland, as
X.