The Irish standard., 1913-05-31

suffering Wnen 1t came to pass at |
midnight that the Lord smote all the
first born in the land Of Egypt from
the first born of Pharaoh that sat OH
his throne unto the first born of the
captive that was in the dungeon"
And in that olden time the sacrifice
of youth was also the supreme test of
obedience and submission, for Omnip-
otence itself proved the fidelity of the
Patriarch when it commanded him to
offer his only son whom he loved for
a burnt offering upon the mountain.
But after all, the loss and the sacri-
flee are to the survivors and not to
the fallen. Is there a comrade here
today who will describe as incom-
plete the career of those who died
more than fifty years ago? Is there
a colnrade here today who does not
realize the glory and the Immortality
of the soldier dead of the Republic,
VINO shall live forever in the immor-
tality of youth? To believe other
/ sssylge. I ~ ol,ld be to tory
Of the world, because the proudest
pages in the history Of all the lands
are those which tell of youth and sac
rifice. Is there a son or daughter of
France in all the world who would
strike from the history of that people
the martyrdom of the Maid Of Or
leans who braved the fires of martyr
dom when nineteen Years old for king
and country? In the story of the
struggle of Switzerland for liberty
stands out the name of Andreas Hofer
the gallant soldier of the Tyrol, who
for home and country gave up his
young life on the scaffold of the for
eign invader. In all the splendid
names of 1reland's martyrs for lib
erty the most beloved one is that of
Robert Emmet, who faced a shame
full death without a CULVER, though
young in years man in achievement;
and in the city of New York stands
today the statue Of Nathan Hale. who
died when twenty one regretting with
his last words that he had but one
life to give to his country.
Fort Smelling and Its Memories.
We meet on ground that is conse-
Grated by the brightest and most in
spring traditions of American his
tory. Around the walls and walks of
this old Fort Smelling gather mem
cries Of lives and events that are in
terWoven with the most momentous
periods in the history Of the nation.
In the dim and shadowy days before
the white man came, here at the con-
1iuence of the Minnesota and the Mis-
sissippi burned the camp fires of the
Dakotas immortalized in the verse of
Schiller and of Longfellow. Around
yonder prolnontory where the sky
tinted Minnesota mingles with the
Father of Waters, tloated more than
two and half centuries ago, if the
researches of the modern historian
are correct, the canoes of Radisson
and Groseilliers, bearing the cross of
their Redeemer and the lilies of their
King. In the first year Of the eigh-
teenth century these wooded heights
re-echoed to the songs of Charles
Pierre LIE Sueur and his sturdy min
ers as they finished their voyage of
more than a thousand miles from the
Gulf of Mexico and turned their barks
to the west in yonder stream in
search Of fame and fortune on the
banks Of the Blue Earth. Before
American independence was won to
this spot came Jonathan Carver, her.
aid and pioneer of American civtliza-
ton. Over that vast territory to the
west of the same Mississippi that
flows before us today foated in al
ternation the flags of France and
Spain and France once more and to
the east the banners of England and
of France. The pages Of Fiske and
Parkman have told in enhancing