Kentucky Irish American., 1914-03-14

That George Washington was
above all the prejudices of his ear
lest education no one doubts who
is conversant with the history of the
country and his relations with the
Irish and Catholic citizens of his
time. He had seen so many noble
acts of patriotic Catholics in support
of the cause of liberty, had observed
them upon the field of battle and
become so intimately acquainted with
their leaders, both in civil and re-
| ligious life, that he learned to appre-
ciate their loyalty and devotion.
From association with them sprang a
warm, personal and intimate friend
ship. His Catholic spirit and
natural sense of justice, coupled with
the absence OF prejudice in his char
acter, made him easily susceptible to
the generous, self-sacrificing loyalty
of the Catholics.
Born, reared and educated in the
most bigoted section Of the country,
where the traditional prejudices that
| had refused shelter to the Catholic
Lord Baltimore century and a half
previous still existed, it is indeed
surprising that some of its detestabls
llittleness was not found in his char.
acter. Yet we have not recorded in
history one act of his that has shown,
even in the slightest degree, a trace
of bigotry He never forgot the
gallant bravery of the Catholic SOL
diers of Maryland and Pennsylvania,
nor the generous aid of Catholic
France and Spain. While Catholics
we're prescribed in every State in
the Union, and Professionalism estab-
lished in New Hampshire, Congrega-
tionalism in Massachusetts,, and
Catholics of New York required to
abjure religious allegiance to the
Pope, and other similar actions
taken by the different States, Wash
lngton was immune to such bigotry
and ever remained superior to his
narrow environment. Time only en-
hances the grandeur of his liberality
and the popular prejudices of his
day. Throughout the country it was
custom to celebrate Pope" day,
which was an excuse for holding up
to ridicule in song and verse the
Catholics and was the occasion foc
drunken professions in which ths
Pope was carried in grotesque efigy.
No one did more to put a stop to
such insults to the Catholic people
than Washington.
While the patriotic army, conf
posed of many Catholics from Mary
land and Pennsylvania, were drawn
up in defense of Boston. on Novem-
Der 5, 1875, preparations were being
made to celebrate Pope day with the
usual disorderly and obnoxious pro-
cessions. Washington being apprised
OF this fact, and justly indignant at
this gratuitous insult to the Cath
Ollie soldiers of the patriotic army,
issued the following from headquar-
ters:
"As the Commander-in-Ch has
been apprised of a design formed for
the observance of that ridiculous and
custom of burning the efigy
OF the Pope, he can not help express
ing his surprise that there should be
officers and soldiers in this army so
void OF common sense as not to see
the Improperly of such a step at
this juncture, at a time when we are
soliciting and have really obtained
the friendship and alliance OF the
people of Canada, whom we ought to
consider as brethren embarked in
the same cause.-the defence OF the
liberty of America. At this juncture
and under such circumstances to be |
their religion is so mon
strous as not to be suffered or ex-
cused; indeed instead Of offering the
most remote insult, it is our duty to
address public thanks to these, our
brethren, as TO them we are indebted |
for our late happy success over the |
common enemy I'm Canada" Pope |
day was not celebrated that year in |
Boston, and Washington had given
TO 1t a death blow.
Washington was we'll qualified to |
Judge OF the patriotism OF the Cath
olics, for had he not the dis
tinguished honor to be intimate with
Archbishop Carroll, Charles Carroll |
Of Carrollton, Daniel Carroll, James |
and did he not sur
round himself with such men as Gen.
Col Fitzgerald, Lafayette
and others. He knew that the May
hower brought over the two Irish
men, william Mullins and Christo-
pher Martin He knew that the |
British stores at Portsmouth were
,aptured-som four months before
Lexington-by an irishman, John
Sullivan, from Desmond, in old
Kerry. He could not forget that the
irst British warship was captured
by O'Brien, from Cork. and that
lack Barry. the father of the Ameri-
ian navy, came from gallant Wex-
lord. He remembered that the first
American General to fall on the
Held OF battle was Montgomery, an
Irishman. He knew what Stark did
1t Bennington. nor was he unmindful
)f the glorious work OF the Irish
Generals Conway. Hand, Griffin,
Ewing, on the field at Saratoga.
Could he possibly forget the terrible
OF the Delaware, which made
possible the victories OF Trenton and
that with him we're the
Irish Generals Butler and Wilson,
and to the skill and bravery or Pat
rick Colyin. the humble ferryman
Df New Jersey, and all the way from
ireland, was entrusted the hazardous
task OF ferrying his army through
the ice cakes and tempestuous waves
of that riverg He knew that Smith,