The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-01-10

sheathe his sword when he used it to
defend Him." II know that" he an
swered, with smile, "but not till
Peter had cut off the ear of the serv-
ant of Caiphas."
His View Of the Catholic Church.
He told me that shortly before he
left America there was meeting held
in New York at which a number of
ministers of the various Protestant
sects of the country were present.
"These men differed with one another
on almost every topic. they discussed;
but they were united on one point
hostility to your Church" "That is
strange" l said, 1--WE do not show the
some hostility to them. Whence do
you think this unanimity of hatred
arises?" 1t arises" he said, "from
this fact; for whose freedom he gladly
would that you represent the truth and
they the world. The world will always
fight against the truth, and hate it."
The motto of this great Irishman,
who was in his day and long after the
beau ideal of Irish nationality, was
"Delenda est Carthage" No Irishman
of his time did more to kindle and sus.
tain the spirit of Irish nationality in
the hearts of Irishmen than did John
Mitchell
kickham the Poet.
Another famous Irishman with
whom had a longer and more inti-
mate acquaintance was Charles ].
Kickham. We all have an idea of
what Kickham's character was, and
we know what he suffered and sacri-
feed for Ireland. His was a gentle
and unobtrusive spirit, but firm, con-
sistent and self-sacrif1cing. AS a lit
erary man his genius was of a high
order, and his "Knocknagow" is one
of the finest and truest delineations
of Irish rural life we possess in litera.
ture. It describes the Irish peasant
as he is. He was as powerful and
graphic writer as Carelton, without
his exaggeration. He wrote as one
who loved his countrymen, and he
portrayed them truthfully, sympathet-
ically. He described their feelings ac-
curately because he shared them
for he was Irish to the core-and in
his own rare personality represented
the best qualities of the race. Be-
sides being writer of wholesome fic-
tion of the first rank, he was true
poet, and the few pieces of poetry he
wrote are excellent of their kind, and
are frequently recited or sung in Irish
homes.
Kickham, as we know, was very
deaf,-stone deaf, indeed-and his
friends had to use the finger alphabet
when conversing with him. 1 remem.
ber using this means Of communicat.
ing with him during our interviews.
I also remember asking him once
whether the sufferings of the Irish po-
litical prisoners had been exaggerated.
'No, indeed" he answered, "they could
scarcely be. They tried to starve us
to death. myself" he said, suffered
extreme pain from hunger, and often
had to seek relief from the agony l
endured by tying handkerchief as
tightly as I could over my stomach.
We were treated much worse than the
lowest criminals"
A Loyal Son Of MotherIand.
Poor Kickham suffered all this tor.
ture in silence. He submitted with
noble fortitude to his fate. His only
consolation was that the cause for
which he suffered was that of his
country-of that country which he
loved; have died. may add, concern.
ing Kickham. that he was a sincere
and devoted Catholic, as pure in NOR
ais as he was unbending in his politi-
cal principles, as loyal to his faith az
ne was to his country. Amongst the
few literary treasures which l possess
Is letter from Charles j. Kickham.
the novelist, poet, patriot, and greater,
and better than all. the sincere and
devout Christian. May our beloved
land never lack sons as brave, unset.
hsh and self-sacrificing, as these two
noble patriots, Mitchell and Kickham.
Let me finish by quoting few lines
from a poem by Davis, the truth of
which seems about to be verified with
regard to Ireland:
For Freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed from bleeding sire, to
son;
Though baffed oft. It ever won.