The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-03-21
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Of Independence, the successor of JET
ferson as governor of Virginia, all con
tributing excellent services. There
was Houston, whose generalship won
the independence of Texas and whose
craftsmanship made Texas a part of
the union. A man who added more
territory to the United States than the
whole of New England combined. We
are glad to have Texas with due re-
spect to the opinion of great general,
who said If he owned Texas and a Ger.
tain other place he would sell Texas
and move to the other place. Our
country has not forgotten these men
nor their services nor the administra.
ton of six presidents of the United
States of Irish lineage, but time per.
mits but mention, not a discus.
sion.
In that second great crisis OF
our nations life, when statesmen dis.
agreed as to the power of the Federal
Government and when discussion be.
came useless, turned to the sword to
settle their differences, again we find
notable contribution by the Irish
race to the preservation of the union.
The conflict which opened with the
fall of Fort Sumter commenced a gen
Grafton before South Carolina contend
ed that 1t had the right as would every
other state in the union to nullify q
law of Congress when the law inter.
fered with the prosperity of a particu-
lar state. The tariff of 1928 was evil
IDENTIFY unpopular in the southern
states. This measure brought the doc
trine Of notification into prominence.
There was in the presidency force
full, stern, determined and fearless
executive, one of the six of Irish
lineage who promptly met the sugges-
ton Of notification by threatening to
turn the national cannons on South
Carolina. But before this president
carried into execution his stern re-
solve, he saw great form standing
guard at South Carolina portals. He
saw the greatest logician this country
has produced. He saw a brave but
mistaken son of the South, willing to
risk fame and fortune in support of
his doctrine of notification. John c..
Calhoun was of Irish descent and no
state ever loved son more than South
Carolina loves Calhoun. The gather
ing storm of civil strife broke over the
head of Lincoln. While preparations
for war had been carried on in the
South for several months before Lin
coin was inaugurated president, yet
hardly month had passed when the
Secessionists fired on Fort Sumter.
The flag which withstood the attacks
of the greatest maritime power in ex-
istence, fell before the shot of it's own
people. The city of Washington was
unguarded, the Confederate troops
were but within short distance Of
the city and the city was in immediate
peril, when Lincoln called for volun-
teers. Hardly had the call reached
the city of New York when Col.
Michael Corcoran, with his famous
Goth New York regiment, composed
of 1900 Irish Americans, marched
through the streets of New York City
and embarked to defend the city of
Washington. This regiment threw up
on Arlington heights the first fortifica-
tion over which an American flag was
raised in defence of the union in the
Civil War. Joined few days later by
Captain Thomas Francis Meagher,
these two men blocked the plan of the
Secessionists to march against WASH
ington.
Every battlefield of that awful con-
lict testified to the heroism of the
Irish race. Brigadier Gen. Silas Casey
organized and disciplined the newly
enlisted volunteers. Col. James A.
Mulligan organized the 23rd Illinois
regiment, called the Western Irish
Brigade. Colonel Patrick E. Conner
the Indian uprisings, making it unnec-
essary to send troops from the East.
Gen. Mcclellan disciplined raw re-
cruits into mighty army which made
possible subsequent victories. The
services of these men and of Cleburne
known as the "Stone Wall of the
West and of Philip Sheridan in the
Valley of the Shenandoah and Mead at
the bloody battle of Gettysburg will al
ways remain in the memory of a CRATE
full people.
Erin's contributions to America do
not end with war and craftsmanship,
but extend into the field of science, art,
literature, education and religion.
In science we have Robert Fulton,
inventor of the steam engine, who rev.
olutionized transportation; Samuel
Morse, inventor of the telegraph; Nc
Cormick, who, in the invention of the
binder, supplanted the cradle and
made possible the utilization of mil
lions of acres In medicine and surgery
we have DR.. John B. Murphy of Chi.
cago; DR.. James Walsh Of New York,
and that earlier pioneer In medicine
and surgery, DIR. Emmett.