The Irish standard., 1915-02-20

To the County and Division Officers
and Members of the A. o. H. in
/ Pennsylvania, Greeting:
Gentlemen and Brothers: The ques.
tion of suspensions has always been
one of acute and perennial interest
Theories have been evolved and rem
edies presented, yet the suspensions
continue. It is declared that suspen-
sions will continue as long as men,
bers fail to realize that Hibernianism
is holding their heritage. 1t is a sad
and significant spectacle to see the
descendants of ancestors who PRO.
tested for almost eight hundred years
with the naked sword against subjuga-
tion, now surrendering meekly to anti
Irish and anti Catholic influences. Yet
such "a spectacle need not dishearten
us. To reflective minds the reason is
traced to other generations and other
conditions. Whenever man becomes
ashamed of his own people-whenever
a man refuses to stand up for his faith
and his Observation-Disclosures man
wanders from beneath the banner of
Observation-Disclosures a man lays
down his weapons and straggles from
the firing line to the rear, leaving 9th.
ers to fight his battles-it is natural
to stamp that man as weakling or
craven.
1t is charitable, however, to trace
the real reasons for defections from
Hibernianism to the debasing influ-
ence of the penal laws. While the
immense majority of Irishmen were
uncomfortable, and while the brave
and high spirited of the race defed
the penal laws, yet there were some
who were crushed by the burden Of
tyranny. These bowed beneath the
yoke, and their example has been,
alas, too often followed by their chill
dren and their children's children.
Thus it is not strange to see in the in.
difference which results in suspen-
sions-and in the coldness which
freezes out the love Of country from
some hearts-the effects of those de.
basing penal laws which still find vic.
Tins many years after statute books
have been purged of their pollution.
A man who is ignorant of the past
is blind to the present. This is one
visible effect of the penal lawsuits
ible because it is apparent to those
with eyes to see. Too many of our
people are still suffering from the
blight which made 1t felony to teach
Irish history to Irish children-which
made it a crime punishable by death
to teach or be taught the alphabet
which sought to hide forever the arts,
the literature the language, the music
the religion, and the very names Of
the children of Irish men and Irish
women.
We see outside of our ranks men
who are apparently ashamed of their
race-men who seek to hide their or
igin-men who are too timid to defend
what their fathers left them-men who
desert the most precious things of life
to seize the emptiness of peace which
they have not earned. These men
are not all bad and illiterate sons Of
good fathers. Many of them are sim
ply victims of the penal laws-men in
whom is perpetuated the ignorance i'm.
posed by cruel laws before they were
born.
The member that knows that all
through the epoch of blood that mark
ed the enforcement of the penal laws
the Ancient Order of Hibernians stood
dauntless in the path of the orpressor
will not refuse to poin our Order, and
will not desert our ranks. He will
priest-once protected by our mem.
, bers with pike and sword-are still
Loyalty sustained by this most power
full and most ancient organization in
!, all Irish history. He will know that
the sacrifices our fathers and mothers
were ready and willing to make for
) knowledge and religion deserve all the
: pride and reverence of manly heart.
He will know that the torches of in.
tellect and sanctity kept alight in
| caverns and wild places cannot now
} be suffered to die out. What has been
, handed down to us through blood and
, toll and tears is worth handing onward
to our successors. A noble man can
!. do no more. Only a coward could do
3 less.
The chief purpose of these monthly
State Letters is the propagation Of
t Hibernian knowledge. With a more
perfect knowledge of our principles
j. and objects there will be fewer sus
8 pensions. Greater efficiency will fol
e low the dissemination of Information
= relating to our Order, and there viii
J. be an increased energy displayed in al
l. our endeavors. Another purpose o.
L these monthly Circular Letters is thu
a establishment and maintenance of re
lations of intimate personal friendship