The Irish standard., 1915-02-27

Continued from Page u.
some six or eight months ago, boosted
that he and his cabinet had torn Christ
from the schools and from the church
es, and that they would drive him from
heaven itself. You might as we'll make
up your minds that as surely as the
present war has restored Christ to his
throne, so surely will it bring the
career of the Father of his Country
before the minds of the American
youth so that they will fully appreciate
that there was not only Washington
with his little Ratchet, but that there
was Washington at Saratoga and
Yorktown. (Applause.)
You cannot tell me that any man
or set of men is justified in robbing
the youth Of this land or of any land
of the history of their patriotic sires.
Will you tell me that couple of gen
erations from now every Belgian boy
will not be all the better for it when
he reads how King Albert stood like
man to his guns and defended his
country to the last ditch? Will you
tell me that couple of generations
from now every Teuton boys heart
will not beat faster when he reads in
his school books how Won Hindenburg
and his army, fighting for the Father
land and civilization, rolled back the
tide of Russian invasion? (Applause.)
But lest, perchance, reference to
present events may be out of place,
look at history in general and you will
find that 1t is an instinct of human ma
ture to honor its heroes, and this is
true of every age and walk of life. 1t
is particularly true of those who have
fought for liberty and for Fatherland
Many country has survived for years
by cherishing the glories of her gal
liant sons. A nation cannot bring forth
patriots and die. You remember a
couple of years ago how, when the call
came from Greece to her immigrants
in this country, how they responded
And why? Because Greece still lives
although centuries have passed since
Marathon was fought or Thermopylae
was held. Look at Poland-today as
of yore the cockpit of Europe-and yet
the spirits of Pulaski and Kosciusko
remain to remind the people that they
yet have a country, even though 1t
seems wrapped in shroud at Warsaw.
Coming to this, our own land, the
names of patriots rise like litany on
our lips. And, as we unfold the long
serial, there is worship in it's charac.
ter and grandeur in its dignity; but no
name shines out with more lustre, no
memory is more cherished, than the
name and the memory of him whom we
are met to honor-than the name and
the memory of him who struck the
lfe-chord of his country and raised her
from the position of degraded de-
tendency into that of a proud nation.
tApplause.)
And, as this February day comes
round, a grateful people pause in their
occupations to pay tribute to the
Father of his country, and from end
to end of this great continent we hear
his name and his praises sung; while
from other lands, wherever an Ameri-
can or friend of America is found,
comes an echo over the water beating
| in !, UNTIL, oil II;
us in recalling the virtues, in venerat-
ing the name and in weaving the gar
land Of Washington. (Applause)
But why such tributes. why such ar
dent demonstrations? All, who does
not know! What lover of liberty, what
friend of freedom, has not heard how,
when the hopes of this country were
at the lowest, when her sons were
slaves, how the fire of nationality
which now CLOVIS SO brightly through
this republic was fed and famed
through many gloomy and dreary
hour in the breast of the Father of this
country? Who. has not heard of the
Declaration of Independence? 1t was
a momentous time, not for Americans
merely, but for humanity, when that
body of patriots met at Philadelphia
to decide whether they should for the
future be kings subjects or free men.
And when the old bell rang out the
glad tiding of great Joy; when Column
bia resolved to fling herself across the
British car of conquest, the people felt
that something like an emanation from
heaven had gone forth destined not
to return void. The fiery cross, as in
the olden days, was carried afar and
the bearers shouted Liberty! Liber-
ty!" Their leader was man who,
whatever he may have thought of the
divine right of kings, did not and
would not recognize in any one the
divine right of doing wrong He was
man who, in the days of peace, at
tracted peoples confidence and won
a peoples love. He was now to rally
q nation and guide her through the
storms of war. He was an enthusiast
In his way-a dreamer of bright ideals
but no sooner was the sword un-
sheathed than the dreamer became a