The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-25
BY EDGAR ILIFF.

There is one ideal we as Americans
should keep an almost religious vigil
on. It should be kept alive as sacred
flame or a celestial fire and should
be instilled into the mind Of every
school child.
But unhappily for US now most OF
the American publishing houses are
controlled by British capital and are
having a marked and baleful influ-
ence upon the rising generations. Our
school histories have been rewritten
and quotations forged to root out OF
the mind of the American school child
the merest suggestion that any race
other than the English has contributed
any genius or glory to our Republic.
Take Barnes History of the United
States" a text book used in our
schools and colleges. The old editions
speak in glowing terms Of the fame
and gallantry of General Meagher and
his Irish troops in our Civil War. In
the British controlled editions, now in
use General Meagher and his Sons
obliterated. Why? Well, General
Thomas Francis Meagher was an
Irishman, born In Ireland, sentenced
to death for treason in England. es-
capped, came to America, became a
citizen, organized the famous Brigade
Of New York, advanced to the rank
of brigadier general stcrmed Marye
HEIGHTS five times with his brave
Irishmen. won the battle. and was des-
peTately w~u-e id. His name is exclud-
cd from tho Critish controlled his
t"rics for our schools. Even Woodrow
Wilson, in his History Of the Ameri-
can People" ignores him and his gal
liant soldiers. The publishing house
that issues Wilson's books is Morgan
English in tone and control. Enough
for that
Be American First.
But to get back to the great ideal,
the great shining light of American
ism. When Patrick Henry stood up
in the first Continental Congress he
spoke against sectional jealousies. He
asked where are your boundaries?
You are no longer Virginians, Penn
sylvanians, New Workers and New
Englanders" When the assembly
shrugged it's shoulders and sneered,
and representatives from every colony
protested, Patrick Henry jumped to
his feet, struck his breast and proclaim
ed, ~ am not VIrginian, but an
American! All distinctions are thrown
down. All America 10 thrown into one
mass. Henceforth our identity 10 a
precious thing. We do not propose to
be swallowed up!"
That is the great American ideal.
We are not Anglo-Saxons and this Is
not an Anglo-Saxon nation. We are
distinctly Americans as all Rome was
made Roman out of the melting-pot
Of all peoples in that day. We are not
rish-Americans, nor German-Ameri-
cans, nor Italian-Americans, nor Greek
Americans, nor Negro-Americans, nor
Russian-Americans. nor Hebrew-Amer-
leans. We are a distinct people, a dis
tinct race, a distinct nation, a distinct
entity. a new product such as the
world has never seen before. We are
Americans, and now today, in the Ian
guage of Patrick Henry, 1--WE do not
propose to be swallowed up by the
Anglo-Saxon movement now opening
it's voracious jaws to gulp us. The
British-Tory press of this country is
working the game. England is not our
mother country any more than is Ger
many, Italy, Russia or Austria-Hun-
gary our mother country. These peo-
pie have all given their blood and