The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-16

Interesting facts of the part the Irish schoo1master played in the early de- velopment of the American Colonies are embodied in address of Prof. Robert McElroy, himself a, splendid type of the old Celtic pedagogue, and an acknowledged authority upon Am erican history.
 Prof. McElroy, as head of the de- partment of American history of Princetons as successor to President woodrow Wilson, has aroused much interest by his research into this par tictiIar branch of the early education .al work among the Co1onists. His ad- dress follows:
 We are not here to pretend that we long for any land, but the land which has given us liberties denied to our ancestors. We are here to burn in cense to a race whose history has dis played the twin gifts of courage and -i good humor: generosity and true friendship; wit and wisdom. A race which has shown its ability to be 1oy- alto itself no matter where it's change full lot is cast. America must gain and not lose at the myriad races which make her race instin into her citizens a frevereTce for an honorable past, wherever the scenes of that past were laid. E@5
 In speaking of the Irish, I mean all men of Irish extraction, whether Cath oIic or Protestant-for the Irish are Scots and the Scots are Scythians and Ireland in the early Middle Ages was known as Scotia.
 Shining Light. of the Western World.
 The history of the Irish race has been full of glory. More than a thou ' sand years ago the Church of Ireland, the ancient Celtic church, was the burning and shining light of the West ert1s world.
 Bv tf1e energy arsd courage of her 1s ol1I erlo or16 giIfn and SwitxeIiand. France, Ger many and even Italy herself were turn ed from their fdols,s and the bleak coasts of Iceland saw their books and Pilgrims slaves long before the adven- turous Northmeh had reached it's shores. It Is even claimed by some en- thusiasts that these Irish teachers of the early Aidd1e Ages actually pene- trated to~the American continent, thus giving historical justification for a. con- y ditfon of which recently heard rail- road conductor complaining in the words: s'The McC"s and the o's run this country.
 AGDnasteries the Schools of Europe
 In stHoga remote days Ireland Cor Scotia) was known as the Isle of Saints and her Monasteries were the Schools of Europe, while her Monks, Journey ing over Western Europe, were the Irish Schoolu1asters" of that age. In the great museums and libraries of to- day you will find beautiful. specimens ofsIrish nlurninations and manuscripts, made by the scholars of Armagh, Ban, gor, C1onard and Derry, or by those of the Irish monasteries like St. Gall. in Switzerland, or Erfurt in Germany. which wee founded by Irish monks of thesearly dispersion.
 But you have asked me to speak, not If the ancient but of the modern teach CTS of the Irish race. am asked to ,1~ Of "a hn taught Europe in the Middle Ages but of the Irish Schoo1master'' who play ed a similar part in the early days of American History
 The Product of Prosecutions.
 seThe Irish schoolmaster in America'' is of those that '.came out of great ytribuIation.''ALi .''A Like many Americans, he is the product of prosecutions. The modern Irish migrationS began soon 8 after the Rebellion of 1641, as the result. of. the plunder of Connacht, and continued, as the result of Cromwe1Ps 8 conhscations and prescriptions in the other counties.
 Before these wars were over, about two-thirds of the land of Ireland had been confscated, and thousands of Irish e1i1es sent to the West Indies, Virginia and to New England. Thus even before the passage of the terrible Penal Laws the Irish forced migration had begun; but those laws bore direct 1y upon the class which [ am describ- ting
 The Irish SchooImaster in Penal Days. Under them, building a schoo1house. sending Irish children to be taught in private houses ,or doing any of the were acts made cognizab1e as crime. Five pounds ($251 was the price set upon the head of that dangerous fire brand, the Irish Schoo1naster, who = aEN-- crime of teaching. was subject to a number of unpleasant alternatives. He might be hanged, and for this mercy he might thank the shades of St. Pat rick; for it was vastly a more pleasant and respectable mode of exit from this world than htat of being drawn and IqJ1artered, which was to be the fate of those less favored than himself.
 These two alternatives did not ap- pear enticing and so the StIrish School masters numbers of them decided not to hazard either, but to seek another country.
 The spheres of unhuence open to then in Europe. we're not. so far su- per1Or to that which he was leaving. The European continent in those days was poor place for these enlightened Irish tourists Things were being done m most European countries which gave an attractive aspect even to the expe- rfence of. being drawn and quartered, and besides when a race has ever start ed Westward, it is likely to keep it's 6ace turned toward the setting sun.
 His Early Coming to America.
 America in those days was no land of liberty In most of the Colonies persecutfons for refigious opinions were common occurrences, but educa- tion and the teachers art, were not reckoned among the long lists of capi- ta1 offences, and so the Irish School e<fA sefs, bound for the vast land of 'rVir- ginia" as the whole of England's S American possessions was then called There were then no laws against the