The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-17
WILLIAMS ATTACKS
IRISH AS BRAGGARTS
The Senator From Mississippi
Turns Loose Flood of Wrath
in Treaty Debate.
HE WILL NOT BE COERCED
EaTc at All Hyphenates in Re-
ply to Anonymous Letters
- and Threats.
Special DssnofcA 10 THr srx.

Special DssDotch 10 THE suS.
WASHINGTON, Oct. Ex-senator will
iams. Democrat tMiss.). administered
to-day to the Irish in general and to
Americans OF Irish extraction in par
ticular such a castigation as seldom has
been delivered from the Senate floor He
was sick and tired OF the pretence that
the Irish had accomplished the good
works whenever and wherever they have
been accomplished in this world. They
asserted they had won our Revolutionary
War and defeated the South in the civil
war. 1t was not true, he-ssld but was
"a part Of the braggart nature of tn.
Irish"
Mr.. Williams's unbrdled wrath caused
a sensation in the Senate. He frightened
his Democratic colleagues. who realized
that his remarks would have more seri-
Gus weight because they seemingly were
inspired by the recent bolt of Senator
Walsh (Mass,) on the treaty issue, and
also because Mr.. Williams has long been
looked upon as the Presidents spokes-
man on the floor of the Senate. This re-
lationship was attested recently when
Mr.. williams was selected to introduce
and push the resolution seeking to au-
thorize the President to send American
forces to Armenia.
This project is known TO be near to
the Presidents heart It is almost UNI
versally understood at the Capitol that
he has promised the Entente Powers
that he will assume this mandate 1t
Is, however, a most unpopular proceed
ink, and 1t became necessary when legis-
lation authorizing the first steps toward
il was under consideration to have "
fathered by thoroughly devoted friend
Of the White House.
Speech Causes Conformation.
30 Mr.. Williams was chosen. and the
fact that he was selected for so delicate
an enterprise gave special point to lAs
attack on the Irish to-day. 1t was not
forgotten while he was delivering his
terrific denunciation OF the Irish race in
general that President Wilson at Paris
played a part hardly less friendly
though in a negative way.
Mr.. Williams's speech caused conster-
nation on the Democratic side. At first
it was supposed that he would stop in
Difference to the chambers desire to
reach a vote on the pending Shantung
amendment. But as he went on and
warmed to his task Senator Hitchcock
tDem), the Democratic leader. walked
ever to the Republican side, where Mr..
Williams has of late had a habit OF
taking his stand in speaking, and sat
down beside the Mississippian. From
time to time when there were pauses
In the oratory Mr.. Hitchcock Whispered
appeals to the speaker to>desist. but
without effect. Finally he gave up in
despair and retired to the cloakroom.
The outburst against the Irish was
preceded by brief discussion of the
treaty provisions regarding Shantung.
Concluding this Mr.. Williams said:
'Now / come to the South and to the
resolution by the United Confederate
Veterans. l cannot pay tribute to the
United Confederate Veterans; l am I'M
worthy to pay tribute to them. The few
yet alive. without pensions or support
from anybody in the world. comprehend
the best part of all humanity in all the
world. They are the purest and noblest
and greatest America has furnished.
do not mean any reflection on anybody
else; / mean I know those old fellows
every time l meet them. and do know
that they represent the highest and
loftiest and most altruistic opinion OF
America. They have met and adopted
in behalf of the treaty of peace the
resolution l send to the desk and ask
70 have inserted in the Record,
where Irish Might Learn.
THE United Confederate Veterans
know something about war its hor-
rors and conquests. There was
nothing in all history that compared to
them in their hour of surrender and
self-surrender which came later.
1T they had been Irishmen in south
ern ireland fighting for something I'M
obtainable they would have left the
history Of the United States a different
page; but they had common sense
enough to know when they had to quit.
They also had common sense and
aitruistic sense to know not when they
had to quit but when they wanted to
quit.
i@7"Robert E. Lee never advocated lead
ing a force shooting behind trees at the
Yankee army. Win he surrendered his
armed forces in the field he surrendered
them and came back into the American
Union as well as he could, reconciled
TO the situation. These Irishmen might
learn a lesson from us. We are nearly
all glad to-day that there are no Gus
tom houses along the Ohio or Potomac
to divide the American pepole.
ss"It has not been many days ago since
/ heard on this floor a pretence that
more than 80 per cent. of the American
Revolutionary troops were Irish when we
gained our independence. Only I pei
cent OF the population 81 the United
states at that time was Irish and two
thirds of that per cent. were Scotch
irish and English-Irish from Ulster
and during the American Revolution
whenever a man raised his cup of beer
IN Ulster he drank to the memory OF
William of Orange and to the liberties
OF the American colonies,
More Filings at Erin's Sons.
= 81 also find out from a little investi-
gntion that the British troops which
lseok the works at Bunker Hill against