Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-06-14
RELANDS CLAIM TO JUSTICE
Self Determination Applies to Irish Well Pole Ukan and Finn According
CreeL Chairman Of Public Information
Irish United as Never Before Vote Unit independence and Have Strong
Claims American People For

and shape the foreign policy of the
United States. What, then, is to be
the attitude of those Americans who
are not of Irish blood and who have
no concern with the irish question
save as IL bears upon the destinies
of the United States? 1t is idle to
adopt a tone of heavy reproof and
talk of America first" America
has always been first with the Irish
American, for while love of Erin is
an unchanging passion, his allegi-
ance, once given, is never divided by
hyphen.
Men of Ireland gave heart and
strength to George Washington;
their money as well. When the
Bank of Pennsylvania was organ
lied to supply funds for the sup
port of the American Army, one
third of the subscribers, represent
ing more than one-third the capital,
were members of the Friendly Sons
of st. Patrick, and this organization
later contributed outright the sum
of $517,500 of a total of $780,
900. Washington praised this So
ciety as distinguished for the firm
adherence of its members to the
glorious cause in which we are in.
volved," and accepted membership
in it as offered by unanimous
vote.
Irish aid was not confined to
these shores alone, however, for
Count Arthur Dillon sailed with o.
300 Irish troops from France to
fight for America in the West In
dies. 1t was this forces capture of
British bases that relieved the Col
onials of a great danger, contribut-
ing no little to the ultimate success.
Gen. Andrew Jackson was the son
of Irish parents, and a fourth of
his officers in the war of 1912 were
men of Irish birth or parentage, and
it is estimated that not less than
10000 Irishmen fought under Lin
coin for the preservation of the
Union.
Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher, an
Irish rebel, deported for life by the
English Government, and escaped
from Van Dieman's Land to the
United States, was among the first
to offer his sword, and this testi-
mony, from British observer,
might well serve as a general de-
scription of Irish conduct through
out the struggle:
ITO the Irish division commanded
by Gen. Meagher was principally
committed the desperate task of
bursting out Of the town Of Freder-
icksburg, and forming under the
whitening fire of the Confederate
batteries, to attack Marye's Heights,
lowering Immediately in their front
Never at Fontenoy, at Albuera or at
Waterloo, was more undoubted cour-
age displayed by the sons of Erin
than during those six frantic dashes
which they directed against the al
most impregnable position of their
foe. The bodies, which lie in dense
masses within forty yards of the
muzzles of Col. Walton's guns, are
the best evidence of what manner
of men they were who pressed on to
death with the dauntlessness of a
race which has gained glory on
thousand battlefields."
When the United States, driven to
war by the outrages and ill-faith OF
the Imperial German Government,
called for men to support the ideals
of democracy, the most instant and
enthusiastic response was from the
SO. called Irish-Americans Hatred
of England, handed down from gen.
Grafton to generation through seven
centuries. was put aside out of de-
votion to the country OF their adop-
ton, and the records of the War
Office are thick with Irish names
and instances of Irish val0r. Prior
to the adoption Of the treaty ar
engagements. such unnatul'alized res