The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-01-25
OURSELVES AND IRELAN

the veins of America is Irish. Accord
ing to sworn parliamentary testimony
half Washington's army was Irish,
AID their worst foes, have never since
deprecated their military services.
The victor of New Orleans, his Sec
ond in command, and a large portion
of his troops were of the same fighting
blood. When President Wilson landed
at Brest, he must have recalled that
from that port once sailed Count Dill
lon with 5000 of the Irish Brigade,
sent first by France, at their special
request, to aid the embattled colonies
in securing from the same alien over
lord self-determination.
Friendly Ports Await Us.
Hence, apart from the Importance
to us of having friendly ports at Eu-
ropes gate should the commercial
jealousies now menacing develop, Ire
land rises first and largest to our
vision when self-determination comes
to be determined Should we thrust
her claims aside and secure freedom
only for those peoples whose enfran-
chisement would weaken the Central
Powers, our professions will have
proved false and hypocritical. Eng
land, which also protested to enter
the war for freedom of small nations,
now openly declares that neither Ire
land nor any other of her subject peo-
pies shall be one of them, and that
new peoples shall be portion of her
spoil. For us to discard Ireland's
claim is to acquiesce il this imperial
hypocrisy. 1t is to transmit to his
tory the OBTAINING record, that the
United States threw all her vast re-
sources into this war, not as an ally
of any co-belligerent, but professedly
for the peace of the world through
the self-determination of nations,
great and small; but that her failure
to apply this principle to Ireland dis
closed her real motive: the rescue and
extension of the widest and the most
imperialistic of empires.
Asking neither spoil nor soil in re-
turn for our priceless blood and treas
ure, America has right to demand
that for which alone she sacrificed,
Justice. AS Cardinal O'Connell put it:
"Let the test of sincerity be Ireland.
Then we will be convinced that truth
still lives" An old song on the Flag
has this refrain:
Since Seventeen-sevelty six
1t has been in many a fix,
But it never, never touched the
ground"
Duty of the X. of c.
1t is only dishonor that mires ma
TONS flag. Should we now, despite
our solemn declarations, suffer Ire
lands self-determining rights to be
denied, our word shall, for the first
time, be sullied with the stain of in
sincerity. Ireland's freedom is no
longer an Irish question. 1t concerns
every citizen who is jealous of Ameri-
can honor, and every patriotic organ
ization; but most, perhaps, the
Knights of Columbus. Founded for
men Of every racial origin in defense,
Of civil and religious liberty, it hap
pens that it's founder and it's past and
present Supreme Grand knights are
sons of Irish exiles, and that in it's
Supreme Council and it's half-million
membership Irish blood predominates.
It's services in camp and field, in the
huts and on the battle-line, have won
the K. of c. golden opinions from gov
eminent and nation, and provoked no
charge except the excessive generos-
ity of it's service. Hence, it is pre-
eminently fitting, not only in the in
terest Of internal peace and of ma
tional and international justice, but,
most of all for the maintenance of our
national honor, that the Knights of
Columbus should again stand as one
man behind our President, in secur-
ing that the purpose for which alone
we sacrificed and bled st~'l not be
frustrated; that his word and ours
shall not be- flouted; that, therefore,
Ireland, as we'll as other nations, shall
be free to determine her own destiny;
and that, because Ireland is the first
and longest oppressed, and the first
and longest claimant of freedom, to
her first shall freedom be awarded.