The Irish standard., 1920-04-10

Washington Parke custts, Adopted
Son Of the Nations First President,
Delivered July %. ts2e-His Bril-
liant and Faithful Tribute to the
People Of the soid Land.''
We recently had the good fortune to
come across q copy OF the United
States Miscellany, a weekly periodical
published at Charleston. S. c., in 1926,
and now a very rare work, says the
Toronto (Can.l Statesman of a late
date.
In the issue Of August IL. there is q
report of meeting of American citi-
Gems held at the City Hall. Washing
ton. D. c.. on July 20, 1926. for the
purpose of transmitting "a consolatory
address" to the people Of Ireland. This
meeting was presided over by no less
= parsonage than Washington's
adopted son. George Washington
Parke Custis, and the speech he de-
livered on that occasion, as also the
address he signed for transmission to
the people of Ireland. are of trans
cendent interest, and deserve to be
widely known at the present time.
Come Here as an American.
I'm the address, which it is your
pleasure that l should make from the
chair. should l fail in producing the
impression which could hope to pro-
duce, and you might perhaps expect,
let the failure be attributed to a
state of broken health and spirits
rather than to any lack of zeal for
the cause of civil and religious liberty,
or want of sympathy for the cause of
ireland.
1T is supposed that he, who now
has the honor Of addressing you, is
connected by remote ancestral lienage
with the family of Dillon. 1t may be
so or it may not be so. it is no mat
ter; still, If there be single drop in
the current of my existence, which
flows from an Irish source, it will
ever be warm in my heart while that
heart itself is warm.
Como Here as an American.
feel as an American; it Is not Irish
men alone that have congregated to
this interesting bidding, not Catho-
lies alone. for there are many here
who worship at other than the Apos-
tolic shrine. 'Tis millennium of
, feeling where various tribes of men
have assembled in love for one an.
other to express their hatred of op-
preston and their sympathy for the
oppressed.
The First to Give Us Aid.
Thanks to the good feeling which
Is abroad-and far may it spread!-
we have most numerous and respec.
table assembly; but why are we con.
tent with this most spacious hall, why
have we not to seek wider arena?
Because. forsooth, there be those who
doubt the propriety of interfering in
the concerns of other people. poten.
tates or powers. ask these skep-
tics, Quid timetis, do you fear the old
Lions growl? From our Eagles
eyry, laugh to scorn' his rage. But
perhaps there are Protestants who
have scruples Of conscience and de-
cline to interfere. even in opinion,
with Papal matters. II these are
Americans. let me say: When you felt
the full force of the Lions merciless
fangs. who first gave you aid, not Of
words, but Of deeds?' There was q
time when Americans were not stick
lers in dectrinal matters; 1t was,
when. to our wasted, war-worn ranks,
we were glad to receive the religion
lists of any creed, and found, to our
comfort and to our independence, too,
that a Catholic arm could drive a
bayonet on the foe, and Catholic
heart beat high for the liberties of
our country.
when our friendless standard was
first unfurled for resistance, who were
the strangers that first mustered
found it's staff, and when it reeled in
the fight, who more bravely sustained
It than Erin's generous sons? Who
led the assault of Quebec and shed
that early lustre on our arms, in the
dawn of the Revolution? He who viii
live in everlasting memory, and rest'
in heaven-Montgomery. Who led th'
right wing Of Lberty's forlorn hop
at the passage Of the Delaware? Al
Irishman. Who felt the privations Q
the camp, the fate Of battle, or tn
horrors Of the prison ship more keer
~ than Irishmen? Look on this pit
ture,' Americans, which, though feel