Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-10-28
PUBLIC OPINION
THE GLORY OF THE IRISH.

IL may interest view IOTk w OflQ
and its Irish batting editor, Frank J.
Cobb, to know that there Is such an
instrument as Americas Declara-
ton of independence and that it
breathes from its first line to its
last. the spirit of human liberty that
has inspired and that o inspires
the people of all countries rightfully
struggling to be free, and is the COW
enant that binds the free men of the
world together.
II would do the delectable Mr..
Cobb and his boss, Mr.. Ralph Pulit-
ger. a world of good il they would
condescend to read that immortal
document and absorb some of its
A~mericanism. They would find an
exact parallel in the America of 1875
and the ireland of 1920. Ireland
has been struggling for autonomy
and independence for over 700
years. Ireland is a continental is
land surrounded on all sides by wa
ter and separated from England by
the wide Irish sea, hence, there a
be no dispute over boundaries. In
a wide war to make the world safe
for democracy, ireland should have
serious consideration. No other peo-
pie in Europe, Asia or the Western
Continent have ever made such a
constant and enduring struggle for
autonomy and independence as the
Irish race.
Let us not forget that Irish pa
triots bore an important part in the
struggle of the thirteen American
colonies for Independence. Irish
blood was shed OF every battlefield
of the seven year war. The first
bold utterance "Give me Liberty or
give me Death was the Irish voice
of Patrick Henry, the most inspir-
ing, all-pervading and potent of all
patriot voices of the epoch. The
first general officer killed in the war
of the Revolution was Major Gen.
eral Richard Montgomery. born in
Donegal, Ireland. The first COM
mander of the American navy was
John Barry, born in Wexford county,
ireland. Also let us not forget that
it was Maurice O'Brien of Cork, Ire
land, whose five sons, hearing of the
battle of Lexington. struck the first
blow on water for independence on
May IL, 1775, capturing an armed
British schooner. John Hancock,
first signer of the Declaration of
Independence, also gave his fortune
of 100000.
Charles Thompson who made the
copy of the Declaration of In
dependence, John Nixon who read
the first copy of the Declaration of
Independence from the steps of the
state house, Philadelphia, Pa, July
3, 1916, were all born in Ireland,
and among the signers of the Dec
of Independence. ten were
full bred Irishmen, and lest we for
get, it is quite interesting to know
that there were forty-eight full bred
Irishmen in George Washington's
regiment of Virginia militia and
nearly all served in the continental
army of the revolution. 1t was Gen.
brigade who manned the
on Dorchester Heights, Bos-
ton, on that day. ever memorable in
heroic history March IT, 1916. when
the British army under Lord Howe
evacuated Boston. Gen. Washing
ton made est. Patrick" the coun-
tersign of the whole continental
army that night. Among the first
colonists was a brigade of five full
all Irishmen.
Over 10000 Irishmen served the
patriotic cause in the continental
army and among the famous minute
men Of Lexington. Mass, there
were 1873 Irishmen. when Col. Tilg-
man, of Maryland, made that peril
ous ride on horseback from York
to Philadelphia, carrying the
glorious tidings that Lord Cornwall
lis had surrendered. He rode first
to the house of Patrick Mexican, the
Irish president of the Continental
Congress-
The most signal victory in the
south except that of Yorktown was
the battle of Cowpens, S. c., won
by Gen. Dan Morgan with one third
Of his command Irish soldiers.
Gen. Knox. Gen Andrew Lewis,
Capt. Jas. McHenry, Gen. VIM. Irv-
ing and Brig. Gen. Stephen Moylan
were all Irish.
When the Continental army OF
Gen. Washington was in dire distress
and Congress was unable to afford
relief. Blair McClenehan, a native
of Ireland, subscribed $4,000 and
t~wenty-one Irishmen, members of
the Sons of st. Patrick, all born in
Ireland. except one whose father
was born in Ireland, subscribed
$350,000 more.
AS a patriotic reminder, let me
call your attention to an address
made in 1928 by George Washington
Parke Curtis, grandson of Martha
Washington.
I quote q vital paragraph, ireland
whose generous ons alike in the day
OF our gloom and our glory shared
in u misfortunes and Joined in our
success who with undaunted cour-
age breasted the storm with aspira-
items deep and fervent for our cause.
Up to the coming of the French,
Ireland had furnished 100 soldiers
to n from any other nation.
l must not forget Dolly Madison,
the most gifted and popular woman
VINO ever presided in the White
House: a social queen and capable
OF advising a President in matters
OF state. She vas the grand-daugh-
ter OF William Coles. born in Wex-
ford, Ireland. Commodore Oliver
Hazard Perry. who won the battle
of Lake Erie with a force of green
volunteers and a fleet carrying fifty
four guns against a larger force of
picked and seasoned men and sixty
four guns commanded by Capt. Bart
ley. Commodore Perry's mother
was born in Ireland.
All down. the centuries we have
records of Irish patriots who have
enriched our patriotic literature,
The bivouac of the dead couplets
which are carved in marble over the
gates of all our national soldiers
cemeteries was written by Theo-
dore O'Hara, a political exile from
Ireland.
Ingratitude Is one of the basest
of human frailties. The appeal for
free Ireland is not a far cry. If
we as a nation believe in our pro-
fessions. II the heroic traditions of
1776 have not been effaced, we must
harken to this appeal. Let us glorify
ourselves anew by a continental ap-