The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-25
Some People Never Learn That Unpleasant Happenings Und
SAYS, AMERICA OWES
BIG DEBT TO IRELAND
Banner Correspondent Declares Sons
of Erin Play important Part
In American Hiltory

" E''i ray 'HlPOEbdHt TdFt
In American H1tory Il
Editor The Banner; I'VE have heard
much about Uncle Sans debt to
France and we all know that it has
been more than paid. May ask,
what does Uncle Sam owe to Ireland?
lrishmen We're signers of the
Declaration of independence and for
every man that France had in our
Reyolut onary war ireland had a
score. When Benjamin Franklin Wis
tied Ireland, whittier he had been
sent to learn how the Irish felt tow.
ard the colonial reyolutionists, he
wrote back-'Ireland to man is
with u.s. At the close of the Revolu-
tionary war the Congress instructed
Franklin to draw up and dispatch
note of thanks to the Irish people for
their great and valued assistance in
the conflict for liberty
After the colonies had shaken off
the British yoke, parliament created
a commission to inquire into the
causes that led to Britain's defeat.
The commission reported, among 9TH
er things, that 81 per cent of the
colonial army was Irish,
The creator of the American navy
was an Irshman. He devoted his
fortune and his life to the revolution
airy cause. And in July, 1914, the
then President Wilson ofioiated in
Washington at the unveiling of a
monument in Barry honor.
At the height of the anti.slavery
agitation IN the north an address
signed by Daniel OConnell, Father
Mathew and $4,000 other men in Ire
land called upon the Irish, in Ameri-
ca to align themselves against slav.
cry. Wendell Phillips presented that
monster address to great mass
meeting in Fanueil hall, Boston, using
the occasion to pay brilliant tribute
to the lrishman's ardent love for and
devotion to the cause of liberty and
justice, everywhere and at all times.
During the Civil War some 250,000
men of Irish blood fought in the
northern armies for the preservation
of the Union, Among the more con.
spicuous Irish generals in that war
were Sheridan, Shields, Corcoran and
Meagher. Meagher, one Of the most
eloquent men OF that generation, was
governor of Dakota at the time OF his
death. President Lincoln offered
Shields the command of the army OF
the Potomac Although Shields de.
clined that honor, he fought gallantly
throughout the war Gen. Shields is
the only American who ever had the
honor to represent three different
states in the United states senate,
and he was justice OF a supreme court
at the time of his death.
At this critical period in the repub.
lies life Great Britain was leaving
nothing undone to disrupt the north
and smash our government. Mr.. Ad-
ans. President LiECoin's minister at
the Court of St. James, has left some
interesting official spondence
anent the British government and the
English people of that day which
would not make congenial reading for
some people Of this day.
When Henry Clay led the way for
America to recognize the belligerent
Spanish colonists in South America,
that was Americanism. When Presi-
dent Mckinley sent the United States
army to rout tyranny from Cuba that
was Americanism. When Wilson dis
patched Americas young manhood to
Europe to make the world safe for
democracy" that was Americanism.
Then why is it not now Americanism
for America to put an end u British
barbarism in Ireland? If it was pat.
r otism for Mr. Roosevelt to denounce
Wilson for not using the nations
military arm in behalf OF Belgium if
it is not hypAenism for Sims a native
son of Britain, to quiXote-like pledge
the wealth and man-power Of America
to an England in distress, why is it
not patriotism for an American citl-
zen Of Irish blood to plead the cause
of the land of his forbears?
The sentiment Of the American peo-
ple-l'm not confining my observation
to Bennington county-is pro-Irish
and is and always has been-wth
good reason, too-anti-British. The
late James G. Blaine, the greatest New
England statesman of the past 80
years and the idol of the Republican
party, once said Americas policy
should be to learn first what England
wanted her to do and then to go in
the opposite direction. During the
Boer war American sentiment was
strongly in favor of the Beers. When
President Cleveland issued his most
popular document, namely, ordering
Britain out of Venezuela, else he
would put her out, the whole nation
shouted Cievelands praises And
that same sentiment manifested it.
self n the late political landslide
when Wilson and Wisconsin, togeth-
er with his pro.British SIN, were
consigned by the American people to
the tomb of the Federalist party
The enemies of Ireland in America
have no argument and less gratitude.
Twenty and more millions of Ameri-
can citizens are of Irish blood. Mem
bers of SIe Irish race have been and
are ornaments to every profession in
the country They have eXerted a tre-
mendous influence in the shaping of
American institutions. In ability and
patriotism they have no superiors in
the land. They ask no especial fav.
crs from this nation, of which they
themselves form so large and so im-
portant q part, but they are quite
familiar with the fact that Uncle Sam
owes to their race at least as great
debt as he ever did owe-or ever
can owo--to any other people on the
globe.
]. II. Martin
bennington. VT, June 25.