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4 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA APRIL 3, 1M6.J Irish in America Lauded in St. Patrick’s Day Address in Congress Thirty Minutes Set Aside to Hear Congressman Jeremiah E. O’Connell of Rhode Island Relate Some of the Contri tions of the Irish to the History of the Republic (By N. C. \V. C. News Service.) Contributions of the Irish race to the history of the United States wercj^ marshalled in brilliant array in a St. Patrick’s Day address de livered in the House of Representa tives by Representative JcremlVi E. O’Connell of Rhode Island. Representative O'Connell spoke for thirty minutes, that time having been allotted him for his subject by unanimous consent of the House a week before upon the request of Representative Tilson of Connecticut. It was the first time, so far as is known, that the house has formally set aside a period for a St. Patrick’s Day address. “Today, throughout the whole civ ilized world, wherever men of Ire land and their descendants are gath ered together, the natal day of Ire land's patron saint is being cele- eyes Examined Eye Glasses Spectacles Artificial Eyes Properly Fitted. GODIN SPECTACLE CO. 956 Broad St 956 Augusta, Ga. HARPER BROS Art Store •126 Eighth St. Phone 730. Augusta, Ga. COLUMBUS OFFICE SUPPLY CO. Manufacturing Stationers Columbus, Georgia. Lithographing, Printing, Book binding, Embossing. Designers and Builders of An nuals, Booklets, Catalogues and Pamphlets. R. A. MAGILL (BEAN & .MAGILL) ij'A NORTH PRYOR ST. Corner of Edgewood Atlanta, Ga. BLANK BOOKS, LOOSE LEAP DEVICES Stationery: Pamphlets: Publications PRINTING-BINDING — ——. L. .!. SCI! A I T, & COMPANY Diamonds and Jewelry 810 Broad Street, Augusta, Ga. 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Augusta, Ga. brated,” said Mr. O'Connell. “It is a fitting tribute to the Irish race and a splendid .and generous acknow ledgment of the debt of the United Slates to lhat world-famed country, that this House pauses today in its deliberations and, by the unanimous consent of my colleagues, permits me to point out the intimate asso ciation of Ireland with our own country and the part it has played ill our upward progress.” Asserting that “Ireland lias made such contributions to human pro gress as to startle and quicken the imagination, and even slight reflec tion will make apparent its influ ence upon the history of many na tions,” the speaker said he would, however, lie forced to confine his words to the race’s place in Hie his tory of llie United Slates. He then traced its services to the nation since its inception. “Authentic records show that near ly ohe-third of Washington’s entire army was composed of men horn in Ireland or of Irish parentage,” he asserted. “John Sullivan of New Hampshire, son of a Limerick schoolmaster, started the revolt by I seizing the fort of William and Mary I whose storehouses, filled with pow der, furnished the .ammunition which charged the guns fired at Bun ker Hill in Ibe following year. ('.apt. Jeremiah O’Brien, with his four brothers, sons of Maurice O’Brien born in Ireland: made (he first sea attack on the British off Machias Bay, Maine, 1775, which James Feni- more Cooper describes as the ‘Lex ington of the Seas’ . . . Col. Bar rett and Capt. Jonas Parker, who commanded at Concord, were Irish and there were 258 Irish names among the roster of those who fought at Bunker Hilt. ■ “Three brothers of one family were Colonial governors of Massa chusetts New Hampshire and Ver mont. They were of the well known Sullivan family, members of which served successively for several gen erations as Attorney General of New Hampshire. Matthew Lyon was horn in Wicklow, Ireland. Serving willj. Ethan Allen, he assisted in the cap ture of the British vessels in the first battle fought oji Lake Champ lain. Lyon afterwards represented ■ three separate states in the lower House of Congress—Vcrmonl, Ken tucky and Arkansas—and east the deciding vote which made Thomas Jefferson President of the United States. ‘ John Barry, born in County Wex ford, Ireland, is known to the world as (tie ‘Father of the American Navy.’ His achievements oil tile high seas have never been surpassed by any naval commander in the history of l lie world. “Eleven of the great Revolutionary generals were horn in Ireland—Gen eral Stark, tlie hero of Bennington; Morgan, Hogan, Greaton, Butler; Sir Richard Montgomery, who died lie- fore Quebec; Irvine, Hand, Thomas, Maxwell and Lewis. Six others were soils of Irishmen Knox, ‘Mad An thony,’ Wayne, George Clinton James Clinton, Reed and Sullivan. Dr. John Coqhrnn. an Irishman was appointed by Washington as Sur geon-General of the Continental Army General George Clinton was first Governor of New York, serving for 21 years, and was afterwards twice elected Vice President of tlie United Stales. “Twelve signers of Ibe Declara tion of Independence, out of 56 were of Irish lineage. “Charles Thompson first Secretary of tlie Continental Congress, who prepared the first copy of tlie im mortal Declaration of Independence, from a rough draft of Jefferson, was born in Ireland. John Nixon, who first read it aloud to tlie assembled people from tlie steps of the State House in Philadelphia, was Irish, as was John Dunlap, who first printed it. He was the publisher of tlie ‘Pennsylvania Packet,’ the first daily newspaper published in the United States, started in 1771.”. Mr. O'Connell told of the timely financial assistance rendered the Revolutionary cause by the Friendly Sons of SI. Patrick of Philadelphia, how they raised $300 000 among their own members for the relief of tlie starving army at Valley Forge, and thus possible “iurned defeat into victory,” “Washington always recognized our great debt to the Irish,” he con tinued, “and on (lie nigiit before the British evacuated Boston forever on that memorable 17th of March 150 years ago today, he made ‘St. Patrick’ the watchword of llie pa triot lines. On December 18, 1781, lie was made an honorary member of Ihe Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Philadelphia, and attended many of the early meetings. “In the War of 1812, the outstand ing figures were of Irish birth or descent. Among them were John Blakely, Stephen Decatur, Commo dore Hazard Perry of Newport, Rhode Island, son of an Irish moth er; Commodore Thomas McDonough, who won a decisive victory over the British fleet at Plattsburg, and Charles Stewari, ihe famous com mander of ‘Old Ironsides.’ The last decisive battle of that war on land was fought by troops largely of Irish origin, under Ibe leadership of Andrew Jackson, later President of Ihe United States and whose pa rents were horn in Ireland.” In the Civil War. tlie speaker pointed out among Irish leaders of the Union cause Gen. John A. Lo gan, "ihe most distinguished volun teer soldier of the Union,” who ser ved in the Mexican War, was a hero of the Civil War, became a Senator and was a candidate foh Vice Presi dent; Colonel Keenen who “led the most desperate cavalry charge of the war”; Gan Janies Shields, who was horn in Ireland was a hero of the Mexican and Civil wars and after ward an Illinois Supreme Court judge and a Governor of Oregon, and at various times represented three Slates in the Senate—Illinois Minnesota and Missouri; Brig. Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher, organizer and commander of the Irish Bri gade; General Kelly, later comman der of the Brigade; Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, “rated by Gen. Grant as one of the most capable and fear less leaders of all time and placed in the same list as Napoleon”; Ad miral Porter, who at the close of the war held tlie highest command in the Navy; and Admiral Rowan, who was born in Ireland and was "the second highest in command. No fewer than 150,000 Union sol diers in the Civil War were natives of Ireland, and those of Irish des cent numbered several hundred thousand more, said Mr. O'Connell, lie told of the brilliant exploits ol the Irish Brigade, which bore the green flag of Ireland into battle besides the Stars and Stripes and whose motto was “No Retreat”; and of the blessing of the Brigade be fore Gettysburg by father Corby, its chaplain, /one of the most color ful incidents of the great struggle. Many who fought valiantly for the South also were of Irish blood, tlie speaker continued, citing whole Irish companies in the Georgia Brigade. “Stonewall” Jackson himself was of Irish blood, and Gen, Patrick R Cle burne, who was conspicuous for bis valor, was born in Ireland, he said. He told also of the service of the beloved war noet of the South, Fa ther Abram J. Ryan. “Not alone' in tlie field of war but in the more fruitful paths of peace did the Irish in America excel,” he continued. “A mere recital of their names would fill a v olume. In sculp ture I might mention Augustus St. Gaudens one of the greatest sculpt ors of modern times, who was born in Dublin; in law Thomas Addis Emmet. ‘Joseph McKenna, former At torney General of the United States and at present a retired Associate Justice of the United States Su preme Court, and Morgan J. O’Brien of New York; in politics and in the field of oratory, John Caldwell Cal houn, of South Carolina, whose fa ther, Patrick Calhoun, was horn in Donegal, Ireland; in business affairs the Cudahy brothers of Chicago, William A. Clark and Marcus Daly of Montana; in finance Thomas F. Ryan and James J. Hill, the great railroad builder and magnate, both sons of Irishmen; Anthony N. Brady and James A.-Farrell, president of the United Stales Steel Corporation And who has not been charmed by the operas of (he late Victor Her bert? Who has forgotten the match less eloquence of the great W. Bourkc Cochran, whose voice which so often resounded through these verV halls and charmed, captivated anil held his auditors spell-bound and enthralled, was stilled forever three years ago this very month? “Among the Presidents whose ar ccstors came from Erin’s Isle were Andrew Jackson. James Buchanan Arthur, Polk, McKinley and Wilson whose paternal grandfather and grandmother were both horn in Iri-j land. “The Erie Canal and aqueductsj to supply the City of New York were projected by Christopher Colics, are Irish immigrant. Robert Fulton, in-: ventor of the steamboat: Morse, in-1 vent or of the electric telegraph, and Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaping and mowing machine, were of Irish lineage, and John P. Hol-j land, the inventor of the Submarine, torpedo boat, was born in County, Clare, Ireland. The statue of Armed Liberty surmounting the dome of Ihe Capitol here in Washington, and the bronze doors which adorn the facade of the same building, are the work of llie Irish sculptor, Thomas’ Crawford. The plans for llie con, struct ion of the White House were drawn liy James Noban. a young Irishman, and his plans were select ed in competition with many others submitted hv the best architects of] the country.” “I can say without hesitancy or fear of contradiction,” he concluded,] “that, there are no more loyal cilH zens today,, in this great, golden land of opportunity, the mightiest ana most glorious nation in the world] than these who trace their ancestry to the little green Isle of Erin. Thcrl is no divided allegiance to any pawl er, foreign or domestic, temporal o| ecclesiastical. They are first, lasa and always devoted and loyal cili-j zens of the United Slates of Ann-! rica, Ihe greatest nation ever, known! to man and this allegiance will al-j ways he their proudest, boast. "As they helped lo build her upj to keep her, to preserve her in thtr past, so shall they serve her in the future, faithful to her institutions’ proud of her history, cherishing he? ideals and with abiding faith in her noble destiny,” Good Morning! Have You Had Your • sgE-vg IN Hoi Bath? LET US INSTALL A RUDD TANK HEATER 75c Down Balance 50c Per Week Payable Monthly Phone 222 THE GAS LIGHT CO. OF AUGUSTA