THE INVINCIBLE IRISH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11797, 28 July 1900, Page 2

THE INVINCIBLE IRISH

(By the Rev. W. J. Elliott, Balchitha.)

Bigotry and prejudice have done much to relegate Ireland to a mean and obscure place in tho estimation of. many who. profess to understand the meaning of true patriotism.

This is so obvious that it needs no expense of argument, and 'though it is not my purposo in this article to institute an cdioua comparison between the distinctive nationalities that compose the British race, I desire to show that in proportion to her size Ireland is not one whit behind the chief of the nations in her greatness of mind and goodness of heart. When we remember that the world generally takes us at our own assessment, oho is almost justified in"sa3'ing that Ireland is handicapped by her own. humility. Nevertheless, as we look down the stream of time, we behold the blithe and burly sons of the '"Emerald Isle" on the crest of the wave. The Irish are not only sensitive to alight and injury, but they are susceptible to impressions. About the year 597 many of them forvently embraced Christianity, and they quickly gave evidence that their religion was not a system of refined selfishness. They constituted themselves missionaries to Gaul, Germany, and sundry other places. Again, when John Wesley rose up to tell men that Christ could forgive sin and that they might know it is forgiven, the first man to lead the way in the social side of. his evangel was a young Irishman named Morgan. Methodism was introduced into tho huge continent of America by one or two Irish representatives, Phillip Embury and Barbara Heck. This was about 1766. Down to the present day the Irish race, true to its primeval missionary instinct, has never declined from a foremost place among zealous propagandists of the Christian faith. As brave soldiers of the Cross they have fought the "good fight of faith." They have been faithful in a few tilings, and they are being made rulers over many things. In the fight of flesh now being waged in South Africa, Ireland has covered herself with glory. On her head are many crowns. The men who have led our armies to victory, have for the most part been Irishmen, and when patriotism of various samples is so much in evidence, it is seemly to remind ourselves that Great Britain is largely indebted to Ireland for the commanding place she occupies among the nations of the earth. The Irish nation has no superior in sagacity and strength, in courage and tenacity of ■ purpose. There are .nearly 30,000 of them in South Africa to-day. The majority of those, who have held an honourable and a conspicuous place in the invincible armies of the Empire we love, have been gallant and generous Irishmen. Wellington, surnamed " the Iron Duke," the hero of Waterloo, and the man who stemmed the mighty onward march of Napoleon and saved Europe from an awful catastrophe, was an Irishman. Lord Gough. who compelled universal attention for himself during the protracted Indian campaign, which lasted nearly 12 years, and who wore oil his brcaEt more British fighting medals and decorations than any other Imperial officer who had ever lived, was an Irishman. While. I am not oblivious to tho noble services and sacrifices Englishmen and Scotchmen have made in building up the Empire, yet it is clear that no race of men on the face of the earth are such Empire-builders as the Irish. Who can justly withhold his meed of praise from the splendid achievements of the Lawrences in India and elsewhere, and they were Irishmen? The two greatest Empirebuilders of our time, Lord Dufferin and Lord Huberts, are Irishmen, and so I repeat the growing Empire to which we belong has been helped to its present victorious status by Irishmen; and Irishmen maintain it. In addition to Lord Wolseley, the Commnnder-in-Cliief of .the British. Army, and Lord Roberts, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in South Africa, most of the other leading generals are Irishmen—viz., Kitchener, French, White, Clery, and others. Many people do not realise the extraordinary number of eminent men Ireland has produced in proportion to her population. A large portion of humanity tc-day look back with a pardonable pride to the statesmen and. orators Burke, Sheridan, Canning, Grattan, O'Connell, and Shiel. These were speakers who shone like stars of the first magnitude and spoke the. English language with such a brilliance as has never been surpassed. In the social and temperance world there are many names to conjure with, but that of Father Mathew, the "Apostle of Temperance," is worthy to be1 hold in everlasting remembrance. No more successful temperaneo reformer has ever lighted upon this planet. In passing to the scientific domain we see distant marks of Professor Tyndall, who has gone to investigate the manifold secrets at first hand, but wo have with us still Lord Kelvin, who is the. highest authority on science. But we have not compassed the number of famous Irishmen yet, nor reached the extent of their influence. In poetry and astronomy their names are well known. They have supplied us with some' of the sweetest hymns we possess; and the largest telescope in the world is posted in Ireland. If we look into the department of law we find that the Chief Justice of England, Lord Russell, is an Irishman; .and to the same grand little country belongs Lords ßeresford ; who is. truly regarded as tha most distinguished naval officer of this age. The most eminent Ambassador representing England at foreign courts in this generation is, we repeat, the genial Lord Dufferin. The most famous and trustworthy man in surgery to-day is Sir Wm. MacCormic, who has just returned from South Africa, where he has seen the wounded and the dying drenched in blood. He is an Irishman. Indeed, a large proportion of our soldier surgeons are Irishmen. But the Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland have a grievance of long standing. In spite of the privileges conferred by the Medical Act of 1858, they do not -stand on the same plane with Fellows of the English College in respect of eligibility for certain hospital appointments. It is on opportune time in which to remove this grievance. Again, who can match the fertile genius of W. E. H. Lecky as a man of letters, or of Justin M'Carthy as a historian, and both are Irishmen. Glance for a moment or two at this colony. We love it as the home of our birth and our adoption ; the fairest land is not to be compared with it. " The Grand Old Man "of New Zealand, Sir George Grey, one of its finest Governors, and a most accomplished statesman and orator, was an Irishman. . Honest John Ballance, whose altruistic genius initiated the policy pursued by tho present Government, skilful in debate and a splendid administrator, was a generous, .warm-hearted Irishman. Sir Maurice O'Rorke, who is universally admitted to be-the most distinguished and successful Speaker in the southern hemisphere, is a stately and dignified Irishman. Moro than a quarter of the members in the present House of Parliament are Irishmen, and ono of its most brilliant members is the Hon. J. G. Ward, of Irish " grit " and " go." Our popular and esteemed Governor is an Irishman. In the church in this fair land we have a number of noted Irishmen, who in their own particular denomination hold a prominent place. There arc the Revs. Canon MacMurray, Wm. Beetty, M.A., D. J. Steele, M.A.. of Auckland: Dr Erwin, M.A., of Christclmreh; and last, hut by no means least, the Rev. Rutherford Waddell. M.A., D.D.. the highly-cultured and most capable editor oT tho Christian Outlook. a relisious napcr second to none in Australasia. These few but momnrablc examples will serve to show that Troli'nd and her sons are by no means an. insignificant, b"t sx very influential, part of the world's great life.—The Advocate.

— The "sandwich army" of London is 7000 strong. In the sen-ice of ■ one' advertising contractor, it is said on prood authority, have been doctors, solicitors' clerks, actors, clerptymen, architects, and even a former Yorkshire squire, wealthy in better days. Sheer misfortune sometimes presses men into the ser-, vice, but, according to a well-known contractor, drink is the chief recruiting sergeant of the army of board-bearers, whose ordinarj wages vary from Is to 2s 6d a. day.