Speech #630384050

We used tocall them " shnty Irish." Many of thela could not read. or write. but -they had in their hearts glowing the flame of manhood. they had in. their souls the courage to get on and to fight on in- the world After awhile the section hand became the section foreman. the section foreman became the superintendent of construction. and. the superintendent -of constrfietion became the president of the railroad After awhile the little. ragged urchin who played in the mud of the Irish shanty made. his way. in school. after awhile we heard of him at the bar.. where the wonders of big" eloquence thrilled and enthralled all who heard him. after awhile we saw him in the Balls of Congress. after awhile we heard his wonderful music upon the platform. after awhile we learned that the blossoms of beauty in the cheeks of the. Irish girls had won the love of the American aristocrats sons. and: that. when Irish and native American bloods. were united in the veins of their children. a stronger race had been produced. Now the Irish are respectable. and they are pointed to by this committee as illustrious examples of a desirable immigration. In the good old days there were committees and newspapers to warn the people against the Irish. as there are those now to warn us against the presentday. immigrant. On May 2. 1846. they had a strike of Irishmeni Behold these good Irish had struck as did the wicked people at Lawrence. Mass .