The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-29 00:00:00

THE HARVEST.

,Sevpit4s-i
!

offering any reason for it, I have here only to remark that
neither as warriors nor as colonisers did the Romans ever get
foot in Ireland, and hence the paucity of any admixture of
Roman art among um.
-

Having finished with the Milestone we now come to the
Danes (so-called). the Scandinavians. or Norsemen, the
Van sea- - , who made inroads on OILY coasts despoiled
churches monasteries, but at the sometime, it must
xnfess ped to establish the peril) of sonic of
cities a vins, from 791, to the of the battle of
tart, a ;di, when the bel,lititeg. ion of the Scan- I
dins re finally expelled . When, how,"
ever, the Irish chieftains were not lighting with oneamother
they often engaged in petty wars with the Scendinanlns, who
In turn were attacked by their own countrymen, the" Black
Gentiles," especially on the plain of Flagon, stietching
from Dublin to the Boyne, and which the white race
chiefly occupied. Wit are now coming, to a later period
! the Romans had occupied Brazil] ; the Stamm
followed ; the banes had partial possessiem for a
time ; the lieptarchy prevailed until Harold, the last of
the Saxon Kings, fell at Ilanthige, and illigland bowed
L beneath tgateironttent of Norman, Ganlish, Scandinavian,
and geneW çcto blood winch Williaa brought with him
I from the 7ahores or F'rance.' The Saxon dynastFwarht an
' end, but the Britons-of the day accepted their fate, andsnot
only the soldiers, hut the Norman Barons, fused loth -the
, people of that kingdom, and largely contributed to make it
what itniew is. This fusion of meek this assimilation of
-
sentiments this interchange of thought, this kindly cul-
ture, the higher elevating the lower, 1111.112 whom they
have permaneutly raided, malt always tend to great
said goad ends in raising man to that state into which
I hope it will yet please Providence to call him.. The
Anglo-Norman came here in 1172, a very mixed race,
but their leaden were chiefly of French or Norman extrac-
tion. Why they Cal,.e or what they did it is not for me to
expatiate upon. 1 wleti, however, to correct an assertion
oommonly made to the effect that the Norman Barons of
Henry IL conquered Ireland. They occupied some towns,
formed a "Pale," levied taxes, sent in soldiery, distributed
lands, and introduced a new language; but the "Kings
writ did not run," the subjugation of Ireland did not ex-
tend over the country at large, and it remained till lute,
and the five or six following years to complete the
conquest of the Irish race by the loss of a tuberous escu-
lent, and the Government alteration in the value of a grain
of corn. Then there went to workhouse or exile upwards of
two millions of the Irieh race, besides those who died of
pestilence. It appears to me that one of our great difficul-
ties in Ireland has been the want of fusion not only of races,
but of opinion and sentiments in what may be called a "give
and take" system. As regards the intermixture I think
there cannot be a better one than the Saxon with the Celt.
Look what the intermixture of races has done for us in Ire-
land. The Firbolg brought us agriculture ; the Darman the
chymistry and mechanics of metal work ; the Milestone
beauty and governing power ; the banes commerce and
navigation; the Anglo-Normans chivalry and organized
government ; and in later times the French einigrante taught
us an Improved art of weaving.
- -

-- -
The delivery of the address, which occupied an hour
and a half, WAS frequently applauded, and at its con-
clusion a vote of thanks was awarded to Sir William,
on the motion of Sir William Guise, seconded by the
Rev. Dr. M'llwaine.