North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-06-03
ST. PATRICK,s DAY IN ALBANY

ST. PATRICk'S DAY IN ALBANY.
Among the guests present at the spend''
dinner given by the Society, Gov. Seward
was The most dising ushed and his speech
contains sentiments and ptomugates prin'
Iciples which every liberal soul will cherish
So says .Maekenzie's Gazette.
Extract from Gov. Se,eGrd's Speech.
"Why should alteration exist between
native and adopted citizens We are al
of one race. We have The same passions,
hopes interests, responsibilities, duties, Il
affections. Distant as our native lands
are asunder, there is no longer an ocean
between us. God has not made Us such
that gu: moral and intellectual faculties
must droop, or such that we must lose our
virtues when we leave the spot, or the
country, where we were born. The whole
| earth is the home OF man, and he may
rightlulIy seek happiness, and do good, IN
any part of his broad heritage. As To US,
however it may have been heretofore, we
have now one Constitution 10 maintain,
one Country to defend. You may exclude
from the calendar OF your Saints, ministers
whose teachings ! veGerate, and ! may
not revere all the Christian Fathers ac-
knowiedged by your Church, yet what
ever there is right in the creed, or pure
and acceptable in the worship VI either,
has the same divine authority, and is i'm
hued with the same precious hopes and
as 10 all the points whereon we differ we
are all alike inhibited from judging each
other Why should the native American
indulge prejudice against Foreigners IL
is TO hate such as his ioreiathers were
Why should foreigner dislike native Cit
liens Ii is but to hate such as his chill
dren, born here, must be.
For my own part, l should be no true
American, il | did not feel towards your
country and her sons as always speak OF
them. have had some opportunity TO
learn something from both, and therefore
| know your motives and reasons for eypa-
triamon. shall never forget the indigna-
ton with which looked upon the monu-
ments Of the subsection OF Ireland. Many !
Of you may remember an equestrian statue
which graces the College Green in Dublin, |
and bears an inscription purportng that il |
was erected TO commemorate The restOfa-
ton OF liberty and the establishment, of re- |
ligion in Ireland, by William OF Orange.
Protestant as | am, could not wonder
hat snch monument should be regarded |
as a perpetual insult 10 Ireland and Irish
men, and that, for more than 100 years, il
has been necessary to surround it with
guard on the recurrence OF every 18th of
March, to preserve it from demolition.
nd that majestic palace, the Parliament
Capitol OF Ireland--when |
saw it converted into Bank, and its spa
;ious halls, that once resounded with Irish
,loquence, now filled with money! changers.
ny mind reverted to the night when an
IRISH Parliament, corrupted by English in
lsence, betrayed their country into pro-
,incial connexon with England. | felt
hat, had had seat there | would rather
ave been dragged leless from the Senate
Chamber, than have yielded TO such an
lnon. Were a citizen now I would
agilate and agitate' until that union was
epealed, and Irish pariaments and Irish
berty were restored. have heard Dan
Fl O'Connell proclaim, his country's
wrongs in the British Parliament, and i'll,
e be eloquent as you believe, and in truth ,
e is SO, how could | fail 10 sympathize 7.
With his efforts for her emancipation
When emigrants from such country-a {
ountry Of brave, generous, and intellectual
len, conquered, degraded and oppressed,
eek liberty and happiness here, why should .
re refuse them cordial and a generous
reeting. Is it because most OF those who e
EEK our shore are poor and Of low estate ? I
Let such as can, trace their pedigree .
trough three generations, and find cause
T pride in such an accident, indulge 80 )
lean sentiment. have no such adyan.
lge. Those who prosper upon ireland's n
llsloriunes have no need to abandon her. :,
nd for myself, If | had the power TO =
1oose whether to confer the rights of
tlzenship upon such or upon friendless p
boTers who crowd to our shores, should r
n every consideration prefer the latter. :,
hey improve their own condition, thew
TO the improvement of Ours n
nd they can know and appreciate the val. q
2 OF eqnal laws and free institutions. n
ave no Tear Of evil to our institutions
ON such accessiOns 10 our popuIa,ion
What power can overthrow institutions n
Ial enlist every citizen in their defence; a
Tho can undermine constitution whose >.
undati"ns are jealously watched by every "
tIzen of the Slater know that our in. a