New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-19
CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
speech of MIR. O,Goruan.

speech Of MIR. O,Gorman.
AT the dinner Of the Friendly Sons OF Sc.
Patrick on Thursday evening, the toast oil C'''9
and Religious Liberty all orer the World having
been given, RICHARD O'GonnAs, Esq, OF this
CITY. having been called on, spoke as follows;
NJ, pprsipEsr-Before address myself To the sen
n,ut Won have proposed, and which rejoice 10 see
40 ayorabfy received lie. say how glad am to meet
20 large ard so jcvia family party around our board
tonisht The good saint has think, little reason to
be ashamed OF his and he II is let Us hope, who,
in token of his ful satisfaction, has touched our souls
with the Are Of Kindly good fellowship. His ws,chfnl
care has cent the genial influence Hing from heart to
heart-clowing in every face and SPARKLING in every
eye-tsnc.ifyng fesrvity, and giving dignity to mrth
like this Society I Ike it becsuse il is Society
sinpy Of Irishren became il does not seek to nict
upon its members an impossible uniformity; because
while il gives free for he growth Of every d.
yersry of opinion il passes By and leaves untouched
the nettle dissent and gathers with kindly hand and
weaves into fair earlsnd, the Howers OF hrothery
love that blossom in plenty for every hand that will
truly seek them out.
/ 90 no; think, Sir, tha, any sentiment can be more
dear to every honest heart than that you have just
every man to use his faculties to his owninterests
rise by the strength Of his own character, without
check Of caste or class to his road wealth power
or distncton-f freedom of scton - every citizen
in so far az bis action does not interfere with the like
right in every Of his fe!lows-freedom Of thought
freedom of worship, complete and unquesioned- For
this, in every sge good men have onged and prayed
Heroes have toied for il Martyrs have died in its de-
- - id 10 Il
hope deferred-a blessing unattsined. Each of the
great Sections OF this day claims to be it's champion
and each lures you to its ranks with promises like
Dead Sea fruts that tempt the eye and turn to ashes
on the lips On one banner " Law ard Order" is in
scribed Admirable words None better. Without
good laws and good order there is peace hsppi
ness for man. But look again and under that ban
ners sheterDg folds. inve,eratc abuses like fostering
sores lurk concealed. Il screens immoblity-torpor;
discussion gagged; the Press in letters the tribune
silent; literature debased IL shields conquest suen
submission smouldering discomfort; the despair of
public feeling the stagnation Of honest thought II is
Death and they call it Peace-the awful stiffness Of
completed massacre and they call ii quiet restored.
From the other side the rayng cry OF Progreas
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" is the word. Pro-
gress il good 1t is the universal law of life. What
moves not is dead But pause before you enlist and
where you hoped tor calm resolution and wise design
for serried ranks you may find mob riotous, mis-
guided, and disunited-one moment fred with the
phrenzy Of hatred-the next chilled timid and
ing when the fever IL past and the reaction set in
In neither Of these parties fear is there much hope
for man.
Freedom is not matter ofconquest or ofgrsnt. Arms
cannot whit. They may break the sceptre and over
turn the throne but arms alone cannot make free
people.
The history of Europe for the last Eve years has
taught this lesson The devotion of the patriot and
the heroism of the soldier, may ennobe the struggle
and give lusire defeat; but. if the spirit of
Freedom be in the souls Of the people, the CLEAN
Il tran,entt serves but to light the wreck OF bsfled
hopes and make ntolerable the intensity OF the
gloom.
To change the name of Government is but little
There has been tyrrany under Republics before now
aAd monsrchs have regned prosperous and happy
peoples Liberty may be guaranteed by Constitutions
and placed under the protection Of the law but crime
Gun trample Constitutions, and what laws avail
unless there be brave and good men to enforce
ard obey them for laws and Constitutions can but
press the real will Of nation and stereotype IL
habits of thought
True liberty alone the sure foundation of
social virtue Independence of thought integrity per.
severing industry self restraintthe qualities which
give dignity to individual worh-sre the same, by
which alone civil liberty be fostercd enjoyed and
preserved.
II must be in the hearts and heads Of people before
Il can grow into life under their hands Social advance
precede political reform Such progress may be
slow but 20 the growth of all that is good and great
So grows the forest tree-elowly, from ace to age,
All ia III. irfo arfh- 10.
head higher into the storm-spreading wider its
branches until under their overarching shelter pros
porous and happy people repOse.
What should cay, Sir of Religious Lberty-or in.
deed is ii safe for to speak of il at all In these
days o. extreme opinionsof sharp and angry debate
1t i, hard to speak without giving offen.e; and de-
sire to offend no STILL there times when ii il
not right to remain silent Over Difference to morbid
sensifiveness may become mistake; and for my own
part am not cory to have opportunity Of saying
a word or two on this question which indeed lies at
the root of all questions affecting the welfare of man
kind-Religious Liberty What can / be-what can
any Of memory or thought be but its devoted aud
undertaking supporter Which Of is there that hs,
bitter to hate intoerancel Where the man
whose fathers have no, smsrted under its lash,
Since the days Of Cain, men have worshipped Into.
erance and when they bent the knee before the hate
born demon, and heaped human victims on It's affairs
they fancied they were doing honor to the al loving
God 1t idie-it is mischievous-it Is fslseto say
thsthis crime peculiar to any form of belie-to
any one race-to any one time. No sge-Do sect-ao
isction--csn say That sin is not on my head And
Whist Of it all but utter fAiluref When did thi.
desperate expedent Of furious stupidity yet gain
its guilty end' When did persecution ever make one
sincere convert or put down any one creed, good or
bad PagSnism tried il Athens branded 81 al !addel
socrates-as a eorruper OF the youny-a awless die.
turber Of the public peace and she slew h-,heb best
and hottest OF her citizeIs Now Greece is dead and
he genius Of her victim lives and moves in mems
hearts and sheds its lustre the ruins even Of The
cruel city that repaid his devotion with death
Rome, in The funness Of her power, when her stand
ards planted on every soil from the Humber 70