The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-03-17

,.-,s .ccoup, the Saint was born to"arus 'ne
a,a Of the fourth century in kiipatrick' De
tween Dunbriton and Glasgow
howaver. contend with Scotland fof tue nun
or oe the birth place of St. Patrick. Ihey
call him Padrig the son OF Mawrn OF MA
enwyn. of the laird of G~yr, and say ne was
horn In Aberllychlor, in Pembrok eshfe'
South Wales, where there is church oeoi'
Gated to him. Both accounts agree that ne
was carried OFF captive to Ireland "hefe he
WAS compelled to keep cattle on the noun
tains. At this time he is said to have peeh
about sixteen lie escaped from his capsiV-
ity through the aid of some sailors, traVeheo
into Gaul and Italy, and received the apos-
tolica commission from Pope Celestine to
convert the Irish. Filled with zeal and re-
solution, he returned to Ireland, and entered
upon the work of establishing Christianity IN
the island, in which he achieved the most
signal success. He continued his mission du-
ring forty years, and died at Down, in Ulster,
where he was buried.
Many wonderful stories are told ofIreland's
patron saint, and extraordinary miracles are
attributed to him. He is said to have re-
stored health to the sick, sight to the blind,
and raised dead persons to life. 1t is affirm
ed by one of his biographies that st. Patrick
did so free Ireland of all venomous beasts,
that none could ever since breed or live
there and that even the very wood has avir-
tue against poison, $50 that it is reputed OF
Kings college, Cambridge, that being built
of Irish wood no spider doth ever come near
it,
The anniversary of st. Patricks death is
not regarded as holiday by the Roman Ca
tholic church, but is a day held in very high
regard by the members of that communion,
who always hold religious services at that
time. The pastor of that church in this city,
in his sermon on Sunday last, observed that
it had been too much the custom to spend the
day improperly, custom which he deplor-
ed, and advised his hearers that they would
much better employ it in labor than in inju-
rious festivities.
In Dublin, st. Patrick day presents scene
of festivity and mirth unequalled in any other
country Flags fly on the steeples, bells ring
out merry chimes, the benevolent bestow
their aims, lads and lasses mingle in the
dance, and "the green immortal Shamrock
is in every hat" The day is also observed
in London as high festival, the nobility
pay honor to the patron saint, and Irishmen
of all ranks, parties, and religious persua-
sions, crowd to the festival 1t is well known
that Queen Victoria has named one of her
children Patrick compliment which touch
cd the tenderest spot of Ireland's heart
The Irish in this country have generally
celebrated the day by festivities, professions
and by wearing the Shamrock. The Sham
rock, as our readers are aware, is the trefoil
The Druids used it to cure diseases, and the
Irish employ it as national cognizance-
Our readers are also familiar with the story
that when st. Patrick first landed in Ireland
on his mission to that country, the pagan in
habitants were ready to stone him he re
quested to be heard, and endeavored to ex-
plain God to them as the Trinity in Unity
but they could not understand him, till pluck
ing trefoi from the ground, he said, " Is
it not as possible for the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, as for these leaves, to grow up
on single stalk" an illustration which i'm
mediately removed their doubts.
NIcHoLAs.-We gave yesterday brief
sketch of the reign of the Russian Emperor
In his death, Europe has lost the greatest of
her crowned heads. He was king indeed,
one which Nature had made monarch His
sudden death, (which some surmise to have
hp4n rauSed. Ike tbof of bro+
stantine, by poison,) will no doubt be attribu-
ted by the deveut organs of the allied DOW.
erS, to the retributive hand of Providence
These Interpreters of the designs and Dur
poses of the great Ruler of nations, would do
we'll to inform the world by whose hand the
tempests in the Black Sea were made to
rise and engulf the ships Of England and
France, with their ornaments and stores, and
who sent forth the pestilence to STAY greater
multtudes of the allied hosts around Sebas
topol than have fallen by the sword and can
non of the Russians. Let not man attempt
to look into the mysterious counsels of Hes.
ven. So far as human eye can discern. these
judgments seem to have fallen upon all the
parties engaged in this cruel and unnecessa
ry war. At all events, the journals in Chris
tian lands should hesitate before they aver
that the God of Christianity has interposed
on behalf of the Ores cent against the Cross.
As was stated yesterday, Nicholas was born
on the 9TH of July, 1898, and was therefore in
bis 59th year. On the 22d of August, 1926
after short but stormy interregnum, he
succeeded to the throne of his brother Allow
Rnder, and in the Cathedral of Moscow 70.
ceived from the hands of the Archbishop tbo
imperial purple, the globe, and sceptre, He
was the son of Paul the First, and. accord.
ing to the imperial historians, was the 6f.
teenth sovereign of the Romanoff dynasty
Others, however, say that the Romanoff race
became extinct with Peter Ill, and that in
reality Nicholas was the eighth sovereign of
the HoIstein Gotorf dynasty, of German de-
scent His reign began amid civil strife and
a foreign continued war commenced soon
after his accession to the throne First came
the war against Persia, which ended in d
large accession of territory and treasure to