The Placer herald., 1860-03-24
ADDRESS:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 1he purpose tor
which we are assembled is to do honor to
the memory, the virtues, and the high and
noble deeds Of departed greatness; and well
it becomes us, in this free and happy land,
and indeed at all times and places, to impress
upon our minds, to cherish in our hearts, and
to disseminate as we may, among all man.
kind, the remembrance of those extraordin-
ary examples Of goodness which are inseper
ably associated with the names of many who
have long since passed from the stage of
action. The events of the past and the his
tory Of those who have gone before us, are AS
landmarks by which we may be guided in
our own journey through l:fe By them, we
are assured that good deeds 90 not unreward
ed; and that the pursuit of vice is followed
by unavoidable and fearful consequences.
These records OF the past, then, it is profit
able for us to examine. BY their aid we are
enabled to observe the steady and unwaver-
ing advancement toward perfection, of the
social, moral, and intellectual condition Of
mankind. BY their aid, we are placed in
possession Of the experience, in the arts and
sciences, &c, of those who have preceded US
in the journey Of life. BY their aid, we can
look back INTO the dreary past, and see
know edge and christianity like twin sisters,
joined hand in hand, emerging from the in
tellectua darkness Of the ages OF bigory,
superstition, and ignorance, and moving
understandngly onward to that gao in the
far future, whose light. by the contrast,
almost staggers belief and dazzles the mental
vision. And, also, by their aid, we are en-
abled to appreciate, and pay deserved
respect to those giant minds those noble and
self sacrificing spirits that stood boldly forth,
in the full consciousness of the rectiude of
their purposes, and the justice Of their cause,
and dared to attack error when at the zenith
of its power, enduring without a murmur,
unnumbered sufferings and privations, sub
hitting to sneers and trowns, and maledic
tions. and in many instances, martyrdom
itself because of their dissemination of those
principles of christianity and learning, the
fruits Of which, we Of the present generation
are now enjoying. Such men deserve that
their names be ever remembered with thank
fulness, veneration, and graitude-that the
history of their noble achievements be indel-
IDLY engraven upon the memories of all man
kind, and throughout all time-and duty
requires, that each anniversary Of the day,
upon which God in his infinite goodness gave
to the world treasure so priceless, be
remembered as day of thanksgiving to the
Divine Ruler Of the Universe, for SO great a
blessing bestowed and of celebration of
those acts of excellence, which such person
has manifested for the benef; Of his fellow
man. Pre-eminent among his fellows, ac
cording to the history of the past stood he,
respect for whose memory has this day
caused US to be here assembled whose
noble qualities, even in this day and gener-
alton, are treasured in the minds Of men
with affectonaie reverence.
Fourteen hundred and ninety-nine years
ago according to the best authorities of
which am cognizant,) was born st. Patrick.
The place of his birth, is not, at present,
with certainty known; more than one race
of people being ambitious of claiming the
honor Of being his countrymen. BY the
Wech he is said to be Welchman; by the
Gauls, Gau 10y the Scotch, Scotch; and
by the Romans, a Roman. The crcum
stances under which he made his appearance
in Ireland is also enveloped in mystery
According to some accounts he was born in
Brittany, and toward the close Of the fourth
century was captured by freebooters, con
veved to Ireland, and there sold into bond
age, in which condition he remained for the
period Of six years. At the expiration of
that time he returned home, and, as he
himself relates, while meditating upon the
deporable condition of Ireland's inhabitants,
in respect to the false notions which t'ey
entertained upon religious subjects, he was
instructed by vision, to set Immediately
about the conversion of the Irish to chris,
tianity. Another account AYERS that, the
Irish, while battling with the Roman power
in Brittany, captured two hundred prisoners,
among whom was he, who subsequently
became lreland's greatest aposte-lhat he
was taken to Ireland by his captors and
according to the barbarous usages Of the