, 1861-09-03
THE &E sixty NINTH"
Great Irish Festival in New York.
SPEECH OF C1PTllN THOMAS FRANCIS
ME4EHEK.

From tfe N. :. Tribune, soth-1
The great festival devised bg the COnTen.
ton OF Irish Societies in honor Of the gallant
sjStJ-nintb, took place yesterday, and realized
to the widows and orphans Of the regiment a
very handsome amount, the details Of which
We could not ascertain further than as may be
calculated from The numbers present, and the
inds fini.e and gratifying accounts invariably
given by Commlttecmen as they hurried from
the ticket gates with "begs and bushels y Of
silver, which were, in many cases, as heavy a
1oad IS they could easily bear away. Jones's
Wood probably never has been favored With
larger crowd thAu yesterday. By careful cal
cuistion tie number Of people was set down
st upwards Of 10000; but these were not all
paid for, Gnd hence there arose confused re-
ports from the dooT-keepers. At about two
becarne accelerated, and at three o'clock a
| great crowd accumulated before the single |
entrance, through which they we're unable to
| pass quickly enough. The result was clam
ted to have deducted 5000 or 1900 tickets
| yaIue from the Fund. Nearly 10000 tickets
will, however, be duly accounted for by the
| Committee.
| Of the dimensions and success of the festi
| val, some idea could be formed by outsiders |
| by observing the secord an Third avenue |
ca.s, which bore to the neighborhood their |
| Utmost capacity OF passengers, both inside |
| auG On the roofs. The companies made mints |
| Of money. Hundreds of private carriages
r. L. Ma5ey, the General Arthur, and the
barge C1aveland-were running from Fulton
Fe!ly landing, Brooklyn, and from Peck slip,
Go7irntur, BIoome, Tenth, and Twenty sixth
streets, New York.
Tie following is q portion Of Thomas Fran
cis Meagher's eloquent speech On that oecar
sion:
| But wnat Of the cause in which our eoun-
tr}1nen fell that day? Yves it urgent, was it
Just, vas it sacred? Never vas there cause
more urgent, more just, more sacred lHear,
hear, bear, and enthusiastic cheerlng.l The
ASSERTION Of tao national authority, derived
/ as it !s trcm the free will and votes of ma
io1i'y os the citizens-[hcar, hear]-the con
seryatiou in its integrity Of tnat magnif-
| cent exEanse OF country over which
common Constitution has thrown Its shield
and alongside tie frontiers, and at the gates
and Gust toD1-h6usts. and the hsg which no
foreign hand as yet has questioned with i'm
plniiJ-[hear, hear, hear,]-the enforcement
oftle laws Of Congress, Sle sTorn compact
Of the States, the inviolability Of the ballot
bGX, and the decisions that proceed from it,
the ssncti:y cf official oatbs, the account
ability of tie public eervaats, the most pre-.
cioas fruits Ct the Revolution, the claims Of
pCete1ity, the progress OF democracy, its con
Eolide,ion and ascendancy, the glory Of the
New World. Loud cries Of hear, hear.] Be
heid The cause in which those lives were
offered up. Tremendous cheering] Never,
| 1rCCeaL IT, Was IEtIG CaU6t more 6aCIEut nor
, | cLe more Just, nor Ole more urgent. No
| csCee 1rcre sacred, for il ccmprehends all that
! has been considered most desirable, most
valuable, mott ennobl1ng, to . political So
c&ty and humanity at large. No cau5e more
, jcst, for it involves scheme Of conquest or
enbjugation, cortempAtss no disf15nchlse-
nert Of the citizen, excludes the idea Ct pro-
vireia,ism and inferiorlty, aiming only at the
c5ty' , whieh rere os, esjoysd , by one Ct people @
= and che republic, and which, to be the
i mtans of happiness, fortune, and renoWn
to millions, must be exercised aad held
in commoa under one code Of national
laws, one lsg and one Executive. No cause
more urgent, icr intrigues, pe1fdles, armed
u legioue, The hatred ard cupldity Of foreign
: courts assal it, and every reverse With which
Ic il is visited serves as rre:ext for the deser
~ ~. tio1 Of Inc coward, she misrepre reseHtstion O
- the politicians whose nation is his pocket, ths
preferred compromises OF Ben who, in tnt
he Iame Of peace, would capitulate to Treason
of end accept dishonor, encouraging the designs
i;o to ct EingE, ard queens, and knaVes, to whom
a1s .1s tl,i6 great Commonwealth, with al its won
be dtrous acquisitions ard incalculable promise
I'd LES been, until within tie Inst lew weeks, ;
source ct envy, Tezation. alarm, and discom
tltuse, presenting, as i dla; nobleI scenes @
n ehow--sEelt1riug ard advancing the t1ou
tands Thom their rods and bayonets had sTep
beyond the sea, and, Ike the mighty geniu
sn of the ocean conf. .onting the ship of Vasco
n nhch y ou1d establish oa the seas and island
= Of the New World the crowned metropolis au
. disabling domination OF s, the Old. Loud an
/. enthusiastic cheering.] viii the 1rishmen {
= and Vehement cries of awe viii, We will )
ar- rcEo]utely, heartily, with insxorable fidaIt
mp despite Of al the sacrifices it may cost, despi
p7& Of all the dangers into which it may comp
,. abiding gloom it msy bring upon such homt
.e+ rs this Gay miEs the industry and lore OF tt
sHG dead soldiers Of the 69i5, tlt In some measul
s eSa to console sid srccor which the festivities
son this dey haye taken place. Loud and pr
to tracted cheers, and renewed cfles Of *swe will
II. Fer my part, ask no Irishman to do tn
Isw which myself SIN net prepared to do. II
~ mendous applause My heart, my sr1n, II
IL life, is pledged to the national cause, aud
ceive IT to be my hottest duty and ohligatio
to share its fortunes. [Reue#ed cheering.]
care rot to what party the Chief Magistrate
= the Republic has belonged. fHear, hear, I CT
i. pot upon what plank q platform he may ha
been elected. Hear, hear, heaT.] The pl
tVESs form disappears before the Constitution, U
besa der the Injunction Of the oath he took Oh t
~ steps OF the Capitol the day Of his inaugu'
iT- ton. Hear, hear, and loud cheers. The par
Gisaprta1s in the presence OF the natic
IIsar, hear, and IS the Chief Magistrate, do
t}ccttd and dui5 sToto, is bound to p7ots
. and administer the national property for t
be1:h. Of the natios, SO should every citiz
Tx C1EEui I'LL Hill ID lu| al Auu pAL1Aotlt AGAtu
; fds d;scsrding the mean pe1saasions and MAXI
ce Of of the 11ca1 politicians hesr, hear, hear
m end substituting the national interests,
ratioual efficiency, the national honor, for
lE se1dshness, the huxter!ng, or the yenge aE
TT 81 party. lEathusisstic chee1ingl 70 4
- ~. at ali eventa, the potency Of the Natio
ot ), Government, the honor and glory Of the
c2n 1icral feg, are Of Infinitely higher vai1e t
Res the Regency at A Albany. tes & Ism1nauy 1!sy y
20 mcnEe cteering and roars Of langhter-l I
LII sta1l outcEles on behalf Of the liberty of
y press Or the be5y o. stra or me
: AnA' ii E nation and Its Executive, now that
, rights and authority OF both are 1eopardii
EtS Hear, hear, hea-.] The integrity Of
Iational domain, the potency Of the Matt
: 81 Government, the reputation OF the
g. quill system Of election, without. which
- popular government c1u have legitiun
ce1si5tcney, and force-these coEs!ssratj
are far dearer to ne, and claim them +
'RD T Is to to pSomu!gate aedition Or The libert
!, ard corsp:rc. Immense applau5s.] Such i
ties must succumb to the demands Of
crEis, the public safety, she discipline asi
, fcsey ef the arny, snd tae at attitude o. u
volt }Hsar, hear, hear. Within the Il
,e ere Of the laws the police. the courts, the pro
etste tigs and interests ct the community, let t
have fall ewing in the days OF peace.
Eve dsystave their peculiar eanctltaes
| .hlE. tltY Lave the.I tcE-Es aAA1u eotA s0s
abuses Of popular institutions and pEer
IERs. tives and the dergist OF foulest $
asrast hat is scrlbbled in the coalhole Of the ga.
as ven as The most faithless citizen among
Reze may be permitted, the one to s scatter or o1
a5 sac corners, tbe seeds Of dsaftction agaias
Government, without the eommonTealt
curing any det1iment. [Hear, hear, \
1mand~ But in this time OF War-above all, In tin
spsEi csvi1 xxor he a@1nra.,,- ev nf fhe Govern
CAL 6EGe5a her oe Inc soe "a qnis md artia
/ Should be the higher 1aw-ttremen
cleeEs-[s1d the only. one IN unolsl
.,*s.ss force. IEnthusiastic cries of hear, hear,
aDd cheering.] Who speakB about his I
800 ss q passerger-ebout his bag Of mono.
~ sD chest Of books and clothes, the photogl
asiesEs .E Ct his wife and children, bis Live sto
~ h5!es ct mc.chaI else, when the steaulshl