New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-30
THE GREAT IRISH FESTIVAL,
Homer to the Gallant 81 2ty-Niuth.
soooo PEOPLE AT Jf MESS WOOD.
Address by Capt. The 4. Francis Meagher'

Is may be cahsulated frOm the members present. anu
The ind finite though gratifying accounts ihVa'i"oy
gwen by Committeeman, rs they hurried run .n0
tickev gates with bags snd bushels e1 slVei' "".
were in several cases, hssvy lead as V'ey 'oDu
eas ly bear away. Jo0es's Wood probably never E"'
ba IN favored with larger crowd than sSSro"y' ~
81 ,reful cacnltieD the number OF people was set
~ upward OF 30OO07 but these were nos al pau ioi
and hence there ayose confused reports from the door
keo,,,s A, abora O'Clock the influx from all parts
az the CITY became accelerated and at O'Clock great
,rovVd had accumulated before the single entrance,
ssronph which they were unable 70 pass quickly
enouSb. The result wasa Giant erng over fences and
,salIs which 10 estimated u have deducted 5000 or
4 eaO tickets value from the FSnd. Nearly $4,000
s;ckets WILL however be duly accounted for by the
Committee.
The monster festival proved complete success in
other respects for Irisbmen awaye at home IN
crowd. Bryant's Minstrels pleased the assembsge
nightly with their melodies Mr.. Ogden. the comic
singer made his appearance ss an lrishman oil 1850,
and Messrs. Stephen c. Foster and John p. Bonprll
did their share toward making the day happy. But
the concOurse densey distributed over ten acres, WAS
much too large for entertainment from single stage,
and numerous ppe and folders therefore engaged the
attention of those who could get within comfor,a-
bic distance of the south Stand. During all the rest Of
the day Connels cOrnet band and other musical Or
CARNATIONS furnished ierpsehorean entertainment on
The several great platforms erected in the Wood for the
purpose. The Irish reel danced all day; If super
seeded Oh the platforms it continued on the ass,
or on the rocks and under the trees in different parts
of the ground.
OF the dimensions and success of the festival some
Idea could be formed by outsiders by observing the
Second and Third avenue cars which bore to the
81. NJ
inside and on the roofs. The Companies made minis
of money. Hundreds of private carriages were slso in
use, and several seambOas--tbe r. l.. Mabey, the
General Arthur and the barge Cleveland-were run
ming from Fulton Ferry landing, Brooklyn, aud from
Peck Slip Governeur Broome, Tenth, and Twenty
sixth streets, New-York.
At4 o'clock the principal event of the day took place
from the west stand Capt. Thomas Francis Meagher,
who, from The lime of his arrival, at odocX' was
,he bero of the day. was here to deliver bic Grafton
The was no mercy in the frantic crowd. Juogs Ovu
molly, the Committee men with red rosettes, ana
score Of policemen all alike Poweriess, although
they AouIisheo their and Datons, ana eXercheo
No itle muscular force. In advancing several hun
AIRED vards they were ehaed wrestled in the ndet
manner po,sbIe and the, fiji ally ed the stand per-
.prino and out of breath. Mr. Mesgber rested few
moments amid the din Of cheering, ana then came fo'
ward with Judge Connolly, and spoke as follows:
SPEECH OF CAPT. THOMAS FRANCIS MFAGHER.
In the dew OF the morning as melts 10 the Sunbeam
in TIE bIighteet river Fastening 10 the depths IN
which its freth Ire is os-l the loes. noun aims as
che darkness Of the storm them aud night AID
tbey become nseparabe-i the budding of the green
a~in The Ifanq Ii glory Of the fullest star tnat
eel in beayeI-ln every thing that Ii Wall lie on tie
earth, a. owe il, or b,lOw-there is an admoniOn
which reminds Of the waywardI ess and instaLili y
of hum fortunes sDd the certainty o. death. The
very stones that planted TO commemorate he good
Bess the rank, the achieved hoDors, the IL ustrous
mind tn brave or the teuefoenI career of people
have admired and extolled while living, which
simply register birth ind deeease leaving the story
Of The oe d. if worthy Of j., TO be written III book
the characters of which shall never fade-these very
stones far focibly than the Dstes they record
teach the Lesson that our days on the earth
shadow, and there is abiding Be il marble, be
granite, be il the sterne stone metal, Il letters
and smbems with which il is wrought grain by gram
decay, and the day comes at last when some strange
ure, whose &C umuuiOn ID with the past, aud
with the past aloie, IeeriDg and cleaning through
his slecta les, scar hing keeny and fercely almost,
with braiO and eLise vaUly strives 10 rescue
sol airy eptaph FROM the confusion and yseIy into
which it has irreyocably parsed. Sucb then, icing
She lesson taught by tie br giies the str INCEST the
grn.des forms and voies, whether In the sky, tie
land seasuch the Lesson HughT by the very stones
which ma, in his love, HE vanity, his eourtesy,
graft ude, sTecs ss enduring memorials oil his "a e.
no wonder that here this day III the midst OF AL the 70
games aud pastmee through the heart OF THE heathu
and joyous crowO all this blended 81 e1dor OF
fobsge and sunshine, above the shin tnWult of the
boats thst vex the river the rocks Of which
stand, o. the music 10 which these wafers sweeliBg
abere before us, have ed 10 eapnO wonder that
broad shallow from the hUs ell bat leLed should rhe
and OveTspnead ne. Hear bear, hear. There
eyes clouded and gushing with bitter sorrow in the
do-Olaiion Of spi t in homes where Winter has
seuled in the ze0ib Of Sumner, while stand here
biessed and gladdeDed with all the warmth and
beauteossnes with all the IrOnise and fruifulness
OF this piol iOus hour and consecrated scene; and
there are Ii tie hearts that have grown Big and
heavy in darkened rooms, waiting aud praying for
fools cps which once cbeerier 70 them than the
songs VI the birds that greet the rising sun but which
thall mover wake again the echoes OF the expectaDt
house. SensaiiOn.l In The name Tor the sake,
tn tenderness and compassion, ia proud regard
and duty 10 :bore whose husoanis and fathers,
fighting In the ranks Of the 6fb were slain In Bat
tje, sealing their oath of American Czeus.ip with
their Ood-whose doOrways are now hung with
tlt kest mourning, and whOse tables miss the Indus
trious hands that furnished them with bead-in
the name of the widowed oIts OF the dead soldiers
OF the 6Jtb, we, Who claim these soldiers az our
brother, and though they were the poorest VI the
earth would be prouder OF them than the haugltiet
princes Of their ancient diad, and domains.
fLoud cheers. With this purpose and thes- emotions
we lave assembled here today and hen, 1t II have
kjd that this wss lropliOus hOur and is cofre-
Grated scene. tGreat applause.l High above these
baDB re- these treer, Theses Plltrgatl eriug althe
youngest. the fairst, the harC lest and the ldes
rude, tho gen le while hairs aid glowing cheeks the
extremes OF society liie and caaracterino great
edhylng hDo zen gnant tnrOng tie Angel Of Charity
extends Lila wings s4nCties the p;stihe. and PLEAS
ures Of the hour; rehue-, eliminates ennobles What
mig he wise be gh, be's erOus frivo ne or IDLE
and linking with rays Of diviDest light luster
bvlug AID tbe dead bIeattes pto every Ir. heart
at esst the assurance that they shall be for
gotten who fall Ia q Just cuuse, IN yiDdicsiion Of
Laws that are unimpeacbed aud uLimpeachable aud |
In s8siAiuneHt OF Government which, while II IL /