The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-01-24
IRELAND AND THE IRISH" +"
LECTURE OF J, W. sHEAHAN, ESQ.

and the Irish, was delivered by j. W.
SHsAHAs, Esq, Editor of The Chicago Post,
for the benefit of the University Of tba,
city, on the 10Th OF November, and was re-
peated BY special request, at the same
place on the evening of the 26th:
claim no special right to speak OF "Ire-
land and the Irish," and had it been lett to
my choice, | should have selected some
other topic. To speak of Ireland and her
people in terms 10 10 them justice, would
require An ADLER mind and a far more gift
ed tongue than mine. Yet, in the arrange,
ment of this course Of lectures, this SUBJ
ject has been assigned to me, and if poor
Erin fail in having her sorrows and her
triumphs depicted in fitting terms, it is but
one moro added to her already countless
misfortuIes.
Though | have never seen her green
hills, nor looked upon her smiling valleys,
have, from earliest infancy, heard the
story of her wrongs, and listened to the
history of her glories, until my heart has
been impressed with an earnest hope, that
mine eyes may not be closed forever, ror
my footsteps arrested by death, until |
shall have looked upon the home of my
fathers, and trod :he soii which they loved.
l, is now ascertained with a sufficient
degree Of accuracy, that Ireland vas visi
ted, if not peopled. by emigration from
the Phenicians from the shores Of the
Mediterranean, and this commenced, it is
claimed, about 1900 years before the
Christian era In the antiquity of her
learning, and in the amount of her litera
ture, Ireland for centuries had precedence
of her present proud, insulting and over
bearing mistress.
But, state the chroniclers, in 1864 before
Christ, an adven,urer from Spain, with a
handful Of followers, visited the island !;
the inhabitants seized and put him and a
majority of his companions to death; a
few escaped, including the son of the in
vading leader. This person carried back
the dead body Of his parent, and shove
it to his brethren. The result was that
the eight sons Of the murdered 1th and
their followers set out in naval expedi-
tion, immense for these days, reached Wex
ford, and the natives were called upon to
surrender the island. The demand was
refused, but the refusal was on the ground
that the expedition was a surprise, and it
was proposed that if ths inv aders would
Withdraw until the natives could summon
their forces, the result should oe decided
by single battle. The objection was
deemed reasonable one; the invaders
Withdrew to their ships, and put out to
sea before they made their return, part
Of the flee. was destroyed by 4 storm and
of the eight brothers who were in com
mand, five were lost. The other three,
with iheir forces. in due time, landed al
several points. hut sffertuaIv uuited all
their forces, and pitched battle soon after
took place The native forces were com
manded by three brothers. The historian
says, "'The battle ragged all dav with about
equal success on both sides. The oppo
sing priuces eagerly sought each other
through numbers Of wounded aud dying
AT length they met The fate Of Ireland
like that of Rome in the days of The iIora
iii. hung on the swords of the three con,
tending brothers. The three native chief
tains fell by the hands Of their invading
opponents. The Miesian adventures thus
became masters of Ireland" and their
sway continued in their successors for the
unprecedented space Of two thousand four
hundred years.
OF these hree brothers one was the
Chief Priest or Druid. he other broth
e,s, Heber and Ileremon, divided the is
land between them, one taking the North
the other the South. But the wife Of He
Der envied her sister in the possession O.
delightful valley in the kingdom se'
apart for her husbands dominion, and Fl
nally induced the husband TO try and seize
| it a civil war ensued, whicl was only
ended in the death of IIeber, and then the
surviving brother IIeremon. was was de-
clared sole and first monarch Of Ireland
the founder of long and i!Iustrious line
Of kings.
During the following centuries the island
prospered regular trade was carried on
with the Mediterranean and the Grecian
isles, and commerce brought out all its ad
vantages Learning made extensive prog
ress, and all The arts. many of which are
now lost flourished in great Vi gor. Cen
tures before Christ. the reigning monarch
with view Of putting An end 10 domestic
strife, established parliament that met
once in three years: in this parliament
were the provincial princes, mobiles, Drulds
bsrds, artists. and workers IN metal Thi.
/ parliament made general laws. Some ot
these laws are worthy of mention. One
compelled an equitable distribution ofpro
/ psr,y at death. among he deee,leut's chil
dren Thousands of years later, the pro-
cre.sre Intelligence OF the American peo
pie bloued ou, the odious law Of primo.
/ geniture that had come down TO them
I from the British code, and In its place
substituted the equitable and just principle
I Of this old Irish law. Another renfa, ka
/ bic law for tn. settlement Of controversies
/ In all manner Of offense. against the per
sen and character, tile issue WAS decided
bv wager .f battle and The law Of retaIia
ton; but in oil questions touching the
right of property, the matter was submitted
TO the srbi,rament Of twelve men. Here
can be found the germ of that tribunal
known in after years as tie trial bvT jury
the famous boast OF The British Consl'