, 1862-10-04
Speech by George F. Train.


speech before the Brotherhood of St. Patrick ii
London, from which we make the following spicy
extract:
Look at Amerca-our army is yours. Unior
is as essential to you as to us-Ireland forever
Three cheers for the land of the brave The spirit
of Ireland is again alive. You cannot crush it
Nine times England's confscation edicts have
thundered upon her people. Seven centuries o
continued injustice, outrage, murder; yet Ireland
lives again in the 100000 Irish soldiers in the
American army. The Sxty-ninth still cheers fol
Corcoran. The Chicago Montgomery Guard still
cheers for Illinois and the West as they fought al
Lexington-Shields was backed by the Irish al
Winchester, and the Irish brigade at Fair Oaks
stopped the rebels in their advance. The Massa-
chusetts Ninth and the Pennsylvania Sixty-ninth
were Irish regiments. All hail, then, Irshmen
as you live your lives over again IN the army oi
the Constitution. Our army is your army. Let
Catholic and Protestant combine for Union. We
do not inquire, when the Irishman volunteers, to
what creed he is attached.
/ Unite, and by the famine graves
By your sires sacred dust
You shall not will not, long be slaves
You'll break your chains accursed,
The tyrant Saxon soon shall quake
At branded millions might;
The time is nigh-arouse awake!
For Ireland's sake unite
Englands downfall commences when America
closes up the ranks and peace cements Union and
perpetuates republics and universal suffrage
when rank is but the guinea stamp and man is
a man for all that. These cries must shortly come
into fashion: Canada for the Canadians, Austria
liza for the Australians, and Ireland for Irishmen.
What distracts your country Shall tell you?
Well, then, it is irebrand that England knows
how to use; frebrand thrown into your ranks
whenever you talk of nationality. That frebrand
is religion. Now, my idea is that so long as you
permit this bone of contention to distract your
council, so long will you remain in slavery, and
be what O'ConnPll told the Parliament-alien in
manners, alien in language, alien in religion, and
alien in the very land that once belonged to Irish
men. Whenever you speak of unity-of nation
ality-you must omit that word religion. Drop
that, and Catholic and Protestant will Join hands,
and Ireland will be queen among the nations of
the world.
When will you cease this useless strife,
The scourge of Innisfall;
Base bigotry, and party strife
The Gael 'gainst brother Gael
0, once your country nobly join
Together in your might;
Forget old Limerick and the Boyne;
For lreland's sake, unite
Mark well the eloquent words of Archbishop
Hughes at Dublin. He said he had seen but
three great things in the word-the Falls of Nj
agara st. Peters at Rome, and that glorious
demonstration of Irishmen at Dublin on the lay
ing of the foundation of the Catholic University.
He says the Irish soldiers are only drilling in
America, and that they do not intend to lay down
their belt-and do not hesitate to say that if
England interferes in our domestic affairs, that
glorious rebel of 49, Thomas Francis Meagher,
will be back again in Dublin, with body guard
of ten thousand veteran Irish soldiers from the
battle fields of Richmond. (Here the whole au-
dience rose to their feet, and the hall resounded
with cheers for Shields, Meagher, and Irish ma
tionality)
In conclusion let me ask you to read the Sec
ond chapter of the Book of Daniel, and the 18th
chapter of the Book of Revelations. For Baby
lon, read London
"And he cried nightly with a strong voice,
saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, and become
the habitation of devils, and the hold of every
foul spirit, and cage of every unclean and hate
ful Bird
." sit queen. and am no widow, and shall see
no sorrow"
Therefore shall her plaques come in one day.
death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall
be utterly burned with fire."
Death has come. Mourning is in the palace
Famine is knocking loudly at the door. The ra-
ven is still croaking evermore. These three pro-
phesies are fulfilled. The last is fire, and that
comes when the scenes of 1880 and '35-6 are on
the stage again. Who then can save the corn
ricksP Who then can stop the rawlings of the
hungryP damn the people," said George the
"; Shoot them down; the monarchy will last
my time" That game is played out shed one
drop of Blood and the French revolution will
commence in England.