The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-01-24

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ernment, should remember that the great
King Alfred Of England, soug2t refuge
from the Danes in Ireland, was educated
there. and was thoroughly Informed and
instructed in the laws of the land to which
he was indebted for shelter his estabIish>
ment Of this law in his code was an evi>
dence tina; it had proved blessing in Ire
land where for centuries previous it had
been in force.
A people who can point out upon the
pages of history tina, the first pariaments
of their native land, choser, - represent
! the varied interests and ranks of life, had
| framed and adopted in their Jurisprudence
the principle of trial by jury long ceutur
les before The Saviour, can with justice
despise the sneers, and listen with CON
tempt to the declaration that Ireland owes
all she ever had in the way OF eniighten.
ment TO her association with England.
In those remote days. arms were of
course the bulwark of the nation. but there
was Que thing that took precedence OF
military glory, and that was learning
Next to royalty stood not the noble, the
valiant soldier, or the wealthy prince, but
upon the highest seats in parliament and
on all public occasions were placed the
learned writer's, the bards, the historians,
and the authors Of the time Each age bad
its bardic historian, and the long record
from the landing of tho Milesi an, down
through centuries of paganism, and still
further through centuries Of the Christian
era is an unbroken historical record of the
laws, poetry, music, literature, wars. and
government Of OH Erin. These were all
written in the native tongue, and though
many Of these precions manuscripts have
been lost in later years, still there is enough
to shos that Ireland from her earliest lays
was the land of scholars
For centuries before and after Christ
there were scattered all over the island
public institutions such as few years ago
would oe known in this country as roads
side inns. These were maintained ty the
government, and the stranger aud the ira
veler were entertained at any of these
without cost or charge of any kind. Hos>
pita!itv was thus made national institu
lion; and though this system existed un-
der Pagan laws, it was not discontinued
urder the christianlzed government. The
religious houses kept up the ANCIENT aud
honorable system, but it even had more
firmly established law. Hospitality had
become naliopal principle. and to their
honor be it said, that though for nearly
eight hundred wears their country and
themselves have been the victims of abus>
ed confidence and treacherous duplicitv.
hospitality yet warns the hearts Of the
Irish people. and the stranger or the needy
may enter the humbIest hut in Ireland, and
will be given not only freely, but with a
blessing, the best that is there to be had.
As early as $50 b. C.. Ireland manufac,
tured her own arms, and s)me specimens
of swords now preserved show a colnbina-
ton of metallic properties in the ma erial
used, that if known al this day wo'd prove
fortune TO the diScoverer. Ia architec
! ture there had been made great progress,
and until the Romans conquered Britain
nothing had been exported from that coun-
| try but tin. because there was no such
thing As British vessel Ireland had her
commercial navy. and upon i, her mon
archs had sailed repeatedly on royal ves>
sells up the Mediterranean, or with sue
| cors for their corumel cial friends, the Car.
| thagenians
| The Romans never entered Ireland
/ They overran Great Britain, ana ruled
it for long period, but Ireland success
fully resisted the invader Her Orders ot
Knights, perhaps the oldest in Europe
! had brought arms to such perfection, that
it might he said they could bid defan ce ,e
| the world.
During the Roman occupation of Brit
ain, the Irish monarch concluded an ad
dres. to his parliament in the following
touching words, which find quoted in one
Of the histories of ireland, where it is sta
ted that il was TRANSLATED from the native
Irish. He said -
"Bohold, wise counselors, the Roman
legions menscing our coasts, panpering
their lofty hopes with the expectation o.
suhjecting this sacred isle, rich with th,
! dust Of Milesian heroes. TO their yoke
Will YOU suffer your wives and dau- hters
TO be dragged as caplivrs to the 81 eets o
Rome, to share tae ignobe fate Of II tain.
and Albanias daughters Will You suff
er the Roman eagles 10 perch On the nation
al standard, On the Harp, that SACRED
standard which the great Hebrew Prephe
gave 10 the father Of the MiIesian race
BE united, be firm in concord. and the Irisi
air will never be poisoned BY the breath o
| the Roman invaders. When we march
| forth to battle, with souls enkndled will
the spiri, of patriotism, the despoiler':
power will recede from our spears, As tht
foxming waves recoiI when broken and dis
solved ON the rocks Of our shores. Yes
senators. if destructive and intestine dis
sension make no chaSms in our ranks anC
/ love II country. the Romans shal! find u
! iRvincible. and as firm in the fight AS th,
majestic moun,:in, which, seated on it
/ ocean throne, looks down with contemp
at the idle rsge Of the turbulent bilIow
that burst on its rocky foots,ool.'
Two hundred and Fifty three years afe
/ The birth Of Christ, there assembled tL
throne Of Ireland the great scholar an,
sage Cormac. lie revised the laws Of tn
| kingdom, reluced- the eaac;ments Of tn,
several parlismen,s and reigns Of bis pred
/ r,e.Sors to a single code. and this code