Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-12-14
Speech of Richard O'GOrman
at the Polish Festival iu New
York.

and eloquent Grafton OF 1on' hiOhANU
O'GoRMAS, made at the great Polish fes-
tival held in New York city few days
since. This festival was gotten up by
the friends of civil and religious liberty as
an offset to the Administration banquet
given to the officers and men of the Rus
sian fleet, (st time in the New York
harbor) short time before.
The speech, as specimen of brilliant
oratory, is almost without comparison
but the noble cause in behalf of which it
was delivered, makes its appeal, with
greater force, strike deeper into the heart
of the reader, il not obscurred by parti-
zan feelings and fanatical hatred.
The administration organs and fugle-
men all over the country are lavish in
their praise and aattery of the Rus
SLAMS. The officers and men of the Rus
sian navy were banqueted in New York
visited by all the Heads of Departments
of the Government, and dinner given
them by Secretary SEWARD, in Washing
ton, few days ago. While these So
called Union shriekers are prating about
freedom for the negro, and the preserva-
ton of liberty and the Republican gov
enment, and much more of that sort, they
take strong grounds against the poor un-
fortunate Poles and in favor Of their sub
iugation by their cruel oppressors. They
take despotic Russia by the hand, but
have no word OF encouragement or sym
pothy for poor Struggling, down-trod.
den Poland. "a fellow feeling makes us
wonderous kind"
The conquest Of Poland is the great
monster crime of modern times. 1t was the
work Of creatures, who laid aside the ordi-
nary excuses which wickedness is in the
habit of making to shield itself from the con-
demnation of mankind, and boldly assum-
ing that might is right, or rather that there
is no right, and no God above, they pro-
ceeded to seize and dismember Poland,
murder, brutely assassination, universal
indisccimination, massacre and confsca-
tion, chains, dungeons, ,eXiles, are the means
by which Poland has been held helpless
beneath the feet of her tyrants. There j!
no agony which these noble people have
not suffered. Every one who respect
virtue and courage must drop tear owe
the suferings and wrongs of Poland. The.
are now badly armed, fighting Will
scythes against the best appointed armie
of Europe. The Russian armies arc per
haps million strong perfectly counties
with the resources of vast empire a
their backs. The fact that the Poles ar
brave enough to fight in the face of thi
desperate odds, is enough to entitle them t
the eternal admiration of mankind. Lik
the three hundred devoted Spartains q
the Pass of Thermopyle, they should b
ever remembered. For hundred year
they have resisted the power Of the Co:
sack monarchs on the throne at Mosco'
and St. Petersburg, and though severi
times apparently crushed ont by the owe
whelming force of the most powerful nj
ton on earth, every generation, or abo,
every thirty years, the contest has bee
renewed by this brave people. They a
now giving all men the great lesson th
death is better than miserable existen
under the foot Of brutal conquerer al
they are teaching the lesson by exampl
We have feeling that we cannot EXPIRE
for the wretch that can encourage the II
holy destruction of that brave peop
Have not the people right to be free ?
not murder wrong when committed in ?
land ? Do not men and women suffer VIII
chained in the horrid dungeons of Russil
And why should these things bs WI
is its purpose Only to support t
bloated despots and his wicked tribe
criminal wretches who depend on him,
who obey him.
We cannot believe that the Americ
people side with despotic Russia in
criminal efforts to crush people strr
Cling for liberty and the large and entt
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