Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-14
Matiunal grpnblitam
LOCAL AFFAIRS.


Mayor wallaeh made his appearance on the
ground, and also a delegation Of the Fenian Sis-
tors, and Major Dewey, President OF washington
Circle. "A
The banner was brought by the ladies, whql
also carried with them a number OF beauutut1
bouquets and wreaths. The banner 10 as mag
ni1cont in point ofworkmanshipasit y exquisite
Id design, II was designed by Dennis ca,laha
Of thia city and painted In Baltimore, by the
Cisco Brothers. II Is made OF q very rich quality
o. dark green silk, eleven feet IN length by six
feet In Width seamless, and bordered by heavy
gold fringe. Tho design is very appropriate,
aud cousists, hrst OF the coat OF arms OF ireland
"a harp, with griffin 2 head, and above II
watch tower, with deer seated at the base
thereof Surmounting the tower are the words,
Undesneath the harp are the words "Ireland
shall be free.n On the reverse side IL large
painting representing the Maid OF Erin seated on
n rock and iamenting the condition of her cOun-
try, Al her feet crouches the Irish wolf-dog.
In the foreground arc scattered the shamrocks
The SKY ID over. clouded, and from one corner
thereofth sun is breaking forth.-emblematic,
say the Fenians, OF the dawn which is about to
burst forth on ireland. The flag staff Is sur.
mounted by 3 beautiful gilt harp. The nag cost
two hundred aud Gfty dollars. The presenta-
ton took place about i've clock from tho steps
of the front portico-ovor which waved our own
The presentation speech on behalf Of the ladies
was made by Mayor Walach, who spoke sub
lie said the multitude Of faces in the vigor Of
youth that now surrounded him had been brought
together by no common impulse to testify the In,
terest they felt in the occasion. Tho hundreds Of
faces that glowed with sympathetic unity showed
that no feeling was so strong aud so mmutable
as the love Of country. In the sight Of the city
which bore the bonored name OF washington, on
the banks Of that river where now reposes all
that Is mortal Of his remains near the spot
where he spent all the peaceful moments OF his
life aud his time not devoted to his country, he
was called upon by the sistcrhood Of Feuians to
present . banner bearing the emblems Of their
native country. The source from which thai
banner emanated would be sufficient to give It
value In the eyes of the recipients Its worth
could not be measured. It would stimulate them
TO new efforts In the work Of restoring to their
country its long lost liberty.
He would not venture to speak Of their Order,
for he knew nothing Of II, save that II was
prompted by broad. patriotic views. He was
there to represent the fair ladies who had pur-
chased this flag, and had the honor OF presenting
IL to the brotherhood. After thanking them for
the compliment they had conferred upon him, the
Mayor concluded amid great applause.
Major Dewey then received the flag, after the
wreath above mentioned had been placed upon
the dag stat; the band In the meantime dis.
coursing national airs. Major Dewey commenced
by saying that "a thing Of beauty Is joy for
ever, - but that which creates the beautiful is
RroateF than the beauty.
The friendship and patriotism that had created
that beautiful emblem OF their ancient order,
brOnght them together not alone to receive that
magnificent gift from the sisterhood, through
vorld--the greatest In importance. They came
there to receive that emblem which they had ap-
propriately consecrated with our music, tho
''star-spanglsd Banner the notes Of American
freedom, sacred to liberty for all time. [Cheers
It would he utterly impossible for him fully to
cypress tho thanks Of the Washington Circle to
the Fenian ssterhoOd for their magnificent pres
eut; but that their gratitude was al deep and as
lasting ~ their patriotic feelings, was fact that
needed no argument to convince the sisterhoOd.
The gratitude that wolled up from his own
heart he felt well assured also belonged to every
IJishman Of their association. And when they
recolleeted the great struggle their friends and
kindred at home were making for their freedom
at home. their gratitude was renewed when
they saw flung forth to the breeze these beauti-
full emblems-the national colors Of ancient Ire
land. The Fenian sisterhood Of Washington
had nung to the winds, In this great city, the
capita, Of the unted States for The hrst time the
dreaded and feared, and loved and respected,
over the sea, long, long ago-that bad had a place
in the history Of the world at one time, and that
would soon again stand risen, be redeemed and
purified, and blaze In the etfulgenCe Of liberty
long after tho British name shall have gone into
It's despicable and ignominious place In the his
tory OF the world. [Cheers.1
The SisIerhOOd haye shown BY this iAg that
they respected the efforts Of their brothers and
friends, and OF these efforts and what they were
for he would tell them In n very few words. The
object Of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United
States, aud Its solemn pledge aud obligation, was
to assist their fellow -countrymen and their
friends and kindred In Ireland to become a ma
tion again-to repossess themselves OF the right
Of nationality, the love Of which the Almighty
God had established In the hearts Of all men
[cheersl Ito assist all their kindred at home In
repossessing their long lost rights and give Ire
land that place In history to which she was not
only entitled, but which was hers by the long
title Of centuries OF the purest rule and the most
virtuous OF any that had ever been exercised by
auy nation, either In ancient or modern times,
This IL what the Fenian Brotherhood seeks to
obtain-the Independence Of Ireland lCrtes OF
eyes, and we have it, II was tho ambition
of the Brotherhood to place that green flag by the
side Of that dear flag, the Stars and Stripes, "
under whose folds no bondage could flourish,
and the blessings of the nation which 1t repre-
scented were unlimited and illimitable. Their
ambition II was to give Ireland that political
status among the nations Of the world - which,
sns was no Rsllentulad. H. ~.
lie received the banner with full heart, and
assured the ladies that the members Of the
brotherhood would endeavor to place 1t, In tho
name Of God and humanity, where 1t deserved
to be. They should not forget that their friends
at home were busy; their work was prompted
by the most patriotic impulses. Their brethren
at home were drilling by moonlight and sun
light, and In the darkness on the hill and IN the
classic groves Of Ireland and England dreeds
the scoWl which crosses the Atlantic from mil
lions Of expatrsted sableots, the IRISH teaials
OF America. Our brethren across the water look
to US for sympathy, Subsistence, and support.
The Fenians would violate no law, intorna'
tional or otherwise, but they would assist the
place once occupied by their ancestors Eng
lend knew that the day of accounting for all tho
tScslt troubles Of the United stat6s irom which,
hey had so glorogsiy emerged was near az
baud, and when thEt spttleIaent vas TO ba
made, foremost In baltic, by the side OF tho
national banner, as was the Rrean Tag Of COrcO y
ran at Bull Run, would be found tho green nag
Of the Fenians.
Tho Fenians were ready, first to respond to the
call Of the united States, and second to Ireland.
This was their simple platform. They were good
sliI.sas Of TIE United StRtes--they had proven
themselves such on AFT DECISIONS. l"v' !! = 20
In CONCLUSION, after again expressing his thanks
for The beautiful present, Major Dewey intro
dLced Gen. Stephen Magrordy. ".'
Tbs General was warmly FecoiNed, lie has
lost his left arm In the service,
lie said he was u stranger among them and
was long ways from home. When he came
here he did not expect to have had the pleasure
OF seeing assembled around him 10 many intelli.
gent men and handsome ladies, nor to witness
such a presentation rs had Just taken place.
Whey had there Nag under which theiI fathers
iiVsu peptullss akv, sud enjoyed the,lreedoI m
which they eni Dyed here today "'' -
Hanything more were needed TO stimulate the
Eenians to proper eXertOIs q behalf Of their
h,tiye land, aud to awaken the patriotic are Id
the heart Of every Irishman, what more could DO
done than that their own fair Sisters should
place In their hands u beautiful banner. and bid
them bear 1t ploft In triumph Ifanything more
were required than that, they were unworthy Of
tue Iauu irOm Muuou tney sprung-unworthy to
claim brotherhood with the fair ladies' by whom
they were surrounded, Their simple duty was
10 Te-sstabll sh their government and giyd II Its
proper place Fnong the nations ofths earth;