The Irish republic., 1867-05-11


cend to Heaven in its behalf! In the Irish PEASANTS
cabin in the halls of wealth. in the temples conse-
Grated to the Eternal, amid the lovely valleys of
Sweet Innisflil, on the vast plains OF America, on
the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, where the
hardy miner deves and curses the tyrant, in the
fowery Kingdom of the Celestials, in the farof
land of Australia; in all cmes and countries wher-
ever the scattered children of the Santed Isle have
found temporary or permanent home, there thou
hast willing and loving subjects, watching, waiting,
praying for thy advent; weary, heartsore, anil de-
spending, it is true, but yet patient, and deter
mined
For ages our race has looked through slavery,
to ultimate freedom-through the storm to the
shine beyond, through the long, long darkness. to
the star that beckoned on.
How beautiful this faith in the ultimate indepen-
dence of Ireland and yet how sad it is to think
that SO many who really wish their native land
well, have faith only-not real, live, active, con-
fdent faith, born Of love- and nourished in patriot
ism, but weak, puny, selfish cowardly fath that
will stumble straw, and be content with
shadow. This kind of faith is plentiful enough, but
it will never free Ireland. For this work the real
genuine faith is needed-faith in yourself and in
your cause-fath that begets afanaticsm SO intense
that it will brook rivalry, hesitate at no sacr-
fee that man should make, and be deferred by no
obstacles.
This is real faith, begotten of a love SO inspiring,
so ennobling, and so full of humanity that it be-
comes one of the highest virtues sanctifed by Him
who sent Seraphs to announce "peace on earth
and good will to men," When the holy man was
Il .-Al.oo
claimed the noble deeds of goodmen, and was asked
what shall we say of you? He said, "Write me
down who loved his fellow man. Of this
love the true faith is born must preach it, teach
it, and in this holy work you, my dear IRISH Re-
PURL1o will have to bear an important part--en-
courage the timid, strengthen the weak, lead the
blind, point out the true path for freemen and
the lovers Of freedom to follow shame
the coward, and lash with scorpions the
mercenary and the vile, who native land
only stepping stone to crafty sensual am
bition or pecuniary gain.
Again I say welcome! you are needed. The
pen in its way is as mighty as the sword. Had
there been more pens, honestly welded in behalf
of Irish Independence, there would be more swords
ready be unsheahed to-day in the cause of Ireland
than there are.
Tom Davis, in one of his productions, says,
" knowledge and organization must set Ireland
free, and make her prosperous. If the people be
not wise and manageable, they cannot gain liberty
but by accident nor use it to their service" What
a depth Of wisdom in the above. How truly does
it show the mind of the man whose memory is so
revered. But while I on Davis let me give
another quotation from him, which had it been
written yesterday could not be more applicable to
our own times, and the demagogues whose career
have lately come to SO ignominious a close. But
how doubly applicable it is to the District of Man
haitian. 1t hits between wind and water so effect
lively that one would think Davis had it in his eve