The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1868-02-15

celebrated for the most part national festival
Under ordinary circumstances in favor of cee
brating great events certain days When nation filings
off the yoke of serytude and rises erect and fee it is
meet that that people should celebrate the Whena
nation turns from the darkness of dolaty the light
of Christianity it is WE'LL also that the event should be
celebrated religious festival. But for nation in
forced servtude there should be no rejoicing Those
who dance in their chains the lowest of all vassas
for all independence must have forsaken the man who
wear his letters smilingly
We notice in the columns of our Irish contemporaries
that the Irish societies the Eastern cities are already
council on the alimportant national @ matter of cele
bratng the coming st. Patrick's Day To of COM
business capacity would seem that single meet
ing of the representatives of the socees-of New York.
for instance-woud be sufficient to make arrangements
for hours march through the streets of that city
YET for least two months prior to the Seventeenth Of
March, the societies meet weekly to discuss and decide
who shall be chief marshal and who shall be aids In
Decd there is far time spent, and fuss made over
the celebration of st. Patrics Day in New York. than
would suffice the citizens of Paris to raise the barbados
and hunt king into exile.
Now, we ask our countrymen in plain words, do they
make such foolish and extravagant display in Amer
ca while their country in bondage and their brothers
dying in dungeons or dying Of famine !?
There are certain number of leading" Irshmen
who use ST. Patricks Day as medium through which
to show their love for Ireland by safe display Let us
take up those valiant and patriotic gentlemen called the
Knights-or nights-of ST. Patrick for example. We
do not aude to any special phaanx of the knighhood
though of course the headquarters of the order is in
Gotham. Of late years the order has extended its
cations until there is scarcely town in the country
that contains dozen of aristocratic Irshmen who
ready and willing get drunk in honor of St. Patrick
that has not its coterie of knights.
The express purpose for which these chvalrous men
organize is to celebrate St. Parcks Day by festival at
night Throughout the year the members of the order
sleep their arms waiting for the call of the sir knight
to the banquet board Ireland go to the dogs for
three hundred and sxtyour days in the year, far
they concerned But the three hundred and sixty
fifth-the Seventeenth of March-they meet in royal
concave-sons of kings, as they all are-and after
going through the manual of arms-knives and forks
at which most Of them are mere novices, begin to
drown the shamrock. Here is where the eloquent
charlottesville rises-f he is abe-to propose the first
toast, "T The night and all who honor it"-by getting
drunk After the patriotic and respectable chairman
comes the great OGormandzer whose stock of patriot
ism consists in charity and st. Patrick's
after dinner speech Here is where England catchest
and where her flag goes down amid hearty hurras and
banging of glasses. Songs and toasts follow in rapid
succession until the whole British empire utterly de-
molshed and onehalf of the attacking party are laid
(drunk) in the trenches that is to say, under the
tables good speech at a ST. Patrck's Day banquet
is worth one hundred thousand year in New York
city, and being grand marshal of the paraders is good
for a snug office. The aides, if they keep corner
groceries, are be the next aldermen But what
oood comes out of all this evil to Ireland ?