The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-21
F-omn..T,z.u.llE.. ri..e.
VII W A " !" 7 "a 1T &c.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY.



children OF men are wrapped up. so absorbed,
with the present, and so tcrgetfnl of the past
when, IN fact, they deny their Indebtedness for
any OF these gifts OF which, perchance, they may
be III possession, to Those generations who played
their part, now playing, the stage
Of life, and whose ashes are mouldered into dust
tut whose deeds are imperishably recorded ON
the page OF history III such days, say, it is not
easy 10 attract the mind backward to those dis
tant ages, III order to review the lives OF any of
those men-however great or heroic their deeds
which they produce. Yet, such is my task on
this occasion. | glory in my connection with
the past | am inseperably connected with
the past stream is with its source, or q
branch of a tree with its parent stem. All, are
we not indebted for whatever intelligence, for
whatever knowledge we possess to the past
What stimulates Us to the performance of noble
deeds, but the recollection of the heroic actions
%; our ancestors? Draw a vail between you and
the past, and your intellectual resources will dry
up, like stream cut off from its source; wither,
like Il branch Topped off from its parent stem.
But do not mean, on this occasion, to intro
duce the name OF Scipio an Alexander, a
Seneca or an Aristotle The hero OF my theme is
OF different order OF men. lie never drew
sword in battle, like the former, nor promulgat-
cd that wicked philosophy which consigned help
less humanity to the ditch, like the latter. No.
His sword was the spirit of God his philosophy
Il caring love of mankind, and particularly Of
the poor and helpless. Let US travel backward
for fifteen centuries. Neither the Goth nor the
Nandal,' the Saxon nor the Dane, has yet appear
ed on the battle-felds OF Europe, yet Europe is
in chains. The eagles of Rome float on the
breeze of almost every European nation. OF all
the civilized nations, there is but one which has
not bowed beneath the Roman yoke. That ma
ton is ireland. Unlike now dropping and re-
pining as she is, and clothed in the solemn gar
mcnts OF her widowhood, she was then full Of
life and vigor. dressed in her bridal robes, with
beauty and majesty on her brow, the crowned
mistress OF the Atlantic, the last stronghold of
the liberty of the world. Niall-Niall of the
nine ho,tagcs-is seated ON tho throne of his an
cestors. l. he, the direct descendant OF Milisius
and Scotia, the true children Of the Gadalien the
promised-tho descendants Of the Pharohs and
the Phenes--is he, in who-c veins courses the
blood of hundred kings, to look with folded
arms whilst the cry of oppression from Gaul,
from Britain, and his own kindred. the Scots is
borne on every breeze to the shores Of Erin or
is he afraid TO meet in battle array these alcon-
quering legions of Rome; BY the soul of Her
emoB, he is not afraid Of these mighty legions of
Rome So, calling together his knights of the
Red Branch his "kerns' and "gallowg glasses, :"
he Ombarks in his 'curraghs,7 crosses the Irish
channel, lands on the coast Of Britain aud drives
before him the legions of Rome like chaff before
forever the chains Of slavery there. Like his
nephew and successor, Dathi, whom fash of
lightning struck 10 the earth, at the foot of the
Alps, in fall pursuit of the flying legions of
Rome, he chased his foe far beyond the borders
of France. But alas, for the conqucring heroes
Of Erin Whilst his sword is yet crimson with
the blood OF the foe, he reposes in his tent on
the banks OF the Loire, he is stabbed to death by
the hand OF an assassin Slowly and mornfully
lu ~ ri IN thair
were eenquerors, but they were sad, for their
chief was slain.
But, though they knew it not, they were more
than compensated for the loss of their king, for
among their captives, whom they carried with
them to their own country, there was youth Of
noble mien and prepossessing appearance whe was
one day to bestow unspeakable blessings on that
country, and ON the Scoto Milesian race, to the
remotest generations.
Reader, thou anticipates me !; thou knowest
that this Youth WAS Patrick, the future apostle
OF Ireland, the patron saint of the Irish race.
Ho became the property of Milcho- Mae Henan,
petty prince OF the north. Here, at the foot Of
Slievmiss, for seven long years, he herded swine
for his master. But Patrick was gift of Provi-
dcnce, instrument by which great things
were to be accomplished among men.
As lie slept on the mountain, an angel warned
him to fly 10 his own country. He oboyed.
Again he had q dream. On this occasion he saw
man approaching if he We're coming from
ireland, holding in his hand bundle of letters,
one of which was addressed TO him, and which
contained these words: "Oh. come reside among
Us, o holy youth :" Then he awokc From that
day forth he knew he was to be the apostle of
the land OF his captivity. All, what future
revealed TO him then! Seven years resi-
dence enabled him not only to know the lam
guage but the history convinced him that that
people were not only foremost among the nations
in the arts of war, but foremost in the arts of
peace He knew, by pcrusing the laws of Olamh
Fodhah, the chronicles of Cormac Ulfadtha, and
waited TO a much greater extent, if that pos
sible, than the former This knowledge was
fresh in his memory. He knew, to be tho suc-
cessful apostle OF such people, he must not
only master sacred, but profane learning, to the
utmost extent of his capacity. This was no easy
matter, as printing vas yet unknown among the
children of men. But he had no fears of failure.
| For thirty years. in the schools OF France and
Italy, especially of Rome, he pursued his studies
in the various branches of sacred and profane
learning which they afforded. And his day at
length arrived. Having been ordained q priest
for many years, he was Mt length, through the
infence of his uncle, st. Martin, bishop OF Teurs,
raised to the high dignity of bishop apostolic tn
the Irish nation. He loses not a day now in
. preparation. He sets out at once for Ireland
He arrives just on the of the great triennial
assembly of the nation, before Tara the seat OF
monarchy, and place of assembly. The JaGelfrt
was brightly burning AZ he, that evening, tired
with travel pitched his tent by the slvery waters
of the Boyne. Everything rs he wished it,
Here We're gathered, within short mile Of
where he stood, all that was great and noble and
learned in the land. How his heart must have