Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-29

much better 1t IL TO give tnan 10 Iecelso
and best of all, may He who was born OF
Christmas.day, draw near to each anc
every soul with a choir of white-robeo
angels, chanting the old, yet every new
song-'Glory to God in the highest; and
on earth peace, goodwill towards men,
Gen. O'Neili's Lecture at Burling'
The following is the Free Press report
of Gen. O'Neills lecture at Burlington
Our reporter went over to the City Hall
early on Tuesday evening, in order to
secure good seat to hear Gen. O'Neill
lecture on ireland" and found three per.
sons there before him To them, by ones
and twos, were added about twenty more,
and after half an hours patient waiting
the lecturer entered, and was followed by
perhaps dozen persons, making large
audience of nearly fifty
Gen. CNeill, regretting that no more
were present, said he thought it was due
to those who had come to say what he
had hoped to utter to full house. He
would speak of oil and water, the English
and the Irish. The policy of the Engl ish
government and commercial men was to
make of Ireland mere stock-farm +; and
their organs chanted continually til e
praise of agriculture for the people of the
Green Isle,-utterly ignoring her position
and superior facilities for commerce and
manufactures, her fine harbors and navi-
gable rivers. Tacitus, 1900 years ago,
spoke of Ireland as better known than
England, already in commercial inter-
course with the principal nations of the
word. The Phenioians knew the Island
centuries before Tacitus, and it was
known even in the reign of Darius Hys-
taspis. The Duncan tables have been
proved TO be written in the ancient Irish
tongue; they were really sailingcharts
for use of mariners going to Ireland.
The speaker traced the probable course
of an ancient ship from the Mediterranean
to Ireland, and spoke of the well-known
trade of the Island with Spain at later
day.
Comparing the relative position of Eng
land, the speaker claimed that the former
lies in fact at the bankdVor or The latter
and il il ioaiuusy of the advantages OF Ire
land that has led to the opposition to all
progress of manufactures there. There is
not on the face of the globe a stretch of
shore equal to that from Waterford
around to Tough Foyle, for excellence of
harbors, and adaptability to commerce.
There is no river in Great Britain to COM
pare with the Shannon. England ex-
pended millions on her own highways,
but not shilling on those of Ireland; SO
that inter-oommunication and consequent
growth was prevented. Ireland is but q
fortnight's sail from New York.
Many European countries are more
densely peopled than Ireland. Even the
spoils of the ocean are by bounties and
otherwise filohed away from the Irish by
the policy of England. The world has
never known the facilities of Ireland I'M
til lately, when pointed out by Fenian
pens and bayonets, for England has stu
diously kept all information, even from
the Irish themselves. Through intimida-
ton, bribery, frauds and falsehood, Eng
land has held Ireland for centuries in
penal servitude. But the times are chang
ing.
Were Ireland once an independent Re-
public, she would be the firm ally of the
United States She is the nearest and
were her internal resources developed,
she would be the best market for the
United States. What crying shame that
she should have lain so long in hunger
and rags in the dungeon of the despot !?
She has been so abused and plundered
that the wonder is that a single spark of
her native fire remains.
Let the people of the United States look
into the matter, they will find their in
terest in extending aid and restoring free
dom to generous nation.
Leaving his manuscript, to which the
lecturer had hitherto closely confined
himself General O'Neill proceeded to ut
ter his personal confidence in the good
will of this country to Ireland admitting
that the events of the past few years were
not calculated to inspire confidence in the
ability of the Irish people to maintain a
government, he claimed that they had
never admitted the right of England to
govern them, and never would, but would
yet be free nation. On this point they
are fully agreed, absurd as it may appear
after the abortive attempts of the past
year or two. But the people will toll and
labor on till the flag of Erin shall wave
over an independent people.
Referring to the Fenian invasion of last
May, Gen O'Neill said the preparations
were great. but the men failed to come
forward. The Fenisn organization still
lives, its spirit is yet abroad. England
fears o,day to go into war, knowing that
she can no longer draw on Ireland for
soldiers they will remain at home till
that time when they can strike blow
that England herself shall feel.
The lecture was quite interesting, its
delivery being somewhat marred by
severe cold and the close attention requir-
ed by the manuscript; and might profit
ably have been heard by much larger
audience.
rs See Posts Real Estate advertisement.