The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-12
THE IRISH GRIND; RS.

Celebration of the Sixty -nin;h Regiment AM
niversary--Jo.n nlitcIle.'s LectCSc-ssl;rnt-
inn and O,Erien.o
The Irish Grenadler Guard, SiXty-ninth regiment
held their annual celebration last evening at
Cooper Institute, the great feature being lecture
on "Grattan and O'Brien" by the Irish patriot
John Mitchell. After some evolutlons on the
stage by part Of the regiment MIR. Lyddy
introduced ex-Congressman william r. Robinson
as chairman. When Mr.. Mitchell appeared
on the platform he was greeted with loud applause,
and, alter briefly conplimentlng the Sixty ninth
regiment as being that which refused to turn out for
parade in this city in honor OF son OF the Queen Of
England he proceeded to speak OF the statues which
OF present disgrace the city OF Dublin being those of
representative 1rishmen, when In reality they
eflgics OF Ireand's enemies. He then spoke
OF the statues raised In European cities In
honor OF brave and great men, and reviewed
the life OF Graitan IN the Irish Parliament, when no
struggled 10 get for Ireland king, Lords and
Commons In this parG Of hisdiscourse the lecturer
spoke 1eellngly OF Grattans retirement from the
Irish House of Commons, Of Castlereagh's great
vl!any OF Grat.an's subsequent entry TO lie London
House OF Commons ana of his own visit TO him in a
cellar OF the House Comm ns to which GIattan had
been consigned Tor having refused 70 attend on u
railroad committee, the same cellar being the only
speaker) had visited in all his life He spoke In
terms OF the highest praise OF Grattans persistent
70 gam equally ana Justice for hs irish
writings, avosei himself to be an Irish
tho horrible TACT that within the cnvirons
of his own home priests were arrested while en-
gagged in the ceremony OF the mass dragged from
their congregations and sent to die IN the West
Indies. To Henry Grattan's great mind he attTi-
butcd the noble idea OF Il nation without sectaran
differences, distinguished from the idea OF Molly
neanX ana Lucas. who had struggled merely Tor
nation with q Protestant ascendancy. Grattan died
in 1870 aud was buried In Westminster Abbey,
when afterr ard was placed beside him the body OF
Castereagh, who ended his life by suicide, and ose
remains the no0eS followed to the abbey amid the
excavations and curses OF thousands Of his own
countrymen In speaking Of Smith O'Brien the lee
tureT mad no words to that could express
altedy his idea OF him. Born in high station, UBrl-
VIII, some OF his ancestors should have accepted
lands which were rightly owned by the monastelies
and have yielded 10 the English King the chelta!ns
OF their house. O'Brien resigned hts place In the
English House CT Commons, resigned hts maeis-
tracy and forgot the friends OF his own Station IN
order to aid the people OF Ireland, and to the end
splendid picture OF his old TREND aud comrade,
asciibing to him almost every virtue thai could
adorn o man. OIrlen, he said, never bent the knee
To British power whether during the early struggle
for Justice from England in the DOCK in tic cell
IN the Ausralasan forests where he (the speaker)
afterwards met him, prcmaturcy old man IN form,
but with heart sii true to his native land.
Mr.. Mitchell introduced during the lecture many
quotations from Grattan's speeches and uttered
some eloquent passages in speaking OF Ireand's
losses ana failures. The applause which he received
! was frequent ana enthusiastic He SAID nothing
more sincerely than when he praised tho
gratitude OF Irishmen towards those OF her sons
who had served her and been true TO her
though to the audience the remark must have been
painful, for while 1t might not have been unreason
able TO expect that the nall would have been flied
10 hear the veteran patriot yet It was not nearly go
stephen ]. Meany and others made a few remarks,
after Wh,ch the celebration closed