Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1870-04-06

III secret. Inc lonely glen was
his temple. The rock his altar
and for roof, Gods own sky
above. II was criminal to ed
ucate his own child ip.Ireland
1t was criminal to send him out
Of Ireland for education. Yet
the ancient love OF learning
that made ireland for centuries
the asylum of letters and the
school of Christian civilization
was too strong for laws; and il
the thick copses-under the
shelter of the messy bank
might have been seen many an
illegal and disloyal assemblage
little children, clustering to-
gether round some pedagogue,
who had led the life of a hunt
ed wolf, and who had every
reason to expect to die on the
gallows.
And there, the little urchins
conned over the well thumbed
primer, or droned out the half
learned lesson, needless Of the
statute to the contrary, in that
case made and provided.
This was the Hedge school, -
1t was only in such that the
fathers of many Irishmen now
living could pick up what little
crumbs Of knowledge they pos.
sessed. Such was ireland one
hundred years ago. Such were
the Penal Laws. Their declar-
ed design was to destroy a re-
ligion. They meant to cxtin-
SuIoll IdCS'
They proclaimed war against
the ancient creed Of Chlisten-
dom, from which the Irish peo-
pie never strayed.
That was an object sufficient
ly vile and detestable-as are
all efforts everywhere, wheth,
er of government or of a mob,
whether of one man or of ma
ny men, to fetter the soul of
man-to control his conscience
by human law or check the free
fight of his thought.
But it was only a pretext.
The lrishman was not persecu.
ted becauee he was a Catholic
The Catholic was prosecuted
because he was an Irishman.
One hundred years have
passed away. How stands it
now with the Irish people?
Religion is free. In a thou.
sand churches the ancient rites
are performed, and all other
creeds, all other forms of wor-
ship protected, not now by
law, but by the common sense
and respect Of a reverential
people raise their oIisons to the
God of peace.
The hedge,school is matter of
tradition. But the old thirst
for knowledge continues; near
\ million Of scholars throng the
schools Of Ireland, and @give
hope that the rising generation
will be as well educated as the
youth Of any nation on earth.
One hundred years ago, the
people Of Irish race in Ireland,
did not exceed two millions.
Now, there are more than that
number in the United States.
They say that the beat ofthe
British drum accompanies the
morning sun, for her garrisons,
link by link, encircle the earth,
as with a chain. may be so;
but wherever that drums beats,
be sure there too beats some
Irish heart, whose loving mem
ory consecrates this festive day.
In India, in Australia and
New Zealand-in the cities of
England. Here in the United
States, from New York to San
Francisco, men are devoutly
drowning the Shamrock and
drinking 'more power to the
little island beyond the sea-
Everywhere, everywhere but
in Ireland.
There, the heart of love must
throb in secret, and patriotism
dare utter no voice. There, on
this festival of the nation, nc
banners wave; on Irish land
alone, no emblems of the Irisl
nation-no memorials of Irisl
past can be displayed.
Again, oercion--again, tha
J;en,,ooa &C o,,,l,uoI.oo ~