The New York herald., 1871-03-16
st. Pa.rick,s Day-Orunge and Green.

st. Patrick's Day-Orunge and Green.
The heavy rains Of the past few days, which
have discharged the moisture from the skies
will probably insure fine day tomorrow for
the st. Patrick's celebration. 1t is to be
grand affair, according to the programme
Probably forty thousand men will turn out in the
procession, with all the gorgeous decorations
OF the different Orders to which they belong
notable among them all the Father Mathew
temperance societies. 1t is intended we
understand, to introduce into the pageant
representation of the ancient costumes of Ire
land as worn by her kings, bards and soldiers.
Even to this day the vestments worn by the
priests on such festivals as Christmas and
daaster are invariably Of orange color. We
need hardly say that, although ''the wearing
of the green" has been long consid cred the
badge of Irish nationality, the original and
favorite color of the Irish people for hundreds
OF years was orange or saffron color. Never
theless for some insensate reason these
colors-orange and green-have been made
the symbols of dire hostility between
certain classes and regonsts in Ireland, and
have created antipathies frequently leading to
bloodshed and always evincing want OF
common sense and patriotism One of the
'ablest Of Irelands modern poets, Thomas
Davis writing under the inspiration Of the
~ enthusiasm wrote these lnes:-
Ireland rejoice and England depore
Faction and fcud are passing away.
Twas low voice, but tits loud roar
Orange and green VIII carry the day
Unfortunatey-and very foolishly-the
feuds and factions still exist, and all about
these two prismatic colors, simply because the
Protestant successor of the Catholic King
James was known as the "Prnce of Orange
The union of the orange and green in one
standard as the national emblem of Ireland
aud also as the emblem of the union Of the
hearts and hands of her children as nationalists,
was the day dream and grand political object
OF O'Connell. In one of his earliest tours of
agitation for the restoration of the native Par
lament he stopped both al O.dbridge-where
William the Third fought his great battle
and in Drogheda, and toasted the cause of
Irish union in glass of the water of the Boyne
river. The great agitator wore the orange
and green mingled on his breast on that occa-
sion, and referred to William Prince of Orange
in the most complimentary terms, as being one
of the first ruling men who ever called atten-
tion to the vast water power of Ireland and
the adaptability of the country to manufacture
ing purposes in consequence. The dispatches
OF the Prince of Orange excited the envy
of the English manufacturers, who complained
of the injury it did to their interests by
diverting capital to the banks of the Irish
rivers. Leading Irshmen have ever accepted
the Prince Of Orange as an industrial and
religious reformer for home trade and really an
opponent of great ecclesiastical corporations.
Would it not be good idea, then, for every
man in the forty thousand who turns out to-
morrow to intertwine bit of orange ribbon
with his green badge, and thus-as OConnell
did-put veto upon the foolish distinction
so emphatically that it shall never be heard of
more !? If this suggestion were adopted
S'orange and green would carry the day"
over very ignorant prejudice on one ST.
Patrick's festival at least in this great metro