The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-28

| Rev. George w. Pepper of Ohio, who lectur-
ed at City Hall last evening under the auspices
of the Wolfe Tone Association, is one of the
most impassoned speakers that has graced
Portland platform the present season; true
Irishman, full of national fervor and eloquence.
His theme was Ireland as it Is. After beau
tiful exordium, devoted to general description
of the island the speaker remarked that there
had been long-continued discussion among
many learned men as to the origin of the Irish
nation; some claim its descent from the Gothic
races, but the national peculiarities and char
acteristics which harmonic with some of the
eastern races are convincing proof of its eastern
origin
There are three classes of people in Ireland;
the original Irish, in the Southern districts, who
are hearty haters of the laws creeds and aris-
tocracy of England; second, the descendants of
the AnglO-SaxOns, who came over with VIII
liam I'LL, the English landed aristocracy; and
third, the Scotch-Irish, who, 200 years ago,
brought to Ulster a love of independence which
'9S produced that splendid crop of rebels
From this race came John c. Calhoun, Andrew
jackson, Dewitt Clinton, Henry Grattan, Cur
ran and O'Connell. The speaker here illustrat-
ed the wit, humor and patriotism of the Irish
people by series of anecdotes and incidents,
which were well-told and very amusing. When
the great master of the stage, John Campbell,
saw Edmund Kean act as Sir Giles Overreach,
he exclaimed, "He is terribly in earnest" and
this is the key to Irish character; he is terribly
in earnest in his pursuits, in love and when he
fights. The patriotism of the Irish was also ex-
emplified in similar manner.
Irish orators and oratory next received the
speakers attention. Irish oratory is not con-
fined to the restrum. Even among the peas
antry there is a native wit and aptness that
Curran used to term the classics of ireland,
Curran, Grattan and O'Connell are types of the
orators of the higher or educated classes; and
then Mr.. Pepper went on to describe the power
of these great men, giving sketches of their
lives and reproducing some of the most thrill
ling incidents of their career. The speaker
then passed to hearty and eloquent vindica-
ton of his countrymen from the ISLANDERS of
Beecher and Emerson. The latter once said
that the Irish manure the soil of America with
their bones; they die and leave no trace behind
them The earliest heroes on American soil
give the lie to the assertion. The green flags at
did not think so when he saw the Irish charge
at Antietam; Sherman did not think SO when
he swung his hat and cried, Hurrah, the Irish
boys have won Fort McAllister. 1 believe, he
said, that within twenty-five years the flag that
will float over the whole of Ireland will be the
green flag. No music would be so sweet to the
ear of every patriot, every lover of his
race, as the fall of England. Let her fall. She
is the Ishmaelite of the world Let her fall. 1t
will cause the heart ofnations to rejoice. When
Ireland rises to demand her freedom, England
will be like the Methodist minister he knew in
Canada at the time of the Fenian invasion.
They went together to see battle, and had not
gone far when they heard the cry of child.
The Canadian stopped, whats that? It's
cannonading let's go back.
The speaker closed with plea for American
justice and sympathy for Ireland. Her sons
were always true for freedom. They were
among the first to raise the stars and stripes
in the late war, and though they died they kept
the flag up: When Balls Bluff was lost and
England was preparing to crush America, 49,
600 Irish gathered in Dublin and ''Resolved,
That if England goes to war with the United
States we will draw our swords for the stars and
stripes" and England hesitated and receded.-
In conclusion he counseled his countrymen to
be true to America. ''Let US build up and sus
tain by our purses, by our blood, if necessary,
this magnificent republic. that it may always
be the home of the free and the refuge of the
oppressed"
Before the lecture the Portland Band gave
concert of an hours duration, in which large
number of Irish airs were produced '"A