The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-19
The second regular toast was announced by
Vice. President O'Neill, as follows:

u
The second regular toast was announced b.
Vice. President O'Neill, as follows:
Ireland-Her history Is an example OF Wha
| man can dare and what man can bear. Frou
| her harp however, long unstrnng, Will 0Ome tht
| echoes OF the song that must immortalize hel
fame In the valor, poetry ana eloquence OF hel
| sons.
This was welcomed By the band witt
swearing of the Green," and gracefully re-
sponded to by Captain J. Armstrong, as fol
lows:
mfr. President-The simple announcement
of the sentiment just exR4assed is more elo-
quent in itself than the greatest wealth oi
words. Ireland! with the mention of that
name how many recollections arise; how
many sad and pleasing memories; how many
| noble deeds and noble men; how much Of sor.
row and suffering, CT Injustice aud cruelty, OF
oppression and wrong Is coupled With the
name of Ireland. Yet 1t touches chord In
every breast, and awakens sympathy In every
bosom. Yea, even In the breast of those who
are the authors OF her present state, that still
| small voice of conscience will arise unbfdden,
and the admission Is forced from unwillfl
lips that Ireland is grand even in her mIsfor.
tune. Why 1t Is that of all the nations OF the
earth that have labored under the yoke OF
the eye turns sm Sn Of se ns most fearful
checkered history of devoted Ireland but too
plainly tells. Her sufferinge, her wrongs, have
i originated In malice; that malice has
| been engendered because Ireland has
been faithful to herself She has never con.
sented to yield herself willing captive to the
hand that smote her, nor bow supplIant
| knee before the throne of foreign royalty.
| In her most extreme adversely, she has been
most defiant. The greater the efforts that
| have been made to crush out her national ex-
| istence, the more furious and desperate have
| been her struggles 10 arise. Again and again
has she been betrayed, and her efforts rem
dered abortive-agall and again have her
cons rallied to a common standard, and, In
the face of one of the most powerful nations
of the earth, have dared the effort to restore
the diadem of empire wrested from their de.
voted country. It really seems that the ProVi-
dence of God has implanted In the breasts of
her sons the undying sentiment OF nationality
that In His own good time he might lead
make them once again free people.
Had Ireland consented to yield and accept
with serviity the yoke of the oppressor, the
malice of her enemies might have been ap-
peased, but with her sens poverty, exile. death
were preferable to submission. So has ic ever
been, and 80 is 1t tonight; aud We who have
here assembled to do honor 10 that land upon
which England's. government has In vain EN-.
ployed every weapon to inflct dlshonor, can
recall with pleasing admiration all that Is glo-
rious In Ireland's history In the past, and be
reminded that the noble deeds Of her soDs
both In war and peace, In the fiald and In the
forum, give promise Of still more glorious
future. But to those sons of ireland who are
now amongst us-far distant from their native
land-to those who have trod her green fields
and clambered to her hlll-tops, to those who
nd
home, the sentiment just announced has a
most endearing significance. Home, sweet
home, how doubly dear when distant and un-
seen; how the heart yearns for the spot which
gave us birth, and how fresh In memory are
every hill and dale where we passed the sunny
hours of our childhood.
Tonight, from the far ends of the earth, the
scattered sons Of ireland drevert 10 Imagination
to their dear island home, rising like dream
before their vision. Though far away, their
hearts are there tonight. They mingIe with
the same friends-the familiar faces Of CON-
panons are present to their minds, and many
annual occurrences Of this festal day far down
| in distant years rise from the buried tomb of
| the dead past and exist again as though they
| were of The living present A father or q
| mothers form, the Image of beloved sister
or brother long since gone down TO the last
| resting place OF earth, live as fresh and green
| In remembrance tonight as when they i'm
pressed the last kiss OF affection upon the
cheek. and with blessing gaye Godspeed to
the voluntary exile.
Ireland 1t calls up the home, the altar and
the grave. The home, the sweet home OF
childhood. The altar, before which the strick.
en- heart knelt In sorrow, and from which 1t
rose comIorted and filed with gladness. The
grave, where sumber the loving and loved
ones In their final sleep. Yet these are not
Ireland; the mailed hand of the oppressor has
c'utched her possessions, despolled her homes,
| invaded her altarl, violated and efaced her
graves. Unhappy land When Will the houl
| OF delverance come You struggle, but you
cannot vet arise. Insurreclion breaks forth,
and will ever break forth, at the sight Of your
| wrongs, and sooner or laterits repeated efforts
| will SILVER In atoms the fetters that enslave
| YOU. The banner OF nationality, embazoned
| with harp and sunbnrst, Will yet float In trl.
| umph above your castle walls, and the stout
urms and brave hearts Of your sons Will yet
restore the crown of empire to your brow.
"Erln. O Erin, though long 10 the shade.
| Thy star Will shine out when the brightest snail
fade.n
The third regular toast was announced by
vlce-Presldent W. q. Houston, as follows:
The State OF South CarolIna-Great in the past
deprt ssed In the present. destined In the future
| to redeem her present and rival her past.
This sentiment was greeted with the iamil.
lar strains of Dixie, and responded 10 BY Colo
mel B. q. Ruiledge, who said:
Sir-I thank you for that sentiment Every
syllable of It vibrates through my heart. be.
ieve it to be altogether true south Carolina mas
been great She is depressed land tmplore the
| God of men and nations, who Worketh often.
times darkly but wisely, so to lortlfy our minds
and inspire our souls lDaC we may verify oul
prophecy: restore purity 10 the government,
rebuild the waste places, preserve happiness
and prosperity 10 our people, and, ABOVE all,
elevate that flag which aoated triumphantly
| In drfance of British power from Inc battle
mems of Fort MOultrle, Dlazea ike meteor
over the plains OF Mexico, and never lowered
itself to mortal influences save once, and then
not In dishonor; to its legitimate pride Of
place, the unchalenged emolem Oh the brave
The true and the free.
| hare been rarely more embarrassed IN re.
snondIno TO sentiment than on this occa
| sion Thoughts crowd In upon me. They
come not slngly. but Ia battalions The diff.
cnltv consists not in the want but In the selec
tion of tonics But, If overstep the limits ol
modestv, and trespass little longer upon
vo1,r nntlence than gsod taste warrants at 9
festive assembage, am sure you will forgive
| me fnr who ever saw or heard of an Irish
man who was not good-humored on ST.
Patrlck's Day.
II was remarked at my ta6le,ia year or two
before the war, by Northern gentleman, now
holding ihe most prominent literary position
in The limited States, that the history OF South
Caroljna had never been properly written
| 80 49, a. f,rnishpd Materials for the work