The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-03-23
ST. Patrick's Day.

st. Patrick = day having fallen on Sunday this
! year there public demonstration in O,,a.
wa. but il the evening our Irish fellow citizens.
as well as Americans and others, crowded the
Roman Catholic Church to repletiou to hear a
lecture Irelanl's Patron Saint by the Rev. Fa.
Their HEATING. As the lecture Was not long, and
no synopsis would do it justice W, give it as de-
liverea, Its delivery Was preceded by vespers.
and the benedctiOn by Father Terry.
THE LECTURE.
Conscious of your kindly sympathy and liber.
al indulgence, l appear before You to speak Of
one whose name sends thrill of delight through
every Irish heart. Willingly would 1 have
| transferred the honor to more eloquent tongue
-joyfully would l have been silent while An
ADLER orator should address you on this glorious
anniversary OF lreland's Patron but fate-stern
f-te--would have me I'll the role in which l now
reluctantly appear.
1t WAS the beginning of the 9th century. The
Romsn legions, glittering with the riches OF the
known world, cast aside their arms. No enemy
was III view. Every country that SAW their en-.
trance bowed down III quiet submission. Resls-
lance would be In vain, and the naughty veter-
ans who bore in triumph the eagle of the Caesars
In every quarter Of the globe, sighed for II new
held OF conflict ana fouud it not
There lay, however, an Ireland far remote, un.
known to the vanquishers of the Euphrates and
the Thames Her people numerous, brave and
! trained to war. Her laws and civilization in
some parts superior, in others would not have
dlsgrae.d the polished manners of Athens and
Rome. Her science fully u match for their fan
ta-tic philosophy, and her notions Of the Deity
certainly not more unworthy of man and of God
| than the impure and impious rites q more south.
ern superstition. Her monarch independent,
had never bowed to the Roman Eagle, nor had
her shores been dsrkened by the invading ban
ners OF the worlds plunderers. About this time,
as we are informed in our ancient annals, Nal
the Great, monarch of Ireland, being invited 10
march hi. warriors to the aid Of their brethren
the Picts OF Scotland, then eng ,ged in war with
! the Roman province of Britain, passed over into
the last mentioned country. Having routed
his enemies in great b,ttle on the banks of the
Severn, he resolved upon following his advant.
age by the invasion Of Gaul. He lands in Arno-
rci, again defeats the Roman legisns, aud pur.
sues his victory to the very foot OF the Ap'. Pre-
pairing to scale these snow-capt bulwsrks OF TIA
ly, and. like another Hannibal, to thunder at the
very gates of Ronehe falls by an nssa.sius hand.
dis numerous army, reliDqu i.hiDg their enter
prise, and turning their f,ces home ward, plum
der the country as they pass along. carrying off
men and property Sailing from Bretagne. they
arrive on their native shores laden with booty.
Little did our pagan ancestors know the treasure
they then conveyed from ths Gallo cossts--a
treasure Infinitely superior to the wealth OF i'm.
petial Rome. You already anticipate what this
treasure wa.-the humble youth PATRICK.
Nephew TO the great st. Martin, Bishop of
Tours and native of that part OF Gaul, which,
from British colony planted there some thirty
years before 10y their countrymur, the Emperor
Maximu., lad obtained tho name Of Britannia
Minor-now Brotayne in Fr.nce-PA,rck was
it hi. sixteenth year, with n,.ny OF his rel..ivss
carried off 10y the refreshing army oi Nal
| Thus, like the Patriarch Joseph and exactly
| at the age, our Saint doomed 10 en-.
| dure r. cruel captivity in tbs very nd which be
Was day 10 deliver, not like E.yp.. from the
| horrors Of famine, bIt from Pssal. iniisl,y and
darkness, by dit'u-inx ths lish, Of tho Gospel.
aud breaking to her long fAInished children the
| bread OF eternal lite.
! Un-cQa,inted yet with the xrer: design. of
Providence in his regard, the Innocent youth.
like al true followers Of srsc. d Saviour, con.
verted his sutf-r:nys TO the psrfsc,on of hi, .oul
in virtue while in hunger, GOLD. ard al the
hsrdships Of slavery, he ,snded his masters
| focks on the rugged mountain. Of Clster--to a
! Prince OF which Province he had been .old-his
heart ever fixed on hs God, the contempl--
| ton OF whose glory and passion 1T once his
consolation and support. The learned Heksr.
Protestant Archbishop VI Dublin, thus write. of
his captivity: Exposed 10 the severity Of the
weather doy and night. &, lonely slave in {.
strange l,nd, and probably - ignorant of tn.
language y, Vt tho customs Of his master, his
captivity Indeed would have boon ~ bitter Que.
had he nor brought with him from holy land
the elements of most fervsnt pie,y. A hundred
| times III the day, and . bundled times IN tho
night, he lifted up the voice Of prayer snd suppl.
cation 70 tho Lord Of the bondm.n and the free,
aud faithfully served ths harsh, and at times
cruel, master to whom Providence had assigned
him." In the meantime he became conversant
with the language and names Of tho country,
and daily wept owe: tho blindness and misfor-
tune of his unfortunate tsskmasters whose CRU
elites only added zeal to that zeal of charity
with which he already began to burn for the
salvation of their soul-. When our Apostle had
been thus purified in tho orucibls Of sffliction
during painful servtude If seven years. God.
rs the holy man himself informs in his book
! Of Confessions. inspired him with the design Of
making his esc,pc. Directing his flight TO the
coast, he found vessel ready for ssa. and after
a number Of adventures arrived safe in his ma.
tive land. BY this time Patrick no longer en-.
tertained doubt Of his being called to the Apos.
IT, ship Of Ireland no had received the mos, un.
equivocnl limitations Of the Divine WILL aud that
same God whp had announced his faith to the
Roman and Par,hiHn Empires in the first centu.
~, ~ he did to Ireland in the 9Th and TO our
own hemisphere in the 10th that same Lord
who, as 81. Paul says, is yesterday. and to-day,
aud the same forever; who, by vision, called
Peter to the conversion Of the pious cen'uri.
on, tie first fruits of the Gentle church. and, bv
n similar manifest alton OF his will, invited the
great Doctor "f tho Nations to preach HI. word
to the people Of Macedon; that same Christ was
in - similar way 10 encourage our glorious Aros.
tie by Il vision in which he beheld the children,