The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-19
to their children and their children's
children. 1t had fostered the wondrous sto.

| rles Of that land beyond the sea, and preserV
ed pride and a love for the name Of Ireland
He took pride In Its history, In its achieve
menla of genius, poetry and art. 1t had
smoothed the pathway to success of every
Irlshman Who had sought fortune, fame and
honor In the land of his adoption, had vel
coined each and all of the exiles of Erin who
came TO these shores. It had done honor to
the founders of the society, who built we'll
and whose deeds lived after them. He vel
coined the sister societies which he found rep.
resented, and he INDUCED the hope that the
years that were past bad furnished foundation
stones for coming years and future strength
and usefulness-llnks that would bind eacf
and all to the land from which they sprang.
With these remarks, the president announc
ed the first toast of the evening:
The Day we Celebrate-A bright festival In the
| calendar OF Ireland Among the most blessed OF
| the works OF the patron saint whose name 1t
bears, under all clImes 1t unites the sons OF Ire
land in brotherhood OF charity and love.
This was the signal for Mui!sr's Band, which
struck up ''St. PatrIck's Day In the Morning.
The response was by the Rev. q. P. Nor
throp, whose appearance was the signal fol
applause. Mr.. Northrop said:
"The day we celebrate |" We, yes, we,
| Irishmen and sons of Irishmen, and we who,
unallted by other ties to noble race, and hal.
lowed soil Of Ireland, yet unite heart and soul
| In celebrating the glorious memories of st.
Patrick's Day. And not only are we gathered
| together in this honored hall, beneath the
| harp and shamrock, but all the world over are
met to-day, the talent, the genius, the worm,
| that old Ireland has lowered the world with,
and the noble and generous hearts that peat
| in responsive sympathy With tne tnoushts
| that are awakened by the name OF ST. Patrlck
and St. Patrick'5 children.
| In the distant East, beneath the spreading
palm tree, the gallant soldier from green
Erius isle cheers his exile with the joyous
strains of st. Patricks Day. In the farthest
West on the Pacifc's slopes, the echoes OF the
song are heard thrilling The heart OF the emil
grant with memories awakened by the famt-
liar notes OF st. Patrick's Day. In the streets
of noble cities thousands are moving along IN
stately column-the green badge OF Ireland
on their breasts, the green shamrock OF Ire.
land next their heart, the sun on the green
banner with Its immortal moving along
In glad procession In honor Of ST. Patrlck's
Day. In France, in Spain, In Austria, every
where, where Irlshmen, while serving with
honor the land of their adoption, never forget
the dear land of their birth, the exultation OF
this day ls felt. Even In old Rome l have
heard the hoary walls eeholng with me enlly-
to-day, in this fair city, the honored sons OF
Charleston join the children Of st. Patrick IN
celebrating their festal day.
Among the many thoughts Inspired BY the
sentiment to which have the honor Of re-.
spending, there are two more especially sug-
gesied BY the peculiar circumstances In which
I am placed. A comparative stranger among
Inn od N lOanltQhlA hnQr0-a
native Of this city, who claims no descent
from Ireland, am the interpreter Of the feel
ings that inspire this celebration. What more
natural then than to recall those two striking
characteristics that 30 pre-eminently belong
10 the Irish people, mean their generous
hospitality and their undying love OF country.
The wonders Of the olden times-tne hospl-
talities OF the East-are traditions only for
those who have not visited ireland. They
may be witnessed every day in Ireland. Ire
land, rich or pOor-among all classes OF The
populatlon-wih all who breathe the air OF
the Emerald Isle, the virtue of hospitality
seems Indigenous. Ispsak from my own ex.
perience. I speak from the experience oil
those who have travelled strangers among
handed people OF that country. call to Wilt
ness the TESTIMONY Of q distinguished son Of
our own State, Vho, writing 10 public jour-
nal some years ago, expressed his astonish.
ment. not only at the exquisite beauty OF The
scenery, the bounty of her soil, but the un-
bounding generosity and excessive hospitality
Of the people. Ireland can afford to pity her
maligners-wkfters who, even, like Thackeray
with all his greatness, pander go lar to popular
prejudices as to ridicule the too great kind
ness which they are obliged to confess even
while they laugh at 1t.
In this point there Is no distinction between
the rich landowner and his poor tenant. be-.
tween the Anglican rector and the ''Sogarlh
Arooa"-all are equally anxious to provide for
In their zeal for his comfort. In pursuance Of
this virtue the difference of class and religion
are forgotten. 1t is an hospitality that lives
not in words merely or even 10 acts. 1t
springs fresh from the heart, inspiring the
, kind word of welcome and the courteous at
tention to the stranger. II he who, driven
from bis home into exile, wrote the sad words
1How bitter to eat the bread of another. 10
dwell In the house of the stranger" had had
have had no occasion TO utter his lament. II
seems to me that they wish the guest to for
get that he Is q stranger-to make him, as
they do, love old Ireland. Yes, love old Ire
land, that Is the key to the mystery. 1t Is that
feeling which has filed this hospitable hall,
and gives meaning to this honored assem-
| bly,.
| has hidden In the deepest and most sacred re-
cesses OF the human breast-whlch makes the
| universal heart beat with qulckened pulse
Zone of the noblest, as 1t Is the most powerful
and unconquerable, is the love of country
OF the native soll-of the earth that guards the
bones Of our torefathers, and will contain
ours. However 1t may fade In the hearts Of
other people, In the Irish heart 1t is indes
| tructible. Ireland! her name ever on her
children's lips, her Image In their breasts, her
| memory In their heart of hearts. He has but
one country wherever he may be-America,
Australia-under any sky where the winds
may wait him or the billows bear him, Ireland
| follows him. He may leave II, but yet he
leaves 1t not, for among the most precious
relics that he carries with hlm-a consolation
in his exile, heirloom for his children-he
treasures up some grains oil the sacred soil OF
his native land.
The applause Of Mr.. Northrop's scholarly
response had hardly died away when an
agreeable diversion was caused by muslca
incursion from the st. PsrIck's Society. The
martial strairs of st. Patrick's Band ap
preached the hall, and admittance and wei
! come being gladly granted, a delegation com
prising Messrs. John q. Devereux, Johr
Touhey, John Berry and John Burke, Jr., en-
tered amid the cheers Of the company. The
chairman, Mr.. Devereux, conveyed the con
gratulatlons and greetings Of the St. Patrck'l
Benevolent Society to the Hibernlan Society
The legends of fourteen hundred years, he
said, had planted In the hearts oil Irishmen 6