The New York herald., 1873-11-11
s1RIsH WIT AND HUMoR.s
Lecture by the Hon. 8. 8. Cox.

Lecture ny the Hon. y. Sc COxs
very large audience assembled at the Cooper
Institute last evening to listen to tue lecture OF
the Hon. s. S. Cox on "Irish Wit and humor"
The lecture was for the benefit OF st. Rose OF
Lima's Catholic School Association. Mr.. Cox said
the title OF his lecture ought more properly to be
..humor' instead Of 'swit and humor.n The Irish,
having o kindly, generous nature, had more humor
than wit, which was frequently pregnant with
malice. The Americans were mosaic people, and
they had all humors; therefore men could no more
tell why they had their various humors than
Mozart could tell why his nose was Mozartlsh.
Haughter) The Irish people were full OF humor,
and the American humor Of exagger alton was
in some measure derived from the Irish humor OF
magniloquence. They could not possibly get ont
OF the American idea OF equality, and they said
every American was as good as another, but the
Irishman stepped in and said. "Every man il as
good as another and q good deal betrer.''.
(Laughter.) He read the other day OF Chinaman
VINO looked into cats eye when he wanted to
know what time 1t was, and put this cat into his
pocket but he carried watch now. Laughter.)
gesfive than @ % the irish. The irish Sumorst sns
would have described the clawlng OF the cat,
but the American left hiatus open. "Alone
said. twas Ireland In the extraordinary
vivacity and humor OF It's people," Emerson and
humor and exquisite literature OF Ireland. He had
known people who had a great deal OF fun
when they smiled, particularly at election time.
Q.aughter) The Anglo-Saxon race prided itself
on it's great origin, but che Celtic race was OF 9
much purer and better stock. (Applause.) II
hate that woman" said an Irlshman because she
changed me in the cradle for another gentleman.
Ireland was so confounded In regard 70 Its
own Identity that nothing was more CON-
mon than lrishmen coming before maelstraes
and complaining that they had Deen muIocIe9:
An Irishman said he had attended MS own IuneraiI
An Irisnwoman, who married second nuspana.
said to him. ION, how happy poor CnaIles would
be II he could be above to see Dy Wnat an agree
able gentleman he has been replacedp, I.augnterJ
The frishman,s cart was sometimes before mis-
horse, and no wonder that ne got into tangle OF
"9Tuy Trom the very Dogs and huts OF Ireland arose
en- rnndrous rnirth and gladness Of Irish hearts
snd sr1 minds. ireland was the Mark Tapley OF ma
ssnns-aIways sr Jolly under the most adverse cir.
c,,vms,ances who that had read the 0ratiOns
~ Rnrke and Sheridan and the works
of swift and Moore and host Of others could
Sonbr that Irish oratory and poetry were as re-
markable and as exquisite as Irish humorf Who
could underrate the Irish nation with such men
before hims Daniel C'C0nuell represented the
climax OF oratory and humor combined The Irish
peoples hunor sprang from their genahty and
generosity, just as the sombreneD OF the English
was owing to their peculiar characteristics. "Can
you see az all with the eye you have had Knocked
outSr an Irlshman asked The speaker continued
in this strain, interrupted frequently oy laughter
and applause, to give rare specimens oi irsh wiz