New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-18
CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRIcKS DAY
Grand and Imposing Demonstration


The outpouring Of our people yesterday
to do homer to the festival day Of Ire
lands patron saint was immense. Although
the procession was composed principally Of
citizens of Irish birth and Irish descent
there were several associations of other
nationalities who delighted to take part in
honoring Ireland's great apostle, and who
desired to testify by their attendance the
high regard in which are held our Hibernian
citizens
The morning dawned cloudy and threat
ening, and fears were entertained that a
postponement would be rendered necessary.
Toward eight o'clock, however, it began
to clear up, and the different parish
churches were soon filled by the respective
branches of the Hibernian Association, and
the various religious societies under their
jurisdiction. Branch No. /, Hibernian
Benevolent and Mutual Aid Association,
known as the parent stem, attended St.
Patrck's Church. The services here con
sisted of the celebration Of pontifcal grand
high mass, the delivery of eulogy on St.
Patrick, and the pOntitical benedictiOn.
During the mass collection was taken up
| for the benefit Of the afflicted orphans in St.
Mary's Asylum, Third District. Having
already stated who composed the congrega-
| ton, it is hardly necessary to mention that
the contributions were most generous. The
Rev. Jeremiah Moynihan, Jr., nephew OF
| the we'll known pastor of St. Johns Church,
delivered an eloquent eulogy on St. Patrick,
in which he drew a most effective and
graphic distinction between earthly fame
| and spiritual glory. Reviewing in brief the
! life and ministrations of St. Patrick, the
| eloquent divine cited in glowing terms the
| enduring fame of st. Patrick as exemplitied
in his works and the perpetuity Of his me-
| mory.
The next event Of the day was the laying
of the corner stone of ST. Patrick's Hall.
| Before proceeding to an account of this
| interesting ceremony, it may not be amiss
to give a few details concerning the pro-
posed structure. The hall will be two
stories high, and will have Mansard roof.
| The frontage on Camp street will be l02
| feet inches, the depth on Lafayette street
| will be l70 feet. Under the main hall, froot-
ing on Camp street. will be four stores, each
| q l2 feet wide and 100 feet deep. The main
| hall is to be IS by l40 feet, and will be as
| feet in height. In rear of the main hall
will be the supper room, the dimensions of
| which will be 81 by 80 feet. The main en-
| trance on Camp street will be l6 feet
kitchen will be 90 by l6 feet, the store-room
"a by feet, and the carving room 291e by
l6 feet. Besides these various rooms and
| halls, there will be a ticket office, hat room,
committee room and retiring room.
Precisely at quarter to twelve the head
of the column of Branch No. ] made its
appearance, coming down Camp street.
Preceded by fine band of music playing
"St. Patrick's Day." they marched to a
position directly opposite the platform,
where they halted and opened ranks. The
procession of clergy then advanced through
the centre of the lines in the following
order: Master of ceremonies, cross bearer,
acolytes, two sub-deacons, clergy, sub-dea-
conf and deacon, and lastly, his Grace the
Most Rev. Archbishop N. J. Perehe, accom-
panied by the Vicar General.
The platform was decorated with two
beautiful flags Of Erin and a large United
States flag. The concourse that had by this
time gathered to witness the ceremony
could have bsen numbered only by thou
sands The various branches of the Hibar
nian Benevolent end Mutual Aid Associs-
zion were there, a. we'll A. the various
societies comprising the Catholic Total Ab-
stinepce Union.
The Rev Father Smith. Of St. Joseph's
parish, addressed the sssem bied multitude
ss follows:
Fellow. .Irishnen. fellow-countrrmen IN
general, and fellOW-citizens Of this State
This grand occasion which has called us
here together 10 worthy OF moro time than
l can devote. His grace the Archbishop,
in according me the privilege on this occa,
sion of addressing you has Just said 70 me,
Speak well, but speak short" l do not
know that l will speak we'll, but l will
speak it short.
NV friends, this is a great event, and l
am glad to see you appreciate it and show
that you appreciate it by your presence
here to-day. 1t is a want long felt that we
should have here in New Orleans hall of
our own, hall in which we could assemble
for the purposes of our association, and for
concerts, fairs and other entertainments of
a charitable nature. The enterprise, the
Inauguration of which we are now assem-
bled to witness, has been devised by
galaxy of noble Irishmen, few in number,
who are now pesent before you. l con-
gratulate you, fellow -Irishmen, that we have
among us such men as can devise and exc
cute this great work. / congratulate you
upon obtaining this beautiful hall.
And you, my fellow-citlzens, who are not
Irishmen, will accept my congratulations.
for know you will not be jealous of our
beautiful building. nor that we have named
it St. Patrick's Hail.
Fellow Irishmen, would say to you that
Judge of all of you by myself. and there
fore l say the Irish are proud race. We
are all proud that we will soon have st.
Patrick's Hall, but would it not be well that
each and every one of us should have
claim on the beautiful building, so that he
could speak of it as his own! Then he
might be proud with reason. And that
crowd of Irishmen out at st. JOseph's par
ish, If they should have claim in this hall,
and, at some future time, should take
notion to come out here and spout little,
looking at the large array that would be
there to meet me, for of course you would
all come, having claim in the hall, look
ing at you. / say, and rejecting that you
had that claim, why, would be so proud
that would feel myself six inches taller.
This idea, my friends, has not been sug-
gested to me. offer it as my own sug-
gestion know the gentlemen who have
begun this work are willing and abund-
antly able to carry it to completion alone
and unaided. But, my friends, the glory s
too much for so few, and it ought to be di-
vided SO that we all may have share.
sincerely hope that the gentlemen hav-
ing the matter now in hand will yield to this