The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-09-06
IRISH DEPARTMENT.
DILLON O'BRIEN, Editor.
THE PENAL DAYS.
ST. PAUL SEP. 9th, 1875.

THE PENAL DAYS.
rein Scotland what work have the four
and-twenty letters to show for themselves The
natural enemies OF vice, and folly, and slavery;
zhe great sewers, but the still greater weeders
Of the human soil. "-John Philpot Curran.]
In that dark time Of cruel wrong, when on our
cOuntry's breast,
A dreary load ruthless code, with wasting
terrors prest-
Our gentry stript of land and clan, sent exiles
DER the main,
70 turn the scales on foreign fields for foreign
szxse-. mOnarchs gam
our people trod like vermin down, all fenceless
Extortion, lust and brutal whim, and rancorous
bigot hate
Our priesthood tracked from cave to hut, like
,r., felons chased and lashed,
And from their mnistering hands the lifted
chalice dashed;
IN that black time of iaw-wrought crime, of
sitting woe and thrall,
There stood supreme one foul device, one en-
CINE worse than all.
Him whom they wished to keep a slave, they
sought to make q brute.
The, banned the light of heaven they babe
trsy.~. Instructions voice BE- 1nue
Gods second priest-the Teacher sent to feed
men S mind with lore
They marked price upon his head, as on the
priests before,
Well-wel they knew that never, face to face
beneath the sky,
Gould tyran, and knowledge meet, but one
of them should die:
That lettered slaves will link their might until
I their murlnurs grow
/ 70 that imperous thunder peal which despots
quail to know:
hot yCh IA lta VI lpa,p their
the weakness OF their lords
Till all the bonds that grid them round are
/ / snapt like Sampson's cords.
Hhis well they knew and called the power Of
4 Ignorance to aid:
4 80 might, they deemed an ahiect race Of soul
H less serts be made
when Irish memories, hopes, and thoughts
n u were withered, branch aud stem
n 4 race OF abject, souless serts to hew and
draw for them.
HI, God is good and nature strong they let
not thus decay
The seeds that deep in Irish breasts of Irish
4 feeling lay.
Still sun and rain made emerald green the
loveliest fields on earth,
And gave the type of deathless hope, the little
shamrock, birth;
Sail faithful to their Holy Chuich, her drest
II straits among,
To one another faithful still, the priests and
II people chung,
And Christ was worshipped, and received with
trembling haste and fear,
Ia field and shed, with posted scouts to warn
blood hounds near
STILL, crouching meath the sheltering hedge, OF
stretched on mountain fern,
Ehe teacher and his pupils met, ieloniously-
10 learn;
Still round the PEASANTS heart OF hearts hi.
daring music twined,
N MT.
enshrined
And still beside the smouldering turf were
fond traditions told
Of heavenly saints and prncely chiefs tn.
power and faith of old.
Deep lay the seeds, vet rankest weeds sprans
mingled could they fai'
or what We're freedoms blessed worth, i
slavery wrought not balei
As thrall, aud want, and ignorance, still deer
and deeper grew,
What marvel weakness, gloom and strife fell
dark amongst us too,
And serviie thoughts, that measure not the in.
. born wealth of man
And ssnvie cringe and subterfuge to 'scapt
our masters han
And drunkenness sense of woe a little
while IT, steep
And aimless teud, and murderous plot oh
one could pause and weep
Mid all the darkness, faith in heaven still,
shone, saving ray,
And Heaven DER our redemption watched, and
. chose its own good day
Two men We're sent uS-one for wears with
Titan strength of SOUL
10 beard our foes to peal our wrongs to band
us and control.
The other at later time, on gentler mission
came,
10 make eur neblest glory spring from out oul
saddest shame'
I'm all our wondrous, upward course haiti
Heaven its finger set
And we--but, oh, my countrymen, there's
much b,forlns yet
How sorrowfu' the useless powers our glo,iou:
1,r countless heavens desolate. our waste O
larren fields,
The all unused mechanic might our rushins
streams affo d.
The buried treasures of our mines our sea-.
unyalued hoard
But, oh, there is one p,teous waste whence ali
the rest have grown,
lne worse neglect the mind of man left dsser,
and un>own.
lend knowledge forth 10 scatter wide, and
deep to cast It's seeds,
he nurse of energy and hope, of manly
thoughts and deeds.
ct it 20 forth: right soon win spring thoss
. forces in it. train
hat yanouished Natures stubborn strength
that rifle earth ard naaln--
self nobler harvest far than Autumn tintS
with gold,
higher wealth, a surer gain than wave and
mine unfold
ct 1t go forth unstained, and purged from
Pride's unholy leayeN,
nth fearless forehead raised to Man, but hum
- bly, bent to heaven:
sep let ii sink in Irish hearts the story oil
their isle,
nd vsEsn thonchts NJ tan3ersss lora And