The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-11-05
THE ADDRESS FROM GO 900 IRISHMEN
THAT GRANT WOULD NOT RECEIVE


the Centennial. address adopted by $4,000
Irishmen assembled in Dublin on the
Fourth of July last. This address, as our
readers know, was brought to Washington
by two distinguished Irishmen, Messrs.
Parnell and O'Copnor Power, to be pre-
sented, through tho President, to the
American people, but owing to some point
of court etiquette, it had fret to be sub
mitted to the British Minister. Of course
Sir Edward found "treason in it, and,
therefore, Gen. Grant would not accept it.
But it has at length reached the people of
America through the press, and will attract
all the greater attention from the very fact
that the President, for such reason, re-
fused to receive it,
To tho President OF United States OF America the
People OF Ireland Greeting:
Sir-Whilst the mighty republic over
which you preside commentaries the CEN
tennary of its deliverance, tie Ir sh nation,
universally moved by kindred sympathy,
desires to mipgle its accents of coDgratu'a
torious, great and a free people. America
has now enjoy ed one hundred years of free
dom, preserving with unremiiting fidelity
the sacred trust confided to her care: Ire
land has borne seven centuries of oppres-
sion without having ever for one single
instant forfeited her ferveut love of liberty.
This we know affords ample aud sufficient
reason to authorize our addressing your
august nation, for we are we'll aware that q
century of happiness has but made freedom
more dear to your hearts, qulckened your
sympathy with suffering and rendered de-
spotlsm more detestable. Yet other reasons
also there are which we venture to recall,
iNtNo rift haT aa n n l
we were tracing all the mysterious designs
of Providence which fashioned between us
honda of my site brotherhood, drew us clos
ely together in heart and mind and soul, in
order that the sunlight of liberty which
America enjoys should also illumine the
sorrowing but uplifted and expectant brow
of Ireland.
OF old, when the most adventurous of the
mighty Aryan race had penetrated to this
our island, they climbed our Western
mountains and beheld the immensity OF
ocean which seemed to debar them from
| further daring. The material obstacles
could control their bodies only their eagle
minds planned far beyond the tossing bill
| lows, and, in imagination, they discovered
q new and wondeIous land. Clothing it in
the golden glories of the sunset sky, they
named it the " Land of Youth" and en-
dowed it with mystic virtues, believing
that 1t gave strength to the weak, hope to
those who were faint of heart, and immortal
joy and youth to sad old age. Standing on
| the utter Imost verge of the Western w orld,
gazing from the last pinnacle of the known
! they pierced, by divine intuition, the mys
teries of the unknown. They imagined the
| existence of q new world, which after times
made manifest. They believed it possessed
of virtue which transfgures all it touches
and such is freedom. They bebeld it in
the propitious land, land who shall say them
nay y where many, many of the ancient
race of Erin were destined to renew their
youth, like the eagle, and arise strong, pros
perous and invincIble.
Inspired by this prophetic vision, moved
T by the profoHnd instinct which the Al
mighty Creator infused into the hearts OF
our forefathers, their souls have ever
yearned toward the West. There was q
time when Ireland, which, ike Zion, has
} become tributary, was once "great among
the nations, a princess among the prov
inces." Her country was the university OF
Europe, in whose open gates strangers
coming from all quarters to it's free lectuTet
and hospitab!e board, met learned mer
going forth to instruct all peoples, from
snowy Iceland to burning Araby. "Thret
centuries of European civilization belong
exclusively to Ireland such il the testi
mony of foreign historian. During thil
long lapse of time, from the sixth to the
ninth centuries, many voyagers went fortt
from our shores upon the Atlantic ocean
ana IL ID COIO tn8C some amongst Cnem-SG
Brendon-reachrd the far, fair land which
men now call America. The natural'z I'd
NOrsemen of our ports, whose home was OF
tho living waters of the sea, followed like
wise in the golden path of the setting sun
and hehe'd the further limit of the multi
tud -,.us blllows. To that discovered land
the oounteous territory which the ancient
Irish had named the " Land of YOUTH" the
Saga of the Scandinavian gave the not less
significant appellation of leland it Mika,' >
which, being translated means "Greater
Ireland"
When in later times the colonial Assem-
b?ies of America resolved no longer to en-
dure the heavy yoke laid on them by Brit
ain, to what else can we assign their
undoubting trust in Irish sympathy than to
that instructive community of sentiment
between the two countries which appears
from what precedes to have been foreor
dained of Godf The words addressed by
America to Ireland do so much honor to
our country that we cannot but recall them,
| not to remind Americans of them (for we'll