The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-07-16
Father Ryan's Fourth of July Speech.

| The Mobile Register gives the following syn
opsis of a short speech delivered by the Rev
Abram J. Ryan on the Fourth of July at Ar.
lipgton, one of the suburbs of the Gulf City:
1t may appear strange, and / feel some what
queer, that | was selected as the orator of n
Fourth of Jolly speech. AS the hour Is late, and
as other amusemeuts await you, the remarks I
shall make will he brief. Wo are assembled
here to celebrate the Centenn ial birthday If
American independence-we Southrons. And
it il fi5tIng that we should commemorate and
clasp and hold TO our hearts the memories of
this day. The brains that thought cot the
ideas which this day, through this broad land,
perpetuates, we're Southern brains The mau
Who framed the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson-was q Southern man /; and
the man who by his skill and courage and
fortitude and hernism made that declaration q
success-GeorRe WashingtOu-wRs South
erner, y son of grand, noble, old Virginia. On
every bloody field of the irst revoiu ton the
best blood Of the SOutberners attested the de-
voton OF this people TO their principles and to
liberty.
We commemorate the bnndredth year of
American freedom to-day. But we to-day
wiser, better, stronger purer than the men of
ahund red yearsaRo Gen. Washington WAS the
typical man of 1875. His lineal successor to-
day is-Gen. Grant. We Americans are too
fast. too smart, heap too smart" to put il
in Yankee phrase. We have produced 10 one
hundred years no profound thinker no great
genius in Art, Music or sculpture; talk too
much Thomas Carlyle, the philosopher, says
x.
America has, in one hundred years, produced
man who is a ty piCal successor to George
Washington III greatness IN heroism, in devo-
ton to prIucipls, save he who, eleven years
ago, at AppUnattox Court house. surrendered
his stat Mess sword Ia him who to day presides
over the destIntes of America AS Wasbingt on's
successor.
In the of faces before me behold the
types of many uationalitics, / want to say
THE: Gbe blood IF the Celt, the Gaul, the
Saxon, watered tho infant tree of American
liberty. Colonel Moylsn and his Irish ORA
goons mad" Pennsy lvsnia resonant With the
mighty deeds OF their achieving; Mad Anthony
Wayne aud bis troopers lIye forever in the his
tory of this country; BLron Steuben, the Ger.
man, gave his services and his brilliant mill
tary talent TO the American cause; tho French.
man, Lafayette, came; the SpauIard, GSlvez,
came, and the best hearts blood of Europe was
given to the caose of American liberty, and the
right of the oppressed and exile of every ma
ton to find in this land free dom, and 3 home
was TINS bought and is a heritage TO all.
am priest of tho Catholic Church. and
claim the right to say this much in behalf of
my religion II 10 said that the Catholic Church
does not love liberty. and tn at Cathol do not
love their country. There have been two revO-
lutlons In this land, but there can be found no
Catholics who we're traitors. Colonel Moylsn
did not betray his cause and our Beauregsrd
was always trne to bis pTnc pies.
To-day, at Philadelphia the old Independ-
encs Bell was TuDg, and the day observed with
all ceremony and splendor. But while the peo- |
pie of this country honor the day, fear they
are letting loose their hold the principle
which make the day worthy OF honor. The
spirit of the germ, she essence of the day, the
love of the Consultation Of our forefatheTs, is !
recedinR from this people.
After u few words of sdv ice about not letting
liberty run into license, the reverend gentle
man closed bis address, when three cheers we're
proposed for Father Ryan, aud were given with
. will which made the walls Of the building re-
o0pLsd.