The New York herald., 1876-10-24
MARTYRS OF IRISH LIBERTY.

LECTURE By ). o'cosSoR POWER, M. p, AT
COOPER INSTITUTE LAST NIGHr-THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION THE TORCH WHENCE THE SPARK
OF IRISH PATRIOTISM WAS LIGHTED.
A large audience gathered last night In the hall OF
Cooper Institute to listen to lecture upon the
s.Martyrs Of Irish Liberly by John o'connor Power
the Irish member OF Parliament returned by the homo
rule party from the county Mayo. Aside from the at
traction OF the speaker charity incentive ia
attend the lecture Tor the proceeds devoted ia
poor Of St. Bernards parish Despite the disagrec
able weather q goody number OF ladies graced tho
OCCASION and seemed to be less enthusiastic In their
applause Of the speaker than their masculine friends
Rev. Father Hsay. pastor Of the parish 10 be bene-
dted introduced the orator Of the evening with fow
complimentary alasons 10 the genteman's reputation
and career.
.when the history OF the struggles the trials
triumphs OF human freedom comes to be written, Mr.
Power said in beginning lone OF Its brightest pages
will bo tho record made BY the people
OF ireland in defence national independence When
the fierce scandnavians Central Europe, and
when they compelled tho proud Gau, as well as tho
churlish Saxon TO acknowledge them as conqucrors.
they made final effort to subugato the Celt, but his
tory tells us that the power OF Brian confronted them
on the Irish coast and that their power was
suATrxREp lRIsH cLASsMES
on the shores oil ClontarL Ihrouguout sOo years o.
struggle the domination OF the unconquered island
continued the speaker "Irish patriotism continued 10
wage tho sacred Of independence against foreign
usurpation Later STILL tho gallant o'NeI routed the
enemies of his country, and sarsneld wioidec
patriotic sword nigh above the walls OF Limerick ans
compelled English King to guarantee the rcligioua
liberties OF Ireland. (Applause) Ia l7s2 lrish voiun
teers had armed in defence OF national right and im
partial history bore testimony tho fact that when
their cleaned OF tho Irish cap
tai tho light OF unborn freedom dawned upon thcis
long oppressed land Thus, SAID tho speaker, the
struggle for Irish nationality has been carried from
son, and each generation oil lrishmen has given
its own contribution TO tho maryrology OF Irish free
DOM
This long continued struggle told OF whose
manly hearts the God OF Liberty had planted the spirit
OF ndestrucuble reedom." (Appause MI Power
onvnccd that period had been reached In
the history OF Ireland whom the spirit Of country has
risen high above the cnactments OF foreign parlA-
ment, when lrshmen OF every race and creed not IN
one province, butin four not In one county, bus In
thirtytwo
ALL JOINED IN A GRAND PATRIOTIC UNION
which, ne was convinced, was destined 10 remove the
civil dissensions produced oy misgovernment and tho
crown OF liberty OF Ireland by asserting tho princi
Piles OF national freedom. (Checrsl Tho speaker be-
eved that the noble enthusiasm winch nrsd tho
hearts OF lrshmen IN times past had again taken pos
session OF the Irish national mind. II seemed but
just, therefore, that lrshmcn should pause a little
whio in the progress of political agitation to CATCH
possible something OF the spirit OF that patriotism
The American patriot gorics In the name OF Washing
ton, the SWISS IN that oi Tell. the spirit OF Hoer was
worshippcd in the passes OF the Tyro, tho Polo re-
menbcrcd with sorrow that. "Freedom shriekcd when
kosiusko fell and in Ireland, too, tho names OF her
heroes we're honored and perpetuated Ireland, Mr..
Tho sacred irs which buried in l7os 10 tho French
revolution. That spark had lived batA moment and
Mr. Power did not hesitate for ono moment to de.
claro his convection that the primary motives which
acuaisd the French people in that movement were ss
pure us ever stirred the human heart. tAppause)
The principles they laid down the purest and the
brightest, the most seif.evidens AID natural and,
though might ciothe thcm hateful coiors, and
although they had become tho property OF an rrs-
lglous faction, the principles Of
LIBERTY, kQCALrY AND FRATERNITY
are In themselves the sacred principles belonging 10
all morality and religion. hope added the Speaker
that the time will the history or tho world
when the leader public opinion viii have sufficient
for God aud sufficient sympathy for humanity
10 tho people, with the Cross OF Christ
in hand and the banner Of popular freedom in tho
other prepared to strike down with equal energy the
foes OF civil and religious freedom tAppl.usel
tho Society Of United risnnen in Belfast, and. amid
loud applause spoke Of IT'S leader, Theooald Wolfe
Tone. Although tuc Irish had obtained some conces-
si0ns nine years before the society was organized.
many OF the most oppressive penal laws st! remained
then now formed the great mass OF the people OF
Ireland, could not 60 to Parliament The spcaker
asked his hearers whom he presumed to be Catholics
and fellow coantrymen, 10 remember that IN that hour
PROTESTANT HEART OF woLYs rosa
deeply the sight orthe tndienses inflicted
upon his compatriots. (Cheorsl Tracing the career
OF Tone from the time when he fought only in debate
within the constitution until those who
sworn to protect that document trxmpcd upon u and
drove him TO light with the sword aud bullet and
finally perishcd In feons cell through tho impacabls
hatred Of England The speaker challenged history to
lind which that nation had shown eiths.
generosity mercy 10 fallen foe
Robert Emmct the next hero whose career
pictured and whose patriotism WIS euiogized II En-
had properly sustained by his foreign aliius
and his fellow country men the speaker thought hs
might now be spoken OF by freshmen as the American
love to speak OF Washington. However great the
vices those two men, who had laid down their lives
for Ireland, Mr. Power thought that no two men had
Tor irish nationality than Daniel O'Connel
and Thomas Davis The names OF Mcaghcr and Mitchell
tho applause Of tho audience and tho lecturer
concluded with brief but stirring reference, 10 tue
that occurred IN Manchester, Ebgland, ON the
23d of November 1857, when the thrss lrsh political
prisoners executed.
The price ar the HERALD tO.d0v and .e5cshv.f