The New York herald., 1879-03-18
bottom Facts About st. Patrick.

In our considerations of the legend Of st.
the probability that the great regenerator
of Ireland was an American; yet we have no
doubt whatever that, if there ever was any
such person as ST. Patrick, he went to the
tight little island from this side of the sea, and
was himself the first link in that psycholog-
ical relation which has subsisted between
the two countries more or less continuously
ever since: Who st. Patrick was in America
we do not know, but 1t is probable that he
was an Alderman in some city of the mound
builders. In the light Of this theory, that
the Saint was really the first Irish American,
the wayfaring gman. though fool-as he very
often is-may perceive at once in what q
symmetrical and beautiful style the history
of Ireland has repeated itself; for succor,
assistance and publication sent from
America to Ireland is the familiar fact of
our own times as we'll as the substance of
the legend. Indeed. in this view we
might contemplate St. Patrick as the first
of the Fenians. He would probably have
been plunged into British bastile if
there had been one, or if at that time there
had been seven centuries Of oppression to
denounce. Arch@ologists will observe that
this theory accounts for the snakes that
figure in the legend, since snake worship
was the great original religion Of the early
Americans, and an American on his travels
would be surrounded with the emblems
of his religion. These would also appear
in pictorial representations of his voyage,
but an ignorant posterity would lose the
tradition Of their significance and supply
an imaginary explanation. But while we
are certain that st. Patrick was an Ameri-
can, If there was any st. Patrick, we are
compelled to declare our convection that
the whole story is great national myth,
and not personal history. and this may be
clearly proved in accordance with the
theories Of the celebrated Macksey O'Muller,
q distinguished authority on mythology.
ALI the elements Of tho myth are whiskey,
snakes and gentility.. 1t is certain that
before the period put down as that of the
Saint the Druidsvr ruled the roast in Ireland.
and the roast was still, for GRUB" and
''bub" stand for one another in all
legends. These Druids made fearfully
bad whiskey, which was the only beverage
the inhabitants had. Consequently the coun-
try was full of snakes, which, as we have be-
fore pointed out, were in the boots of the
people. Then came into the country some
gentlemen from America. In the language
of the people, which was afterward called
Latin by one of the great errors common in
pathological history, these persons were
designated patricians, on account of their
evident gentility. They taught the in
habitants how to make whiskey as good as
1t was made in Bourbon county. Irishmen
used this excellent beverage literally and
there were no more snakes. Therefore it
was said that the patricians drove out tho
snakes. Popular gratitude preserved the
memory of this achievement in pictures Of
these patricians, who were all fine tall fel-
lows. Eventually these pictures, which
were not photographs, were thought to be
various portraits Of one person whose name
it was supposed was Patricius, which be-
came popularized rs Patrick, and in the
course Of time the Church adopted this
mythical hero and made saint of him.