The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-26

two centuries ago, when there was famine
in New England, and shipload of bread
stuffs came from Ireland to Boston so it
was proved in 1861, when our national
troubles broke out, and in the front rank
of armed courage flashed the Irishman's
bayonet, and from the first conflict to the
last was heard the Irishman's battle
shout. Some of you know the name of
Thomas Francis Neagher, and what he
did at Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor.
Did the Irishman prove himselfself-sac-
ri6cing and brave and true to the flag
under which he had come to live in our
days of civil strife? Let Chickamauga,
and Antietam, and South Mountain and
Gettysburg answer.
Moreover, the patriotism and eloquence
of Ireland have been inspiration to ora
tors and heroes all the world over, and
Ireland has in that way brought all ua-
tions under obligation. In how many
crises of our national history have our
great men got inspiration from the names
Of Grattan, and Edmond Burke, and Frs
kline, and Daniel O'Connell, called by
many the Washington of Europe2 Why,
sirs, there is in one passage of Robert EN-
NETS dying speech enough eloquence to
kindle the eloquence of a century. The
day before he was first hung and then
beheaded in Ireland for the sake of his
principles day before, on the road
to the scaffold, he waved a last adieu to
Sarah Curran-of whose broken heart
Washington Irving wrote 80 wonderful
ly-she in carriage along the road wav-
ing back the farewell as he went out to
die. The day before the execution, a
young man only Is years of age, Robert
Emmett, uttered speech as he looknd in
to the face fan indignant court, speech
so full of patriotism, and power, and elo-
quence it has hardly been equaled:
"You, my Lord, are the Judge; I am
the supposed culprit. am man, you
are man Also By a revolution of pow
er we might change places, though We
never could change characters. If l
stand at the bar of this court and dare
not vindicate my character, what farce
is your justice. If stand al this bar and
dare not vindicate my character, how dare
you calumniate it? 1 have but few
words more to say. My ministry is now
ended. am going to my cold and silent
grave. My lamp Of life is nearly extin-
guished. 1 have parted with everything
that was dear to me in this life for my coun
try's cause, and abandoned another idol
| adore in my heart, the object of my af-
fections. My race is run. The grave opens
to receive me, and sink into its bosom.
1 am ready TO die. l have not been al
lowed to vindicate my character. have
but one request to ask at my departure
from this world it is the charity of its
silence. Let no man write my epitaph,
for as no man who knows my motives
dares now vindicate them, let not preju-
dice or ignorance asperse them. Let
them rest in obscurity and peace, my
memory be left in oblivion, and my tomb
remain uninscribed until other times and
other men can do justice to my character.
When my country takes her place among
the nations of the earth, then, and not
till then, let my epitaph be written. I
have done"
Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, wrote
the songs which afterwards became the
war songs of Poland, and wrote elevated
sentiments for all the world. Handel
declared that he would rather have writ
ten Moore's "Aileen Aroon" than to have
written his own greatest operas. Thomas
Moore's "Lalla Rookh" made the heart
of the earth to tingle with its matchless
rhythm, and Lord Byron, writing to the
Irish author, said 81 shall not suffer
the Misses Byron to read your poem, lest
they find out that there is greater poet
than their father" Yet so simple Of
heart and SO unpretending of life was this
Thomas Moore that he was ruled out of
royal circles because, when the Prince of
Wales asked him, care you related to the
peer by the name of Moore?" he said /:
''No, my lord my father was grocer
in Doublinp Oh !the brave words and
the barve deeds in Ireland that have
been inspiration to all the world. 1 do
not know any passage in history more
thrilling than that when the men of
O'Brien, wounded in the hospital, unable
to rise, when they heard tho battle was
going against them, begged that stakes
might be driven in the ground, and they
might be brought out and lashed fast to
the stakes, so they could stand up, then
with the right arm fight for their country.
And so it was done, and these wounded
men were carried out on couches, and
the stakes were driven, and these men
were fastened to the stakes, while with
their right arm they fought for Ireland,
and fought until they died. But Ireland,
has sent her magnetic men to this shore
There are many here who remember the
oratorical charm that thralled the court
room when James T. Brady bowed and
said "May it please the Court, and gen.
tlemen of the jury" And there may be
here and there one who remembers so
far back as the day ofThomas Adds EN-
met, who closed his career as an associ-
ate in Ireland by pleading for client
who must die because of a political oath
he had taken-closing his speech by seiz-
ing the Bible and pressing it to his lips,
and saying: 81 60 down with my client
I take the same OATH" Then coming to
this land to beceme the compeer of Will
liam Writ and John Randolp, rising
higher and higher in his influence at the
forum until his falling dead in an apo
pletic fit in the Court-house at Snug liar
Dor. All the Supreme court rooms of
the land went into mourning, and learn
ed eulogist, declared that for purity Of
life, and greatness of soul, and magnif-
cence of eloquence, Thomas Adds En-
met was unrivaled. By heroic words
Ireland has brought all lands under
obligation. Now she sits in the
shadow of death. the scenes of 1916
about to be repeated unless relief
comes speedily. A brief picture of 1916
in Ireland
"As we passed along, groups Of squalid
beings were seen at road-corners, or run
ming from the multitudinous houses, hov-
els, huts, or cavcrns dotting the slopes
and in the bottoms by the streamlets sides
to see the meal 60 past them under the
protection of bullets, bayonets, and caval-
ry swords, on its way to feed people be-
vnnd the mountains HUNGER .stricken ike