Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-03-18
tRELAND's PATRON SAINT.
Tho Celebration Ysstsrday-B Day and
Large Turn Out-Oration by Dol. Godfrey
The Ball Last Night.

Tho Celebration Yesterday DAY an
Large Tufn Out-0ration by Dol. Godfrey
The Ball Last Night.
Yesterday opened auspiciousl,
for the celebration Of the natal day
Of st. Patrick, Ireland,s patrol
Saint. The sun shone brightly
but not too fervidly, its rays beini
tempered by a cool and pleasan
breeze which prevailed Throughout
the entire day. At the appointed
hour the procession formed In from
Of Turn Vsrein Hall and moved II
the following order:
Mounted Police.
City Band In Uniform.
Los Angeles Guards.
Confidence Engine Company No
2, In uniform, drawing their hos'
cart and escorting the engine. A
feature of their turn out was tn
appearance OF Mr.. George Vignolt
who has just recovered from a se
we're attack of illness and who rod'
at the head Of the company in
buggy.
Carriage containing Mr.. P. @
Connolly, President Of the day, ant
Col. J. F. Godfrey. orator. Mex
followed carriages; ;containing tn,
Mayor, members Of the City Coun
ell and invited guests.
The rear Of the procession wal
occupied by the Ancient Order O.
Hibernisns in full regalia, who
turned out in the full strength o.
the Order.
The parade taken as o whole wal
as fine q one as we have seen tr
Los Angeles. After marching
through the principal streets Of the
city the procession returned te
Turn Vsrein Hall, where the liter
ary exercises were held.
After q popular air by the band
Mr.. Connolly, Presidsnt of the day
introduced Col. Godfrey. who de-
llvered the following
ELOQUENT GRAFTON.
Ladies and Gentlemen: I feel
very grateful for an invitation to
address you on this celebration ol
the anniversary Of Ireland's Pat
ron Saint. I only feel sorry that
my ability is not equal to my de.
sire to do Justice to the cause which
Irishme to-day represent; stand
ing, as they do, a race of people
struggling to maintain in their
fatherland the principles Of human
freedom which have so far tri-
umphed In America. In ex.
amining the history of Ireland's
sufferings and Treland's wrongs the
reader is carried back to former
days when the Celtic race was
dominant in Western Europe, and
smbodying In it's tribal relations
that form of government most ma
tural to the human race, aud which
biblical history shows was that 0i
the ancient Jews-a patriarchal OF
family government-a nationality
perfect in itself because the people
comprising 1t were from one com.
mon stock and were held together
by the most sacred tie of kindred
blood. The principle Of the gov.
ernment was that the father had
the natural right to rule his fam.
lily, and as the family increased
and became more numerous, the
head of the government naturally
became Of the common blood
whose age and wisdom best quail
ned him for the simple duties 0i
controlling the action Of their com
mon brotherhood. Aud in this
condition, governed by some hon.
ored member Of their own triba
family, with the land common
to all and owned by none; with no
property rights save in. the f1ocks
and herds, Of which each had biz
share; with a com mon interest In
the general we'll being and love
and veneration for the chieftair
who, by kindred ties united to
them all, was allowed to admin
lister the little Of law which theil
simple life and customs called for
rejoicing In freedom like the free
dom existing among the chill
dren of o common family, We
find the Irish people in the fftt
century when Saint Patrick with
. mission from the Holy Sec sought
to teach them the word of God al
preached by Jesus and his deciples
The Irish took kindly to his teach.
ings. Their natures, generous ant
simple and sympathetic, were rous
ed at the glory af the life and suf
ferings and death Of the Savior o
mankind. He who died to saw,
Others was to them at once a here
and . God, and believing with al
the earnestness OF ardent, brave ant
truthful natures, they made I
Saint Of the Christian man mht
taught them to live aud trust tn,
Lord. As far az we can1earn from
history and tradition. ireland dur
ing this period and for some cen
turies later was far superior TO th,
average civilization Of the time
The relations Of the people with
each other were pure; their child
rem were instructed In schools; the!
had historians, aud teachers, ant
poets, and musicians, and we're ais
we'll instructed In the art Of war
And when the Vikings, descend
like cold wave from their north
ern Businesses. conquered Euglan'
and made q permanent fOoth0ld 0I
the shores Of France, the Irish peo
pie, Of all with whom the northern
invaders fought. were the only one
who after two centuries OF warfar
drove them finally from their coun
try and freed their lana.
Thus We hnd that love OF libert,
10 the birthright Of an Irishman
and Notwithstanding q Thousand
years of oppression in his nativ'
land = Notwithstanding that hi
land has been taken from him b.
superior force, his form of gov