Saint Mary's beacon., 1883-08-16
THE IRISH ii AMERICA.

from which We clip the following
speech of Nj. Robert Haydn. Mr.
Haydn is a native Of this county
and is at present the Irish corrsaen-
dent Of the wide-awake and energetic
Baltimore Herald.
On coming forward, Mr.. Haydn was
greeted with loud cheers which, as
he stood quiet for a minute studying
the andience with his inquisitive,
kindly American eye, grew into en-
thusiasIn.
Mr.. Haydn. when silence was re-
stored, said-Rey. Sir end gentlemen
Next to my own people, / should
prefer above all others to address an
Irish audience, on the Irish sod. In
dependent of the honor any man must
feel at being privileged to address
such a gathering Of such intelligence
as / see before me, / am particularly
honored BY the complimentary way
in which your reverend Chairman
has been pleased to invite me before
you, and also by the warm reception
You have given me as an American.
/ love my country too well not to
feel exquisitely the generous applause
with which you received the an
nouncement Of my nationality. But,
beside these, have another reason
for being gratiied to address an Irish
audience, q patriotic Irish audience,
as all Galway audiences are known
TO be, at this date. It is 10 thank
Ireland in the name of free country,
for her celebration of Americas In
dependence, the glorious Fourth of
July. On that day, / need not tell
you, it was that the Colonies of
America passed the Declaration of In
dependence, whereby they forever
severed themselves from the control of
a tyrannical and unjust alien Govern
ment. You cannot know how graft
flying it was to me, a stranger in your
beautiful land, to see the greatest hol-
iday of my country, kept quite as gem
orally as it was in the United States.
Whilst / am at this point, may not
speak amiss to tell you another Of the
hundred more reasons | have, for TAX
ing pleasure in addressing you. When
England with her usual bullying pro-
pensities, undertook to put a tax on
our tea-and am glad to say that
the question arose about nothing
stronger-she declared that it was
not the income that she wanted, SO
much as she desired the Colonies to
know that she was the their mother,
and had the right on provocation, or
without provocation, to turn them
over her maternal knee, and spank
them at pleasure. At that moment,
was sounded the keynote Of our inde-
pendence. The Colonies declared
that they were weaned, that their
days of catnip tea were over, and that
they would not submit to periodical
spankings, even to crafty crotchety
old dame of mother. In the House,
Of Burgess Of the State of Virginia, a
speech was made which fired the
hearts Of the Colonists to that point
beyond forbearance where indepen-
dence lies. Referring to this unjust
tax, as are all taxes without repre-
sentation, that patriot in the House
of Burgess said that he had no way to
judge of the future but by the past,
and the immediate past taught them
that they would be forever subject to
the whims of an alien Government.
If she would do one injustice to de-
monstrate her authority, she would
not stop at any number Of injustices
TO maintain her power. He then
closed his memorable address in these
words as near as / can recollect: "As
for other gentlemen, Mr.. Speaker, ]
care not what step they may take /;
but as for me, sir, give me liberty or
give me death" (prolonged applause J
That speech was printed and circulat-
ed all through .he Colonies. In those
days there were no telegraphs, no
railroads, no cables. It took weeks
to disseminate that document. The
fire of patriotism glows in shorter
time (applause.) Ere long the whole
country was ablaze with that fire of
Independence (applause) which, thank
God, yet burns on the hearthstone of
every American citizen (applause, }
and sends out the alluring light afar
to the oppressed of every people, race
and country, on the face Of the globe
(applause.) That speech, which, un-
doubtedly, was the alarm TO arms, to
independence, and to freedom. was
made by Patrick Henry, the grand
son Of an Irishman (prolonged ap-
plause.) Nor can forget that the
Declaration Of Independence, the
most reasonable document ever sign
ed against England, the grandest ever
framed 10 behalf Of humanity, (ap-
plause,) bears the signatures OF seven
lrishmen (applause. Would | not
be ungrateful were not happy, in
deed, to meet you people on this oc-
casion7
With an eye centred on the canse
which has founded this institution and
made il prosperous and blessina
Rev. Chairman, shall but recount to
yon briefly. the success OF two others
Of your race in my native state ol
Maryland, which may show the ad-
vantages Of Temperance. as well as
the usefulness of your race 10 their
adopted country. / recall to mind
q gentleman who. through only forty
years of.age, occupies = seat in the
ITrsAnl So. FEaA