Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-01

cess would fatally weaken, as our failure
would nightly strengthen slavery, and
England claimed to be the leading anti
slavery power in the world. The best of
feeling existed between both nations. The
Prince of Wales had just received in this
| country an ovation as brilliant as
that which was granted to Lafayette,
nearly fifty years ago, If we will ex-
cept the immortal Col. Cocoran who
| refused to do honor to representative of a
government which had coerced and depriv-
ed his native country of every vestige of
freedom worth living for during the past
six hundred years. He Justly declined to
parade the gallant Irish Goth N. Y. regi-
ment on that occasion. Certainly the
Americans have mott forgotten the fiery
haste with which England endeavored to
force them into war on the Trent affair
at time when their every nerve was
strained to keep the rebels in check. and
the savage feeling with which the British
rulers and most of the people learned that
their prey had escaped them
when Mason and SlideII were
surren dered. Hear the reply of
the immortal Seward then our secretary of
state, to the English tyrants, for my part
shall never forget it, "Your Lordship will
designate time and place to surrender
Mason and Slidell." Compare the above
with the course of the Irish people toward
America. At time when all England was
determined to crush her life's blood, when
1t was treason to utter word in her behalf
In the halls of the British legislature, it
was an Irishman, the immortal Bourk. the
greatest orator that ever spoke in the
British parliament, it was he who SO elo-
quently advocated and defended American
freedom. 1t was an Irish parliament that
refused 10 vote ajax and sustain England in
prosecuting America. You will
observe this was at a time, too,
when America needed sympathy.
Ireland has furnished America with
her full quota of herlbravest soldiers, her
ablest generals, her most eminent jurists
and statesmen. Notwithstanding all her
disadvantages she can justly claim Irish
blood among Americas honored citizens
in all the walks of life. With the above
picture before the patriotic American who
so freely shed his blood and contributed
his treasures toward the freedom of the
black slave, is it possible for him to forget
his manhood, and be guilty of ingratitude
to his fellowmen, by penning single line
in defense of the most infamous robber
government that ever cursed the human
family?
In answer to my latter question 1
would say that from the first dawn of
Irish history, (which is about fifteen
hundred years before the Christian
era) to 1900, the date of her unfortunate
union with England, Ireland always main
tanned an independent parliament of her
own, period of over 5000 years. Nine
hundred years before the Christian era, her
first parliament was called at Tara, the
seat of the kings court. This great man
delivered to that assembly a history of the
nation, which included the laws and max
inns of their forefathers; whereupon
written constitution was framed and ap-
pended thereto, which was received for
more than 1000 years as guide by the
subsequent kings and jurists of Ireland.
The laws made by those ancient legislators
were very wise and very humane.
They provided for the national
hospitality, for the diffusion of
knowledge and wealth, the subdivision of
land, and for the punishment of crime.
The trial of disputes by t,CeEce men, was
prominent among them. Chivalry, honor,
music, poetry, and martial courage, were
promoted by their social customs. Though
the nations which surrounded them were
many times conquered and reconquered,
and even sold as slaves, by Roman, Saxon,
Dane, and Norman, Ireland maintained an
unconqUerable integrity all through Dur
ing the western ars.of the Romans, the
Irish opposed their legions in Britain, and
finally drove them back after contest
which lasted four hundred years. They
were the only nation in Europe
that received Christianity with
out shedding blood; which
they did in the year 432. After their con-
version to Christianity, they turned their
whole strength to the cultivation of letters
and morals. They opened extensive col
leges at home, to which the youth of Gaul,
Britain andEScotland repaired to be educat-
ed. There is hardly any celebrated part Of
Europe where evidences may not be found
at this day of their industry or knowledge.
During the long night of rutfianism and
ignorance which hung over Europe from
the fourth to the sixth century, when the
Cloths were seated on the thrones of the
Caesars, the enlightened sons of
Ireland were the only cultiva-
vators of letters and dispensers of
knowledge that remained in Europe.
IL Was 1rOu tuon GndG Inc AnSlO-OdXOnS
received their knowledge of letters and
their ideas of Legislative government. Ire
land for several centuries presented these
attributes, and won from the admiring
nations which she taught the distinctive
title, Island of Saints and Doctors. In the
ninth century her people were harrassed
by a. war with the Danes, which lasted two
hundred years; and though that powerful
race gave new line of kings to England,
and founded new kingdom in the heart
of Gaul, they were subdued by the perse-
vering bravery of the Irish, who defeated
them and extinguished their power in
Ireland in the beginning of the
eleventh century. From the first set
Element of the country to this
IA period of twenty-five hundred
years. the Irish maintained their indepen-
dence. In the twelfth century, through
the quarrels Of their native princes, they
were invaded by new enemies in the An
glo-Normans, which proved disastrous to
their independence. These invaders were
crafty and treacherous, and arrayed prince
against prince, assisting one side and
then the other, according to circumstances,
until the power of all was considerably
diminished. Towards the fifteenth century,