The daily gazette., 1883-03-06
EMMETT's BIRTHDAY.

Banquet.
The Irish Nationalists of this city cele-
brated last night the 105th anniversary OF
the birth Of Robert Emmett, the Irish
patriot, by public meeting in the Opera
House and a private banquet at the United
States Hotel.
Three speakers-Hon. w. F. Robinson
and Gen. Thomas +. Bourke of New York,
and Nicholas Ford OF Missouri-were an
n0unced, but the latter was unable to be
present. Mr.. Robinson and General Bourke
were met at at the station at 5 o'clock and
escorted to the United States Hotel by
committee of reception composed or Col.
Francis MeCloskey, Col. Thomas Ford,
Patrick Cahil and Councilman John NJ.
Newell.
About 7.3O the visitors and committee
were taken to the Opera House in carriages,
the First Regiment Band accompanying the
party on the sidewalk. A large number OF
bhe friends of the cause were present and
greeted the arrival of the party warmly.
The following were among those who took
their seats upon the stage: Colonel Nc
Closkey, Colonel Ford, Councilman,
Newell, Collector Kyne, James Megary,
Peter j. Ford, Thomas r. Lally, j. L.
Malone, John Tully, NJ. A. O'Connor, P. j.
Duffy, 2. T. Long, Thomas Kane, William
Condor, John Doordan, John Joyce, Peter
T. Matthews, John Myers, Thomas Holland,
William Mccarthy, James Mckenzie, Pat
rick Cahill, Michael Sharky, Daniel Nc
Kenna, Hugh Nolan. Henry Ward, Frank
Kane, Michael Bolan, John Guthrie,
Michael Reilley Of Wilmington, with Pat
rick McGerry, James Carlin, Frank Rey-
nolds, Patrick Toner, John Fitzgerald,
Charles White, Hugh Duffy and James Fin
ncgan of New Castle.
Soon after O'Clock James A. Bourke
called the meeting to order, naming Hon.
Charles b. Lore as chairman. Mr.. Lore ac-
cepted the position in a short speech, saying:
For more than 700 years Ireland has been
groaning under military despotsm so
absolute and so oppressive that she has
challenged the admiration of the entire
world for her heroic efforts to emancipatc
herself Wherever you find one who is fond
of liberty you will find one who sides with
Ireland, which has been crushed, but will
never be suppressed. Ireland and her
liberty will always make Irishmen come to-
gether to hear words of Robert Emmett.
1t is my privilege now TO introduce to you
one who is honored throughout the land and
who has made the halls of Congress re-
sound with his eloquence, Hon. William E.
Robinson of New York:
Mr.. Robinson, good-natured looking old
gentleman with bushy iron-grey locks and
smooth face, stepped forward, amid round
OF applause and began his remarks by say
ing that he had recently been i'll and the
doctor had directed him to be careful lest
his old complaint, bronchitis, be brought
back with redoubled force. He was happy
to be present, and happy also to see Mr..
Lore, to whom he said, turning 81 am
glad that Delaware has sent you to Con-
gress. We want more men there who are
not afraid to identify themselves with Ire
land and Emmett"
1t was over 100 years since young Robert
Emmett was born, and every year his name
became more familiar. When England
made a martyr of the young Republican
who tried to live up to the doctrines of
Washington and Jefferson, 1t only endeared
him more to Irishmen, and now the name
of Emmett is heard all over the world
wherever liberty is loved. Robert Emmett
stands as a representative of oppression to
Ireland, and his memory will continue to
inspire the hearts of all patriotic men until
the Englishmen, like yermin, shall be driven
into the sea by some political st. Patrick,
and the green flag shall float where the red
is now triumphant.
He advised all Irshmen, young and old to
join the Nationalists and keep up the spirit
Of independence. The speaker then spoke
Of the bill he had introduced in Congress,
advocating the annexation OF ireland to the
United States, and said he believed he could
convince all Americans who had reason, all
Irishmen and even stupid Englishmen, that
the thing could be done. There is no such
blot on civilization to-day as the English
government of Ireland, while he designated
as abominable and hellish.
He compared Ireland to a man or woman
who had been assaulted by a bully, and
asked If any true man would pass by, with
out offering his assistance, person In dis
tress and being maltreated, England had
been as a cut-throat and a rObber in ireland
for seven centuries. He dwelt at some
length upon the wrongs inflicted upon the
Emerald Isle and then endeavored to dem
onstrate that America was composed in a
great measure of Irishmen or their offspring,
fully nine-teuths of the population having
Irish blood in their veins. When the Irish
came to this country, he said they brought
many children with them, while the
Pilgrim Fathers came without large families
and fully one-half of the party died inside of
six months. One IIishman he referred TO
came to this country in 1740 with five chill
dren, and from them had sprung long line
of prominent and intelligent citizens.
Among the number, which number over
1000, were Governors of Virglnia-0ld
Virginia, and not the reconstructed State
3 members of the Cabinets from Jefierson's
to Abraham LincOln's time, Is Senator, 20
members OF the House, 2 Ambassadors to
France aud Spain, 8 doctors Of divinity and
professors, vice president and defeated
candidates for the same position.
Why, in Gods name, he continued, was
Ireland left out of the Union when she had
done SO much for it Why not take her
now from beneath the hoofs of the British
bull, which is crushing her under foot, and
bring her back to the sisterhood where she
belongs
lie condemned suobbery and the apelng
Of English customs by Americans. Mr..
Robinson spoke for about an hour and a
quarter, his audience frequently greeting
him with rounds Of applause. Upon taking
his seat he was presented with magnificent
bouquet.
Mr.. Lore then, In introducing General
Thomas F. Bourke, who commanded the
celebrated Sixty-ninth Regiment of Irish
men during the war, said'
''Wc are not yet up to the point where we
can annex Ireland, as there are 5000 miles
of water between us, but the Republic can
rest assured that all the representatives OF
Delaware will do all they can to settle the
Irish question"
Gen. Bourke then gave a powerful speech
on the subject OF lreland's oppres-
sion, and outlined the life OF
Robert Emmett At times he became very
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