The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-05
THE EMMETT ANNIVERSARY.
lrish-Americans Suitably Honor the Memory
Of the Martyr-Major Calkins's Speech.

The Irish Americans of this city have reason
to be proud of the meeting held last night at
| Masonic hall, in celebration of the 10th ami
versary of the birth of the hero, martyr and pa
! triot Robert Emmett. Governor Gray presided,
| opening the ceremonies with a speech, in which
| he paid tribute to Irish character and to Rob-
| ert Emmett In concluding his remarks, he said
| that Ireland was not to hope to gain her liberty
| oy the methods of the dynalniters but by legti-
mate methods of agitation, and revolution, and
| honorable warfare
Miss Anna Abromet Mrs. W. G. Lynn, Miss
Mollie Ward, Ora Pearson, Mr.. A. Smith and
| Mr.. A. A. Heckler took part in pleasing music
al programme. Mr.. NJ II. Spades gave violin
solo. and Professor Paul Bahr furnished the
piano accompaniment. Emmet's famous speech
was given. the part of the martyr being assumed
by Mr.. P. j. Kelleher, and that of Lord Norbury
by Mr. j. NJ. Sullivan.
The hall was appropriately decorated with
American and Irish flags, the stage being ar
ranged with flowers, plants and bunting. The
Emmett Guards, occupying the stage, sang, ''God
Save Ireland" with fine effect
Mr.. P. M. OConner, a young Irishman who
has been in this country little more than a year,
made ringing address in which, enunciating
the axiom that wherever England found foe
Ireland had a friend, he said that his sympathies
and haters of English wrong and oppression,
| were With the Mahdi in the Soudan.
MAJOR w. II. Calkins, on being introduced by
the president, was warmly applauded. His ad-
dress took up the stirring events of the
decade preceding the year 1900, leading
up to the execution of the . lamented
Emmett. He called to mind in eloquent words
the brave, generous and unfortunate Wolfe
Tone, who, returning from America organized
the expedition In France for the freedom Of his
country, but which, being unsuccessful resulted
In his capture and his death in prison He
spoke OF the young Irishman, William Orr, who
gave his life for Ireland as did in 1898 the broth
ers Henry and John Shires and Thomas Rus
sell, executed i'll 1903. He graphically described
the capture and execution of Robert Emmett,
who might have escaped had he not periled his
lte for a last meeting with the beautiful Sarah
Curran, who had his heart. 70 this lady and to
Anna Devn who secreted Emmett from his pur-
suers-and from VIII N neither brides, fortunes
nor promises could extort single hint of his
hiding place-he gave an eloquent eulogy. He
SAID the womanly devotion of these two Irish
girls will last in history and story and the Green
Isle may we'll boast of such noble women as
Sarah Curran and Anna Devlin. The world &C.
knowledges Tell the hero of Switzerland,
kosciusko as the hero of Poland, and we who
love liberty as we pass the unepitaphed grave
of Emmett will reverently bow to tho great
est Of Ireland's dead, to the nobest
OF libertys martyrs / ann the champion of Ire
land not because of the Irish blood that flows
in my veins, but because believe in the inher
tied right of people to self government. Because
they hold out their hearts in their hands to us
asking sympathy. believe that l shall live to
see the day when Irshmen in Ireland will be
allowed to select their own rulers At no distant
day see in my fancy the lowliest Irish peasant
hot
vine and fig-tree, in his own home,
owning his own acres-a free man,
with his wife and children happy and contended
around him. see the Irish people coming out
from under the thradom of British tyranny
| and the Irish republic looming up among the
free nations of the earth beside the United
States and Switzerland, singing. while the green
flag waves above them, their peons of liberty
God bless you, my friends, / am glad to have
been with you.
Major CaIkinss speech was heartily applauded
at its close. Dancing followed the musical and
literary features of the evening