St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-17
regular working, and largely contributed to
that harmony and union which so


CHARACTERIZED EACH KINGDOM.
Woe, however, to any people who have the
i'll luck to be afflicted with bad government;
it is one of those calamities which throws the
shadow of desolation, as vast funeral pail,
over the land thus afflicted. Man was
made free being. Would to God
he had never been created rather than be
crushed down by the leaden heel of tyranny
and oppression, rather than submit to a woke
for which his neck was never shaped by
Providence.
The law of the ancient Irish, called the
Brehon law, unwritteu as the common law
of other countries, and celebrated Tor its
equipoise and moral depth, sufficiently
indicates that high order of civilization and
culture existed among the people at that
time. The
MOST REMARKABLE FEATURE
in the Brehon law was the tAal absence of
the penalty of death. subject which even
now seriously occupies public attention in
all OF the civilized countries of the world.
About the time of Christ those learned in
the Jurisprudence of the country made col
lection of the laws and committed them to
writing, several of which are mentioned by
their historians.
The poets Forchermes and Nedius in the
reign of Conquer, about the year 70 of the
Christian era, composed a dialogue on the
laws" and Cormac, styled the Wise, com
piled work on law which is still extant and
may be seen among the old manuscripts in
the archives of Cashel. Several other con
vincing historical arguments may be put
forward to sustain the ground here
taken that an enlightened and humane
system of laws existed in ancient
Ireland. Music is one of the fine arts re-
markable for its modifying and pleasing
effect and no mean proof of the culture of a
nation. Apollo to whom we have before re-
ferred, is spoken of in fable as being the
most accomplished musician of ancient
times. At the touch of his Tyre lifeless OBJ
iects started into animation and forgot ex-
istence in their frolicing transports of
delight. The music of the ancient Irish is
mentioned by the English historian, Gral-
dus Cambrensis, as being of a very high
order. The harp on which they performed
with surprising skill and dextPrity, and
from which they discoursed the most har
monious and modulated sounds, was
THEIR FAvoRTTE INSTRUMENT.
There is no Irishman but has heard of the
immortal harp of Tara, handed down to him
either by tradition or in ballad. Who has
not heard of the re-echoing and swelling of
that harp as its sounds rang shiveringly
through Tara's hall? Who is so iron-hearted
as not to compassionate and sylnp athize with
the generous sentiment and dismal wailing
Of the country-loving bard? And who so
unfeelng as not to heave deep sigh and
shed a patriotic tear over the memory nf
the past! There are none so unfeeling. none
so uupatriotic.
POETRY AND THE POETS.
Poets were held in high esteem among the
ancients, and the art Of poetry cultivated by
them with much skill aud taste. The true
poet, the poet Of nature, will live forever, his
works will bear testimony to his imm ortality
and viii defy the devastating sway of times
triumphant march.
As an illustration we may mention the
poets of the ancient Greeks and Romans;
poets whose works are still extant and have
very largely contributed to enlighten and in
sLire the learned OF all nations down to our
selves.
They are like grand luminary throwing
their resplendent and broad-scattered light
over the expansive land, penetrating with
their effulgent and ever-vvid rays, the far
removed limits of the world aud qulckening
with their bamy breath the vernal flowers Of
civilization as they march onward in
THEIR VICTORIOUS COURSE.
The poets of ancient Ireland, or bards as
they were called, composed verses and sang
them chiefly in honor of the glitterin g
achievements OF the invading army or in
praise of the noble intrepidty of some daring
and generous-souled hero
The druids were the highest order of poets
"They performed the funeral ceremonies.
supposed to be Of so much importance that
the ghost Of him who was deprived of the
funeral rite was perpetually wandering about
bemoaning his dismal fate" Their war
songs, chanted on the battlefield, vibrating
through the distant valleys and coming back
on the uudulating breeze, enkindled great
enthusiasm and stimulated to incredible
feats of daring. Such were the poems of
Ossiau, son Of Tingal, who 1ourisned in the
third century Of the Christian era.
THEY ARE REMARKABLE
for their pathetic and tender strain, have
scarcely a parallel as to conception and
scenic description, and have remained
unmatched as to their peculiar elegance
and polished sentiment Who can read,
without rapturous amazement and venera-
ton for the bind poet, his description of the
pale ghost OF Churchullin buried on the
lonely hill looking down on the plaintive
stream, clothed IN robe of thin mist, or his
spirits peerlng through the storm with eyes
OF lightning and uttering inhuman aud ter
rife shrieks as they ride on the wings of the
wind with ghostlY alertnessl
The psaltcr OF Tara, so-called from being
written in verse (also called the grand regis
teri, was the only work according to history,
with few others. which escaped the flames
TO which $50 volumes of druidcal supersti-
tons. literature and hardic compositions were
consigned, fact which clearly illustrates
that the ancient Irish were acquainted
with the use Of letters before their conversion
to Christianity.
Their system of registration, which was
similar to that Of the ancient Chaldeans, has
transmitted to posterity events Of great i'm
portauce and uplifted the screen which would
otherwise render remote periods somher and
fabulous. MICHAEL HAGGERTY