The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-10

One of Ireland's Most Eloquent, Illustnicus
and Patriotic Sens The Noblest
Roman Of them ALL
AM HONORARY GRADUATE AT II,
1 Brief Sketch Of the Life Of this Fearless
champion and Defender Of Right and
Justice TO His Native Land.

Sixty-six years ago in the fragrant
glory OF q fair June DAY, the stately
portals of Westminster abbey were
opened to receive the body OF Henry
Cfrattan-and in that sepulchre of kings,
no kinglier ashes lie. Among the many
gifted and wonderful names that Ire
and has handed down TO posterity,
there are few whose lives and deeds
shine with so undimmed q iustre, as
those Of her gifted and immortal SON
Henry (5rattan At seventeen years OF
age, an h0nored graduate OF Trinity
College, he is already preparing himself
for admission TO the Irish bar, thus
taking upon his boyish shoulders, that
mantle OF toll, which in age still hung
upon his worn and enfeebled body, and
in which he died, III the cause of Cath
0Ilc Emancipation. Who can fail to
give everlasting honor TO the man, who,
though q Protestant himself, gave the
sympathy and friendship Of his whole
life, and his last effort to public official
duty, to the oppressed Catholics of his
native isle,
lrom the day when Grattan (per-
suaded by his friends to abandon law
and enter the Irish Parliament, entered
upon his public career, until his last
fatal journey to London, from which he
never returned his life is 81 history
whose every page is bright with moral
and intellectual greatness. The fol
lowing extract taken from the speech
In which he made his famous demand
for the constitutional Independence OF
the Irish Parliament and the irish na-
ti0n, needs no comment upon his patIi-
otism aud el0quonce. u wish for
nothing, = he exclaimed, ''but TO breathe
iii this our island, in common with my
fellow subjects, the air Of liberty. |
have no ambition, unless it be the am
bi5ion to break your chains and to con-
template your glory. / will never be
satisfied SO long ;ls the meanest coGtag
er i'll Ireland has q linbof the British
chain clanking to his rags. lie may be
naked, but he shall not be ia ir0nsa
His gigantic labors may peconsidered
as Cne Of the leading elements i'll the es-
Gablishmant of legislative Independence
fGr Ireland, which he sawaccomplished
in 1882; 3 facS which some writer says,
would have preserved his memory in
history. even If his eloaaence had not
imnortalized his name.
The personal love and reverence of all
classes of his countrynAen We're his III
life and i'll death; and he compelled
even the most antagonlstic of his col
leagues, in public life, to pay the trib-
ute Of unqualified respect 10 his charac-
ter and Integrity. AS an exponent of
the greatness OF Irish genius, as we'll as
an example Of high rectitude in every
relation OF life, his character is well
worth study.
Ia the forty-liVe years Of his public
life ne was the fearless champion and
defender OF right and justice TO his ma
tue land. His courage was undaunted
and his genius for mastering difficulties
astounding, Of wide information and I
ready Eact, he was never the victim of 7
M emergency. OF scholarly tastes aud
Industrious habits. his leisure was
spent in study and research, aud in I
mental requirements he was among the I
first men of his time Being Irish, he I
hsad d warm heart and fertile fancy, /
ant WAS endowed with genuine humor.
H9 was none the less q sympathetic /
friend and genial companion, because
lie was a profound philosopher and /
statesman. One of his biographers
says Of him: You may trace in his
eloquence, the vivid nature, the eager
mind. the cordial sympathy and aspir-
iElg soul OF the lrishman; while Byron
Weayss this garland TO his memory I
with all t1as Dolnosthepes wanted endowed
And his rival, or master, IN AL he possessed
He possessed no gift that was not his
coulltry's; every resource OF his compre-
hensiTe information was taxed il her
interests, ana every energy Of his loyal T
nature compelled TO subserFe her needs.
He knew no ambition save IFeland's
progress, and shrunk from no condi-
tian save treachery and llishonor. It
Wonto take the pen OF & drama LIST TO
portray the scene OF lis last speech in
tbs parliament house, when dlsunion
and English gold had done their de-
struetiFe work. and the Irish Parlia-
ment was in its death-throes. Weak
and 5Tastad by illness, aud 50 feeble
that he was unable to stand while
speaking, he came and entered his pro-
lest to the Union III q speech, which
aIoae would ka enough to-
'ctroles his nanae with a charm against 5ieath.
II ii we're the only one he ever made.
his was his concluding sentence:
Against sneh a proposition, were / ex-
piring On the door, T should beg co
utter NY last breath, and record my eiy-
ing testimony
Justice iiyss. though Judgment 1ingsrs,