Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-03-20
KNIGHTS OF 81. PATRICK
The Birthday of HreIand's Patron Sails
Finely Oommemorated.

The Birthday of 1reland'@ P atfon Saint
| Finely COmmemorated.
The Knights of st. Patrick held their an
nual banquet last night at Diebel's. The
dining hall was very handsomely decorated
| for the occasion: There was a full attend
ance and the occasion was fraught with in
terest and enjoyment. Ex-senator Plunkett
presided. The programme was as follows:
St: PasEes,s pay s Captain Thomas mas Z; Dunn
Under the Stars and stripes all born free and
The Geraldines-recitation p J. Kelly
MAY the present dark hour be the advent q light,
knights Of St Patrick. Michael Dillon
| Banded in brotherhood to perpetuate the same"
Names that adorn and dignity the scroll whose
leaves contain their country history, -,
City Of Fins ..:..-..-...-..M Morris T Lynch
With brother knights at the helm of state,
dy fends and vsS or Bids
Might hide their faults if bellies had faults to hide
hne ps Tyrants feared the pointed pen n o. 0p'''Ae
Used to advance the cause Of men
Town Agent Reynolds said that ne felt
honored to be selected to speak of Erin. He
said that ireland has an honored place in the
worlds history. Continuing, he said:
Through the gloom of the dark ages Ire
land was the home of learning-the nursery
where teachers and missionaries were trained
for the work of hsrmonizing and eivilizing
and Christianizing the rude conquerors OF
Rome And they went forth like heroes and
martyrs and spent their lives in the glorious
work. It is safe TO say that Europe ewes the
renewal of learning and civilization to
the work of Irish scholars and saints, and it
is record of which all Irishmen may feel
proud. And during the dark night of the
middle ages also, when the hideous feudal
system overspread Europe and reduced the
masses of the people to a condition of slavery
every Irishman remained a free man with
voice in the election of his ruler and bending
his knee to no man, calling himself his mas
ter. Ireland's tribal system had its defects,
but it left every man a free man and the
community which existed in Ireland in
those days was in every sense OF the word
democracy. Feudalism and 1andlordism
were introduced from England, and as Ire
land has always protested against them and
is to-day vigorously demanding their aboli-
ton, we can take credit to ourselves of never
having consented to or condoned social or
political wrong or favored an institution that
curtailed the rights of man.
'sIreland has been subdued by superior
force and fraud, but during seven centuries
of unparalleled misery and prosecutions that
she has suffered since the Eng
lish invasion, she has never submitted
tamely to tyranny or ceased to protest against
the deprivation of her libsrty. She has
passed through the ordeal of penal laws and
refused to accept religion of which her
conscience did not approve, and yet without
for one moment being tempted to intolerance
or to resent persecution by refusing freedom
of religious belief to all men who settled on
her shores.
The speaker in conclusion eloquently
spoke of Irelands record, her devotion and
exalted patriotism, her patriots and sages.
The same noble spirit burned on her affairs
to-day Her spirit is still unbroken.
The speaking began after midnight and
the Knights programme was not finished IN
til about am.
The executive committee were N. f.
Walker, J. E. Mcfarland and B. E. Lynch.