The Irish standard., 1888-03-31

Christians. nation Of missionaries,
saints and scholars. The brightest
page of the history of the Church is the
page that records the conversion Of Ire
land to Christianity. St. Patrick found
her universally Pagan and left her uni .
versally Christian. OF all Christian ma
tions Ireland is the only one which WAS
converted without shedding the blood
of her missionaries. st. Patrick died
on the 18th day Of March, A. d. 492, at
tbs advanced age Of 12O years. AT that
time time ireland numbered about 700
churches, and nearly as many priests.
Before his death st. Patrick wrote to
the Pope: "They (the Irish) are all
Christians, they are all Catholics, they
are almost all SAINTS The 500 years
that followed st. Patrick's mission
were called the golden age of the
Irish Church" During those 800 years
Ireland was called the garden OF the
Church of God, the honse of education
and the Isle Of Saints" St. Patrick is
so identified with that glorious period
that no wonder the Irish people still
love and cherish the memory Of that ill.,
lustrious Patron Saint aud Apostle. If
to-day the Irish people still cling 10 the
old Faith. If all the prosecutions aud
sufferings they have endured have only
routed their faith deeper in their heart.
II during l 400 years Of persecution,
spoilation and oppression England has
succeeded to rob the external riches OF
the Irish church, Mr.. John Bull win
never succeed to diminish the bright,
ness of the Irish faith. lnspite or poy-
erty with all its bitterness, exile with
al, it's sorrows, death With all its ter
rors, the Irish faith will always shine
purely and clearly in heaven. In the
grand cid Latin epic the A;neid Of Wig
gil, it is related how the Ircjsns es~
Gaping from their ruined city he'd and
sought another lane. Arriving at Car
image, they found that even i'll that
land their fame had preceded them aud
gazing with pride upon lhe paintings
which pictured their victories, they ex-
claimed: "Nhat part Of the world has
not beard Of our explo1ts?' Likewise
can the Irish exclaim: "What part OF
the world has not heard of st. Patrsck?''
The Irish race is scattered everywhere,
and everywhere the Irish keep alive
their devotion 20 St. Patrick and cher
ish the noble traditions OF their ancas
tors. The Irish people are the oulS
people upon whom the names OF lAeIT
patron saints have been Impressed as ts
soubriquet tcognomen st. Patrick
a,sd 81. Bridget are represented III ey~
cry Irish man and avely Irish Wol.aa
upon the face Of the globe. Every
Irish man being Il Patrick and every
l1i.h weman being Il Bridget. .Gnis
has taken place Iii NO other natlnt! ct
the earth. a like giving Ut names mas
not taken pace III any other nation OF
the whole world x this We're all,
which it js not, it would be enough to
Rlnols our enthusiasm, awaken OUR
zeal and CAUSE us I'd cry out: Halt and
uuiran Tor SJ. F.1tricxl Ali ilali to st.
Eridget!! All hail to Old Ireland /! !
MI hail To hsr gallant sons and ch:.alo
daughters q |! wherever They are, from
snors. lO suore, froln pole To pole.
The tozst ''lyeland" w&s responded 10
bv :; 4ues Il. Campbell, in the following
wei! chosen Worus:
Nil. Chairman, Ladies' and Gentle
Net: liz Uelns GALES; UPON 90 respond
IT,, GUS toast | musJ comics, to y,u that
hi.vr, never SEEN ireland, still / claim
81 better Iigslt 10 speak 70 you OF Ireland
a.lsd Ut nar peuple, tllAn l. have. For,
every drvp OF blood that flows liz my
ys,us is thoroughly Irish. MY fatler
aud NY mother were both bore sud
raised IN That land, and the bones OF all
uly ancestors he bulled beneath 1ha
aIu1n:OcK. And, When Child, re-
u1asnbsr sitting upul my fathers knee
Ni.lit. lle related to ulo the history of
uis native l;iud--the history Of iler few
i:ys AID Ut iier many sorE1Ws. LIZ Told
n;r GOV ne Was cO1lp. He'd uY ohb cruel
aud lnuuulssu laws ut British gugeIu--
ueul to ind farewell 20 nolue and couu-
Try, and Dis ne described that sad a:ld
fearful parting l watched the tears
couroe down his manly face, ilo told
Tie OF his last sad Walk over the green
halls and through The pleasant valleys
where LIZ had played WileI u clllu, 10
PRICK Wild flower here aud a. oham--
rock lbere, to treasure up as souvenirs
OF u race that had ever Known how 10
Suffer and now ~ Ole for God aud Ia
tive land. Yes, my frieuos, Ireland
HAS suffered much. She mas been SLAM
dered, prosecuted and robbed OF her
POSSESSIONS, wlliis her children have
been driven into exile. Her orators
And hor poets haye been stranxled upon
The gaiiuws erected by tyranny Tor iiar-
lug 10 breathe ut liberty darIug 10
whisper of treedon--for daring To VOC
shin G,.nl .,nc,rdjup tn thk dictates of