The Irish standard., 1888-03-24
ERIN GO BRAGH.
lContinued from First Page.1

dealings With Ireland home mas never
forgotten that she was dealing with an
Irish nation, people apart, and quite
distinct in its life and aims from the
Anglo Saxons of England. And thus,
l believe, Rome has fulfilled a providen-
tial mission towards Ireland's nation
atty, considered even in its secular as
pect, by encouraging and strengthen
Ing in the hearts of Irlshmen the con-
viction that they are nation, and con-
sequently justified i'll endeavoring to
secure that freedom which their ma
tonal life Graves for. Every nation has
the God given right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness; and all honor
to the great mind and noble heart OF
Leo XIII WAC has recognized this
tcuth So clearly in the cause Of Ireland.
w II. Donahue, attorney, responded
to "Irish Orators" in the following
words:
The toast which the presiding officer
has assigned to me to respond to, | re-
greet to say needs more time to do just
ice to than can be given, owing to the
latoness of the hour. I deem it an
honor of no small magnitude to be
called upon to address SO large and SO
intelligent q body of my countrymen
on Ireland's great day, and am particu
larry nonored and pleased in being
called upon to say something on as
grand and glorious a theme as Irish
Oratory. 1t is unnecessary for me to
preface my remarks with the admission
chat am in no degree capable to DO
justice to the toast given me, but will
content myself with the assurance that
this is due 80 some extent TO the brief
notice which I received of my expected
response. In all civilized countries,
since the days when Demostllenes
awakened the spirit and love Of liberty
in the Grecian people, and when pagan
but yet civilized Rome listened and WAS
moved by the eloQuence Of Cicero, it
has been customary for a people to
glory in aud eulogize The orators Of
their native land. So to-day it affords
me Gnbounded pleasure to speak t., you
Ut That brilliant aud brainy band Of
Irishmen who, by reason Of their inte|~
lectual and oratorical greatness, have
commanded the respect and admiration
OF moi only their own country and its
descendants, but also of all liberty
loving people III the civilized world. I
challenge any man to disDrove the fact
and say it with no spirit Of c|annish
ness. that Irish oratory has more of
classic purity, culture ard that which
is calculated to awaken the noblest
sentiments Of the human heart than
the oratory Of any other people among
whom the English tongue is spoken.
England, the accursed and relentless
enemy of Ireland, under Catholieity as
we'll as Professionalism alike, could boast
Of men Of great learning, genius and
power, who were the possessors of a
kind Of severe eloquence with little
feeling. Burke, although nurtured in
England, was Celt, aud it was that
blood which gave to him the rich ilnag~
ination and melodious harmony that
will ever make his speeches models for
the students study. The bar, no longer
a theater for dreayy dullness aud obso~
lete forms, echoed to the classic worua
OF PlunkeEt, Shiei. Phillips, Curran and
OCopnell, and their wit, learning.
patllos, love of country and country
men e,manated from the most unseldsh,
pure aud exalted patriotism the world
has ever seen, and time can never dim
the lustre of their imperishable re-
nown. thank God that the race from
which I came is possessed in snch all
eminent degree of this GodIike gift.
Were this not so the spark of liberty
and the religious feryor which CLOVIS ia
Irish hearts aud makes them law-abid~
ing would have long since been extin'
guished. In Poland to dag no patl lotto
sentiment or love of liberty is found.
So III Bohemia, too. How different in
[relandp There it burns az brightly Gas
IF yore," and she has within her CON-
3ues now sons as able to awaken the
aud sympathy of the world as
The honored departed, whose tongues
ire now s,illea in death and whose
bodies now lie buried within ber
BOSOM. Let US hope that Irish oratory
nay never die, bat that she. while yet
lot free, may always have her own sons
20 eloque'>tly plead her cause before
;he bar Of Chrlstendom until we see g |
,rig ter dawn for that fair land, When |
his is seen may she produce some
sculptor who will Chi el in imperisha-
Die marble the names Of those splendid |
Len who gave Ireland their ma,chle>s |
>ratory in the pulpit and bar, and by
eason Of this engraved their names in |
;he hearts Of the Irish people. !
This Banquet broke up about 4:30 p.
H., all we'll pleased at the entertain
nent provided for them.
TEE ENTERTAINMENTS.
MI,