The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-18

child with love beyond the power OF
words to describe; the Irish brother loves
his dear sister with a love more than
natural, but the mother will sacrifice her
child, the brother his sister, rather than
say Eyes" when truth demands mo-"
The powerful, the proud English Gov
eminent dictatorially says TO the Irish
peasant: "Give up this religious truth to
which You blindly adhere. Cease your
folly and come TO our way OF thinking.
The poor Irishman in his native grandeur
arises, and, with the defiance OF dignity,
filings back the answer, "Never Truth
and death before life and error. You may
prosecute, kill, quarter me, but the trutn
given me by 81. Patrick is mine forever"
This adherence TO the true in religion has
crimsoned Ireland's soil with the blood Of
martyrs; has attunod her harps to sorrows
tunes, has stepped her in poverty and mis-
cry, but has made her the grandcst ma
ton on Gods earth. Search the annals OF
the world and show me a nation that has
adhered 10 religious truth with the peril
nacty OF the Irish; show me nation that
has suffered as she has, sacrificed what
she has IN the cause OF the true IN religion.
But not only for the truo IN religion has
Ireland manifested an invincble adher-
ence She has also ever proved herself q
most icrvent worshipper OF the true in the
purely intellectual lino. That knowledge
Is power that knowledge is n'sproudest
DOVER are truths ever practically appreci-
atod by the Irish people. At the present
day the test OF anation's intellectual power
is her position in the intellectual world.
Taking this M a standard, we ARE met with
most ilattcring attestations OF lreland's
love OF the true in the puely intellectual
sphere. The necessity OF education was n
theme ever ON tho lips OF st. Patrick. ig-
norence he held in adherence, aud
warned his children against 1t rs
the parent OF every vice. Be-
tween Christianity and ignorance
there is no bond Of union; hence even in
st. Patrick's time institutions Of learning
sprang up on all sides Ireland became an
intellectual center TO which the lights OF
the world were drawn. When the rest Of
the world was struggling in the throes OF
civil and foreign warfare, when matter
was ruling spirit aud barharism was ex.
| tinguishing the light Of civilization, Ire
! land enjoyed the quiet OF peace, aud In
/ tranquility pursued the course OF intel
| lectual delights. 10 show the wonderful
]
| instance the University of Armagh, which,
nj the time OF the Danish Invasion, con-
| tanned no less that 1000 students. Speak
ing OF Irish intellectual advancement, the
learned Thebaud thus expresses hmscli
"Whcn Europe during the eighth and
ninth centuries was in total darkness, lro-
land alone blskcd IN the light OF science,
whose luslcr shining in its numerous
schools Clonard, Clonicrt, Loighlin, Ar
magh, Bangor, Cloumnois, attracted
thithcr by It's brightness, tho youth
OF all nations, whom she received with n
generosity unboundrd. Not content with
this, she sent forth her learned and holy
men 10 spread the light abroad, aud To-
dispel the thick darkness; TO establish
schools OF learning ~ focuses whence
should mdiato the light Of truth on Il
world buried In barbnrism. And when
the warm sunshine created or kept alive
10y her, shed It's rays on Italy, on France,
on Germany, and ON England itself, tho
mpacly OF the Anglo. Norman destroyed
her own great universities, still the Nation
preserved her books, 'hor ancient literature
an her traditions. The iculal barons
could rob her oi her property and treas
urcs, but they could not destroy her old
manuscripts, wipe out from her memory
her old sOngs. snatch tho immortal harp
from the hands Of her baids, or silence the
lius Of the priests from giving vent 10 those
bursts Of impNsioncd cloqucncc, which
are Ia them 80 natural. Hence there was
no tenth century OF darkness for her;
light never deserted her, but continued
To shine on her from within,
despite the refusal OF the masters Ia un.
lork iorh the ilood.gatcs OF knowledge"
England history IN written In blood, but
the most deeply dyed page OF her history
II that whcrcon are recorded her efforts To-
extnguish In Ireland the light Of knowl-
edge. England, fair, cultivated, educated
England, places on the head OF the Irish
schoolmaslcr the same price M on the head
/ of the wolf. England bounded the wolf
aud struck the beast liielcss IN the ground
she pursued With hcllish frenzy the lriSl
schoolmastcr. she struck him, but he
powerful blow Was not sufficient 10 kill hi
love of the true. When driven from th,
Toslrum aud the public hall, the lrisl
schoolmnslcr, In cave. forest aud rcpellinl
ohscurty, beneath the shadows IT night
spread the light ot intellectual truth, an,
successfully opposed the designs OF Englisl
, tyranny To eradicate from tho Irish min
the love Of the true.
. In this age Of oycrcsiimnted cnlightcn
: mcnt Il has become fashionable In som
, quarters 10 apply the appreciation "ignc
rint" 10 the Irish. "rhc ignorant lrshl'
What a mass Of sickcning Ignorance hc
beneath the assertion The man VII
makes this assertion slultflcs himself: hi,
tory gives him the lie, and present fact
prove him a blind bigoL II, at tune,
Iceland Hal Nstsrla tuf.
Culturc. Il WIS not because she did ~,
, struggle for the true. but because cru,
/ enemies made the attainment oi the tru
i an impossibility.
= For 200 years Ireland has struggled Z,
{ the truth Ol her national rights. 1hrpup
. persecution and calumny. through bloc
/, and tcmpcsis, she has luburcd ON lnyinsl
i firmly adhcring TO the true In nntionalit
II For centuries she has been PROSTATE In u
u dust with the heel of England on her,
4 times she has been gisping. her heart IN
q beat slowly, hut from her husky voice
II intense determination has come forth Il
"Novcr, never will ! rclinauish the tru
10 Of my righR.' AZ present the same M
ir mcnlous struggle goes ON, but OH lao
o grandly changed. The oppussor Il
" tyiant OF centuries now bcgs ior more
4. The lion Is nj the feet Of gentle, sullcrii
N Erin. The world looks on ~ the pictu
IN and Is asionished. Truth il about
A, triumph over error The world IL abo
% 10 he taught the grand results OF unswcr
Ss ing adherence To national truth; men u
NJ 10 see that the efforts OF noble souls Ia d
10 cause oi truth must In the end be crown
v with success
ne My reflections on Iicland's pursuit
n. the true would lead inc TO pariicuariyc