Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-03-19

EDITOR TRIBUNE-Dedr Sir You will not
deem it inappropriate or oi,t OF place, on this
day to Jake a survey ut old times i'm the old
country. Many hundred years ago. when the
red man roamed the primevul forests of the
new world, monarch of all he surveyed, or
padded his rude canoe on the father of the
watcrs long before Columbus sailed to discover
America Ireland was then nation in the
zenith of her pride and glory. She was then
the chief seat of learning of the world. To
her schools. colleges and universities, the
nObeSt minds of the east were turned, who
sought for learning, or yearned for knowledge.
In these days. when scholar left his home
his face turned to Ireland. Churches,
cloisters, abbeys and monastcries were there.
On hill and dale the emblem of christianity pro-
claimed to the world the faith OF her people;
and no where else We're the glad tdings by
the apostles received with such delight or bore
such results as in Ireland. She was then one
bright, peaceful spot in "a world covered by dark
clouds and torn by the storms of BATTLE The
foot of the Roman soldiers had never been seen
upon her fair bosom She was then the ark
secure from the wild waste of waters, above
the wreck and ruin of the world
The mission of the Irish seems, as it were, to
propagate the faith. They bore to others the
blessings which st Patrick brought to them,
when the fullness of divine light shone upon
them and they were nation of believers So
they in turn became the apostles of great
part of Europe. Irish Monks founded monas-
teries in England, Scotland and France And
while her apostles went forth, to every part OF
Europe, to build up the church, her schools at
home were open TO the studous youth OF the
world
This work of evangelization was continued
until the Danes began to make practical inroads
into ireland, forcing the people to turn their
energies to the defence of their country. And
after three centuries of uncensing warfare,
when they had finally repellcd the invader,
breathing time was hardly given them before
the Norman foe attacked them, bringing other
centuries of violence and blOodshed
Prior to this, Ireland might be called the pro-
paganda of the world. Her kings ruled the
people and protected the churches. On the
Rock of Cashel stood King Cormac McCarthy's
crowned kinr.
plced priest and the mitred bishop sent forth
the Mathis Hymn and Nesper song Then, her
monks and aDbOts We're secure i'll the sanctity
of their mountain cloisters But such felicity
was not long to be her lot There was hand
writing on the wall which sealed her doom, and
from that time her sad fate can be more easily
imagined than described Condemnation had
been passed upon her and the sentence was
without appeal
The series of butcheries, devastations, fam
ines and determinations then began, have not
yet come to an end The horrors of these CEN
tuIics bave never been written: they can never
be rightly told or imagined The traveller Wis
iting Jerusalem behods the maids of Judea
weeping and wailing in helpless grief around
the scattered stones of Soloman's Temple, need
not behold how the enemies of the holy city
composed her about, how the sword, famine
and the devouring flames swallowed up
the people; how her walls were broken down,
her holy Of holies profaned, her priests slaugh-
tered, the streets made desolate until not stone
was left upon stone, Or hardly vestige of
her past greatness
So the traveller visiting Ireland beholds the
round towers of her ruined castles still standing
rooess, which neither the red-stained hand of
England, or times efacng finger could ami
hilute In silent eloquence they tell the sad
tale; how her kings, chieftains, warriors and
her proudest families VINO now sleep III OBLIVION
beneath the shadow Of ruins, were pilluged,
robbed and murdered by Il blood thirsty foe.
And the round mounds ON the hill tops, with
their stone crosses, symbolic the rites and GUS
toms of the primitive druid, and the crumbling
abbcys and cathedrHls clad with ivy, and now
moulding in the silent dust, proclaim the long
martyrdOm of her people
The deserted villages and tenantless cottages,
once the rural abode, speak OF the multitudes
driven from their homes to die by the roadside,
or with sad, weary and forlorn step seek shelter
in Il foreign land
The traveller can now pass through miles of
waste and deSolate lands, once the happy home
of the Irish peasants, but now turned into n
pasture for sheep and cattle. Even to-day
their leaders are pining in dungeons, because
they dare assert the rights of the poor, whom
the landlords are daily ejecting from the homes
OF their foretutherS
Like the lsraelites of old, they must stand
with. ioins girt and stall in hand, ready
to move at Il moments warning But no matter
where they roam they carry with them
fidelity to convictions which time Or spuce can
never obteratc, or privatlons cool their ardor
Such were the causes which compelled the Irish
cNIles to leave the lund o1 ther IUl unu prluc;
the hallowed earth i'll which sleep fathers,
mothers sisters aud brothers, and turn their
backs forever ON the homes OF their youth and
childhood; with sorrow i'll their hearts and tears
in their eyes bid udleu forever to the land OF
their kindred With the day of their departure
from home began the troubles and trials OF
thousands of Irish cmigrants and while memory
recalls the past, that day to them is never FOR
gotten 1t is hardly necessary in tins doleful
narrative to remind the reader, who has gone
through the ordeal, of the sad feelings OF his
soul on the day OF his departure tor IL foreign
land. For, although the picture is bright TO the
young heart of seeing foreign lands yet sud is
the thought and bitter the cup in saying fare
well forever In accordance with that tradi-
tionul custom, putrlarcns OF old, IN blessing
fla..tX hs,t b.N fat
Before taking the last farewell. the irish youth
and maiden knclt down, and, i'll that sorrow
which no tongue can describe, asked the paren-
tai blessing. Then having taken last farewell
ol the nearest and dearest living, and Shed
tears ON the grave OF some dear one dead, they
took last look ut home and friends, ana
the heart spoke udieu to all perhaps forever
This might be looked upon as their first trial,
but when they arrived ut the port Of embarka-
ton, and got aboard tine ship, they found II
thousand others with hearts as sorrowtul as
their own. There was the old sire ana grand
mother, with the SHOWS of four score years on
tn,ir heads and eyes well beared win weeping
There were young mothers with infants III their
arms ana oder ones tuddling 10y their sides all
bound for America PalOr was ON each brow
and deep sorrow in every heart. Destiny had
cast them together, and there was mutual
reciprocity OF sympathy among that s0rrowiul
gathering. The dearest associations OF life lay
behind and the ties OF happier days were
severed forever. And, although all longcd Il
see the promised land beyOnd the sea, yet some
finished LIES journey On the oceans breast
ana their bodies were consigned 10 the Dottoii
OF the deep, and the bosom of the ocean swelleC
and throbbcd in sympathy and sorrow, ant
the rolling pillows chanted the funeral diige
and nightly the bunshee cried and the mernnit
/ sang the requiem hymn Tor the poor wayiaref
| whose cares in life were over.
Those who survived the peris of the deep die
not find this country land flowing with mill
and honey, and with roses strewn along thei
path. They found more thorns than roses, AM
| the step to many was II source OF sorrow u
| their latest day. The command given to Adam
Ia. tI..a,,.
| themselves to the situation, 70 narrite wha
| they have achieved in this country would be
| hard task, but suffice to say that they huv
been, as people, good citizens in peace AN
| first-class soldiers in war.
Now we must abbreviatc these historical fact
lest this letter might run too long; but tn
reader can infer from what has been said G
the ancestoral lineage of the Irish race and tn
traditions of their native land. n O.