Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-03
ST. DAVID'S MEMORY.
A Banquet to the Welshman's Patron
Saint held Last Night
AT THE SEVENTH AVENUE HOTEL.
Eloquent Addresses BY Prominent Pitts
burgers and others.
YESTERDAY WITH THE SOCIETY PEOPLE


that holds together the members Of the
human family. That is why men of the
same nationality, or who claim descent from
an ancestry of a common country, ind such
rich and pleasing companionship with each
other when they meet either in foreign
country or in some land of their mutual
adoption.
To talk over the "folk-lore" of the Father
land, or sing the songs familiar at the
hearthstones of the "old country" have a
reminiscent fascination peculiarly theirown,
while the sound of the mother tongue
spoken where another language has domi-
nant use and sway, turns back the mental
hands of time, and memory, following the
suggestions of the once familiar entonations,
recalls scenes and faces long buried in the
inexorable past.
Such were the thoughts prompted at the
ninth annual dinner of the ST. David's Be-
nevolent Society of this city, as 900 men,
bers of that organization sat in the banquet
hall of the Seventh Avenue Hotel last even
ing to partake of the delicacies in edibles
and eloquence so generously provided for
that occasion.
An Elegant banquet D1sposed OIL
Everyone present was either by birth or
descent of the Welsh nationality. At
O'Clock the guests, many of whom were
ladies, formed in column and marched into
the large dining room, and just as each one
had been ushered to his place at the table,
President Albert ]. Edwards. the popular
Assistant Postmaster, requested all to be
- al. Al az
OF grim determination, historically the pre-
dominent feature of Welsh nationalism, as
serted itself, and course after course ap-
peared, only to be vsnquished and
put to downward flight. The Welsh
rare-bit met fate of total
anihilation, even if it did cause some Of the
fair Veterinarians to futter in a way
that greatly amused those to the manner
born. But finally, when due preparation
had been made, the genial young President |
announced the Toast Master d. w. Llewei- |
lyn, whom he characterized as business |
man whose ''career had not been varied, vet |
his transactions have been carried on behind |
a checkered front" The master of the feast. |
being OF few words, promptly introduced /
VIII L. Jones, to respond to the sentiment, |
"Our Absent Guests The speaker was a
young man possessing rare magnetism of |
speech and manner,
Many Letters of Regret
He concluded his short but pleasing ad-
dress by reading letters of regret from
Judge Noah Davis of New York; Novelist
w. G. Howells, President g. B. Roberts.
of the Pennsylvania railroad; George Jones' !
proprietor Of the New York Times; Horace
Jones, of Topeka. Kan. Rev. Z. {. Evans,
of Ramsen. n. Y; Horatio Gates Jones' of
Philadelphia; Jacob Reese. of Philadel-
phia; g. H. Humphries, of the Utica
(N. Y. } Mirror; Rev. William c. Roberts,
d. D., of Lake Forest, Wis; L. H. Rob-
erts, Assistant United States Treasurer at
New York: Rev. d. Parker Morgan, of
New York, and ex-Postmaster Thomas L.
James, of New York, whom he said were
all true Sons of Cambria.
The next toast was welsh influence in
America. The response was given by
President Al j. Edwards, who made the
speech Of the evening. He said:
As nation Wales has never been nume-ic-
allV strong, but what it lacked in quantity it
made up in quality The fact that it has been
q small nation, confined for centuries TO a cor
ner of an island. entities it to unlimited praise
for the good influence ii has radiated into the
outside world.
Principles of Truth and Right.
Every close and unbiased student of history |
learns that the ancient BritonS we're better
schooled IN the great principles of truth and
rights than any other barbarous |
European tribe. They had clearer concep- |
Tion Of the duties man owed to society and |
what society owed to the individual as one of |
lis component parts. In electing the National |
Assembly, which controlled even the druidcal
order. not only every man, but every |
woman might have a vote. As we re- |
Quire certain qualifications to exercise the |
elective franchise, So did they. To cast a ballot
Fnro
beard. This WAS not expected of the women |
1t was essential, however for them to be mar
ried. The chief object of Welsh legisla-
tlon was the rights of the individual man His
home was his castle, and his means and aids to | ,
gam an honest livelihood, undisturbed rights |
1T was UNJUST IN the law to unman the man or
unc3l the calling" The thoughts ave. the
golden thoughts that led to unity of action
and became the mainstay of the ancient
Rrtons, in the dark days of Druidism enabled
hem TO maintain their freedom and hold fast
to their religion. whom all the rest of the
,ivilized world had fallen under the sway of ,
Rome The principles which shielded and SUM-
ported them have been waited across the briny
eaters and have been interviewer into the
abric of our government, blessing generations
ret unborn.
WeIshmen in American History.
When English oppression threatened to crush {
he very life blood out of the feeble colonies
he martial spirit of the people was stirred and {
hey arose in their might to contest for
Thomas !
jefferson, a Welshman by descent wrote
lie Declara tion of independence and regis
cred among the immortal signatures to that {
magma charta Of the American people are the
lameS OF Il men OF Meisn descent When the
anishing cry of the Revolutionary army for | :
he necessaries of life bordered upon mutinv
nd the gaunt form of starvation confronted G
hem, limited number OF patriotic citizens of
he Quaker Cit: pooled their means and or.
.anzed a bank, which still exists
This eloquent deliverance was followed
W one on The Day We Celebrate" by
thomas G. jenkins. In the course OF his
peech he said: :
We meet once more in commemoration of
ur patron saint. For centuries nearly all
ationalIties have had Some favorite god or
oddess-some imaginary spirit. perhaps. or
ome SAINT that was supposed watch over
hem in time OF peace. and that protected them
time of war or invasion. Welshmen in
ales, in this and other countries are meet
lg tonight and are fighting over again as it
rre the battles of old, and perpetuatlpr the
1miniscences of the past.
The Virtue of Charity.
Among other virtues attributed to st. David
charity. This is why so many of the Welsh
1cieties which are charitable are named in
iemory of him. We, as Welshmen, OF their
escendants. are proud of our ancestry which
e can trace back unadulterated to a period
nat antedates profane history, and pride our
elves in being descendants of King Arthur
nd the knights of old-immortalIzed by Ten
yson-who forfeited their all, often their
YES, lhat their families, their homes and their
ountry might be preserved.
Mr. jenkins is a delightful talker and he
lade many feeling and pleasing references
. the celebrations going on in other cities.
lie also spoke of the great men Wales had
iVen 10 this country and hinted that there
as proba bllitY that recent archaeological |