The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-26

II
We celebrate tonight, without g single
act Of violence, q tear OF sorrow.or q drop
Df Irish blood. ,ss
The conversion of the Irish people to
Christianity has two fold aspect:
I. Upon the Irish people Themselves
2. Upon thesworld at large.
True civilization is the result of the
triple force education, religion and
patriotism A nations contribution to
the civilization of the world, then, con-
sists in the part it has taken in the adj
of education; in the diffusion
and preservation of religion, and IN the
growth, stimulation of patriotism. Trie !
by these tests, we find the Irish nation
contributing more than it's share to the
grandeur of that civilization which we
enjoy and cherish. I know that some
will sheer at this claim. Those who look
at the nations history through dark
glasses, those who Judge the Irish race
by the poor unfortunate fellow who in his
drunken spree is found crawling in the
ditch at night, or standing before the
criminal court next morning charged
with being drunk and disorderly, can
hardly be convinced of the proposition
which have stated. But those who
read history as written by the impartial
pen OF centuries, those who judge ma
TONS strength not by her weakest spot,
will bear me out in the proposition. For
nearly 800 years, Immediately after her
conversion, the Irish nation was dotted
with educational institutions to which
thousands of students hocked from every
land Her condition in this respect dur
ing that time is we'll described by the
eminent historian who says: cat the
early call of morning two or three thous-
and of those students poured into the
silent streets, made their way toward the
lighted church to join in morning servi-
ces, m1ngling, as they went or returned,
! the tongues of the Gael and Pict, the
Saxon and the Frank, or hailing and ans
! wering one another in the universal Ian
guage of the Christian Church" Her
thousand historic spots, standing in mol
dering ruins to-day, eloquently tell the
story of her intellectual greatness. How
ever much we may disagree as to creeds
| and dogmas-and let me say that &C.
| cord to every man the right to disagree
With me in this respect. However much
we may disagree in these things, we must
| admit, because the voice of universal his
tory proclaims it, that from the sixth to
! the ninth centuries the educational in
situations of the Irish Church led the
| world in the march of intellectual and
! spiritual supremacy. During those years
| when the world was shronded in her
| greatest darkness when the ravages OF
! barbarous tribes and intestine wars dis
tracted Europe, the lamp of science al
! ways glowed with bright lustre in the
| educational institutions of Ireland. Here
the genius of knowledge found refuge
from tho general disturbance of society
here they dwelt secure for time, and
here they became fully equipped to par
ticipate in the great battle for the social
and moral regeneration of man. The
students Of these educational institutions
carried the banner of science and religion
into almost every cline. Their mission.
airy zeal was often sealed with their
blood, and their whitened bones lie mol
| dering on almost every shore. We may
disagree as to creeds and dogmas; we
may not be able to comprehend the mys-
ferrous powers which animated and sus
| tanned these institutions in the midst OF a
world of surrounding darkness and the
general devastations all about them. We
may not be able to fully understand
these, but as participators in the bless
inps of the christian civilization of this
nineteenth century we cannot fail to ap-
preciate the efforts of nation which
preserved Observation-Disclosures and pa
triotism true civilization during the
| darkest and most trying years of the
worlds history.
Thus, for centuries we behold Ireland
| almost alone protecting the elements OF
true civilization against the encroach-
n,ents of barbarism and paganism. Such
were her triu nphs and rewards in times
of peace--equally admirable were he1
glor;es in times of war. Her faith and
nationality we're not only taught in col
lege halls and diffused throughout the
world, they were also defended upon the
battle field against what seemed to be ar
!over-powering foe. The eighth century
saw the country overrun by foreign In
vaders; they came for double purpose
tho destruction of Ireland's nationality
and her faith. For 800 years the nations
soil was red with the blood of men and
women, shed in defense of their schools
their nationality, their affairs and thei1