The Irish standard., 1893-03-18
JUDGE ]. w. WILLIS
An Abstract Of His Address Deliv.
n cred in st. Paul on
the 18th.
A DAY OF BLESSED MEMORIES.

Unfinching Devotion the Crown
ing Glory of the
! Irish Race
! The following is an abstract Of the
eloquent address given by Hon. John w.
Willis, judge of the Second district
court, for the benefit of St. Vincent par
ish, St. Paul, of which Rev. L. Cosgrove
is the revered pastor:
| Reverey Father, ladies and gentle
men:-A question often asked is this:
"Why is Ireland a subject of such great
interest among Americana" The
question may justly be asked. Many
circumstances seem to render it strange
that the people of our own republic
should look with interest of special
nature upon the affairs of the little
island which lies opposite the western
coast of England.
For centuries Ireland has had no po-
litical individuality. She has been a
dependency of Great Britain. Her
great writers and orators have employed
the English language, and their writings
and speeches are part of English liter
ature. She has no independent trade
relatinos with the world. She has been
able to form no alliances with foreign
powers; to establish no colonies. Her
people have been poor and her great
natural resources have remained largely
undeveloped.
These untoward circumstances tend to
repel rather than to attract the atten
tion of selfish world. And yet, Amer
lea seems to find in Ireland a subject of
|engrossing and unfailing interest. The
reason is the love Of liberty which pre-
walls in our great confederated republic.
Liberty is not a mere sentiment with
Americans. They desire it's blessings to
obtain practical application to human
affairs. They have hearts which beat in
accord with the highest humanitarian
impulses. They are committed, not
only to the doctrine, but to the enforce
ment of the doctrine summarized by the
political maxim which constituted the
rallying cry of the French revolution,
"Liberty, equality, fraternity"
Ireland presents a two-fold concrete
example of subjects calculated to move
the hearts, arrest the attention and en-
list the full cooperation of all friends of
liberty. Her history is that of fragrant
misgovernment. Tie present posture
of her affairs represents happy tran
sition from political vassalage, with it's
attendant wrongs and woes, to the hap
py condition of q comparatively free and
independent commonwealth.
No lover Of liberty, no friend of free
institutions, no philanthropist, can re
main unmoved while beholding the en-
actment of drama so majestic.
Virgil represents his hero, Aeneas, as
cheering his comrades amid dangers he
roically met, by assuring them that "in
the future it would be pleasant amid
scenes of peace and safety to recount
the perils which we now endure" Such
an admonition may we send this day to
Ireland and her people.
We have met upon the one festal occa-
sion which graces Lenten days. This is an
anniversary of traditional observance.
It is day upon which we recall blessed
memories and indulge ourselves in the
pleasing recreation of hopeful forecast.
Joyously and reverently do the Irish
people, and those who wish them we'll,
greet the festival of st. Patrick. Their
emotions are joyous because the mission
Of st. Patrick bore gladstone tidings to
Ireland the glorious message of the
gospel and because his coming brought
q civilization which led the Irish people
into nobler fields OF thought, and into
wider avenues OF temporal prosperity.
Reverent Is the greeting because the
festival has deep religious meaning, a
eacred significance.
Ihe GROWING glory OF the Irish race
is it's sseadfast, unhinching devotion to
the true religion OF Christ. Unmoved
by appalling prospects Of danger, or by
the pleasing allu1ements Of heresy, Ire
land has remained Catholic. The isle
Of st. Patrick has been called ssThe Isle
Of Saints" Well may it be called 'sThe
Isle Of Martyrs"
Persecution has ragged in Ireland like
the great fires which sometimes sweep
over American prairies, or through
American forests. The terrors Of the
dungeon and the scaffold have been con-
stantly present during centuries; but q
faith and righteousness. which no earth
81 danger oonld sppall have set high in
the heavens the blazing crown q Irish
mart yrdom, ttll,sre g shine through all