The Irish standard., 1894-05-19

Gaedhea]g tar ais dhais-ni dhfuil st
mari fos, agus le cudhnadh De nj bheidi
SO marb; agus air an adhbhar SIN deirin
ann so anois, libhse, Sean Ord na b,
Eireannaigb, airgiod sios.
TRANSLATION.
Ladies' and Gentlemen: A few days
ago received letter from Rt. Rev
Bishop Keane, rector of the Catholic
University of America, iu which he said
that the Ancient Order OF Hiberians In
tended to establish in that institution 4
chair of the Gaelic language and litera.
ture. rejoice very much to hear this,
because I have very great respect and
love for the Gaelic tongue, the natural
tongue of our race, the tongue of our
fathers and mothers, the tongue of St.
Patrick, st. Bridget and st. Oolumkille.
It was the language spoken byPatrick
Sarsdeld at the seige of Limerick, and
by Daniel O'Connell when he reused the
people of Erin to demand the restoration
of their rights. The Gaelic is sweet
and musical tongue, and in it IRE pre-
served very many OF the beautiful old
songs that our ancestors were wont to
sing in the beloved fatherland. The
Welsh, the French and the Germans
speak their native tongues. Why
should not the children OF Erin under
stand the tongue. Of Erin? Have you
not the strength, the courage and the
means to establish this chair and to
preserve the tongue of your race from
utter disappearance? Remember that
you are called the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, and that a society OF Gaels
who care not for the tougre Of the Gael
is an anomaly. Hepceforth I trust you
will do what is in your powe to accom-
plish the undertaking in question. The
Gaelic tongue is not yet dead tongue,
and for that reason hope that you, the
children of the Gael, will see to it that
the means are not lacking to reawaken
an interest in it's preservation and diff
fusion" s..
Congressman Thomas Weadock was
the next speaker, and when he arose he
was given rousing reception. He said
that ON his arrival here he wondered
what he had travelled II 900 miles
for, but this reception more than repaid
him for his trouble. He said he was a
"son of the ould sod," having been born
in County Wexford. His grandfather
was one Of the patriots who was killed
in the Wexford Rebellion. He said
that the Irish had been accused of too
often turning back to the past and not
looking at the present enough But
this was only for the love of the old
country from which they had been
driven. by persecution.
"This is country where none of our
civil rights can be impaired because OF
our religious beliefs. We employ men
because of their capacity to work, and
do not aek them at what shrine do they
worship. Ic is reasonable to direct per-
secution in this country toward the
Catholic or any other church, and the
American Protective Association ie
founded upon reasonable principles.
These people sneak behind closed doors
to do their work. 1 bid them to come
out like men and declare their prinoi.
pies like free American citizens have a
right to do. They should not sneak
around in secret manner, seeking to dc
harm to their neighbor because he is q
Catholic. I ask them to stop their lying
ISLANDERS, which they have repeatedly
published in obs cure papers. The SIAN
ders have been .refuted long ago, and any
intelligent citizen has since ceased to
believe them. This American Protective
Association is of English parentage
Look out for it, for these men are trying
to dethrone the government founded by
George Washington and re-establish
that of King George III. We now get
men from Canada, whom we don't want,
and NSy get some of our citizens whom
our officers want but can't get
Congressman Weadock was going to
stop, but he was urged to go on, and he
spoke about the Legislative and labor
conditions of this country. He urged
more men to study. the forms of govern
ment and keep better posted on the at.
fairs of their adopted country. He said
that there were SO many things arising
now that the minds of the people had
become confused, and that politically
they hardly knew "where they were at. =
P.J. O'Connor Of Savannah, Ga. was
the next speaker. He advanced amid q
perfect storm of applause, and said that
hetook great pride in stating that be
was from Georgia, state rich in policy
and grand in resources. He said that
the people Of his state learned tolerance
thirty mine years ago, when the cpl 1emic
OF KnoR-Nothingism began to sweep
over the country. Then Alexander H