The Irish standard., 1894-02-17

] SATURDAY, FEBR
when gathering dangers cast their gloor
! on all other hearts but his. To the yer
last escape was open to him il he chose
will no one urge Lord Edward to fly?
said Lord Chancellor Clare. Il pledg
| myself that every port in>the kingdom
[shall be left open to him." But Lore
Edward had set his life upon he hazard
and pald the forfeit cheerily. It is an olt
story now and s familiar one-the deatl
of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. There il
not one amongst my audience who's,
Epulses have not quickened to the tale O
the cowardly and treacherous attack
the gallant resistance in Thomas street
whose eoul has not sickened ut the lone
lsolitary martyrdom of the wounded hero
ere that bright spirit did aspire the sky
Yet one part of the story, the darkest Of
Tall, is yet of modern interest. The black
secret of Lord Edward Fltzgerald's be.
trayer had been as we'll kept as the au.
thorship of Junius' letters, or the iden-
tity of the man in the iron mask. For g
period Of nine and fifty years the seer ct
Of the sly, skulking villain has been kept
by his employers with no common care
for his character or his memory. But
the secret is secret no more. Mr.. Fitz'
patrick has succeeded where Madden
and q host of other writer's have failed,
I'm his most recent work, "Secret Service
under Pitt" he divides by convincing
proof the undying infamy of the betrayal
evenly between the Sham Squire, the
|Iopen prohigate criminal tool of the Cas-
tile, and Francis Mangan, the quiet, re-
spectacle Catholic barrister, deep in the
confidence and high in the ranks of the
United Irishmen, who maintained his
reputation to the close Of his miserable
life. For these mon, and such as they,
money was poured out by the Castle with
the same reckless effusion as patriot
blood. am not OF those who think that
the grave should be allowed to cover
such black secrets. If it is good that the
hero should be venerated after death it is
good also that the traitor should be alb
horred (applause). Our lot is indeed
cast in brighter days, our struggle is
,oyef- ground. But remember this, il ie
the same struggle still, only the methods
and weapons are changed. With Davis
We believe
This chainlees sea and lovely land 3.
Freedom aud naticnhOod demand;
Be sure the great God never planned
For slumbering slaves a home SO grand.
This high Ideal had stimulated our
race through all the pena centuries, and
we will never cease to struggle till it is
accomplished. The Parliament that is
coming will confer no invidious privi
leges, and will tolerate no unjust exclu-
sion. That Parliament will be the per-
feet whole, with head to plan for the
common veal, and feet to march in the
paths of progress, and hands to do the
bidding of the people. There was time
when love of Ireland meant hatred of
England, but 1 rejoice to think that that
time has passed away for ever( applause.
They wrong us Nationalists most of all
who say that class hatred or sectarian
bigotry has any part in our national as
pirations. Let Lord Edward Fitzgerald
be our answer. His rank was the high
est in the land. His creed was of the op.
pressive minority. But where was the
man so loved and trusted by the people
of his own time? Where is the man
whose memory is so worshipped by Irish
Nationalists of today? His virtues and
his heroism have forced an admiration
even from our enemies. The pyramids
of the Pharaohs are q less splendid mon
ument than the stately verse in which
tho genius of Davis has consecrated to
all time the lordly stock from which
Lord Edward sprang. But brightest Of
all that noble race and most renowned
stand forth the gallant rebels, Silken
Thomas and Lord Edward. It may be
that the pc cts aspiration may still be re-
allied when he declares
The forms of centuries rise up, and in the Irish
line
Command their sons to take the post that fits
the Geraldine.
It may be that our own generation may
see once more true Irish Geraldine. To
my thinking it is wholesome exercise
for Irish Nationalists to look back with
reverent eyes on those brave old days; to
humble ourselves before those heroic
figures, remembering the perils they en-
countered and the suffering they en-
dured. When they did 60 much, shall
We refuse the little that is required? If
dark despair endowed them with such
courage, shall we fail or falter IN the
cheerful light of hope and assured sue