The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-04-06

khA annexation or Ireland W1tn En8lanQ.s
The gatee Of Dublin Castle and Belfast
Tower were opened to tho royal intruder,
and from that day forward dark and
more dark grows the catalogue Of crimes
that were perpetrated against that inmno- m
centEshd unofending people. Up 70 that
time tthe religious trial for Ireland had ld'
not come, but Its day was near ct hand.
When Henry the Eighth assembled the
throne he lit wi ID his own hands the fresH
of freligious persecution. The rights Of
conscience were snbordinated to the pre-
negatives Of the crown and he blotted
out il the blood Of his subjects the
principles Of free Church and 9 free
State. The baleful fires Of religious big
otry and intolerance lighted up the
entire kingdom, and when his imperious
daughter, the naughty Elizabeth, seized
tho sceptre, she, with more than
wonan's nate, wrung from 1reland's pos
session the little OF religious freedom
that had been spared to- her .bY her an
cestor.
To propitiate the infuriate zeal Of her
merciless emissaries Of State the edihces
of public worship in Ireland were plum
dered, the walls Of her splendid cathe
drals torn and defaced, and their sanctu-
ariee opened to the ministers Of her estab-
lished creed. ..5 .f.5. s
VI When the head Of Charles the First
rolled from the block and England ac-
knowledged the away Of the usurper the
fires Of persecution burned fieroer, and
Ireland was doomed to drink deeper
than ever the cup of sorrow and humili-
alton. Her people were outlawed, driven
into exile, sold into slavery, sent to hell
81 Connaught; their bodies tramped By
Oromwell's brutal Dragons or carried on
tha spears 81 His savage pikemen.
& & u q Irelland How bitter has been thy
martyrdom! How long and patiently
hast thou borne the rod Of thy oppressora.
How anxiously and with what piningi
hast thou awaited the long deferred day
of thy liberation.
I have pictured imperfectly the vicissi-
tudes OF people trying to throw off q
foreign yoke. 1T will serve at least to
show that there was in the Irish heart q
love Of liberty; that an Irishman was
ready to die for it it he could OBTAIN it
through death; that insurrection may
fall but the blood of the patriot does
not die, for it is the seed of liberty, and
that If nation resolved to be free in
pursuance Of it's destiny it will sooner or
later acquire the strength and the power
to achieve it's freedom. (Applause.)
AZ the poet fellcitously expressed it:
.'For freedoms battle, once begun.
(. Bequeathed by bleeding sire to son.
Though battled oft, is ever won"
Amid the mutations OF fortune which
characterized the history Of Ireland she
has despaired. After the battle of Has
tinge the English acknowledged their
.inferiority to the Normans, or, as We say,
accepted the situation But Ireland
has never accepted the situation, and, by
heaven, she nver will! Planting herself
upon the broad basis OF natural right
and eternal Justice she demands now, as
she has ever demanded, "Ireland for the
Irish, from sea to sea-" The stupid
policy OF determination adopted by Eng
land has been free Americas gain. The
sons Of Ireland have found shelter and
refuge from their sorrows and q field OF
reward for their. labor under the shade
Of Americas freedom.
1 They were men of worth and character,
eloquence and wit, courage aud capacity,
Who came to build up and strengthen
the Government Of the United States
and promote the welfare Of it's people.
:If the names Of Irish Catholics and their
descendants who have digniied and
decorated the annals Of a american his
tory were to be erased from the record
how much Of the glory Of our country
would lbe substraCted? lCheers) In the
list of theologians, statesmen, jurlste,
orators, poets, soldiers, sailor and mechan-:
ice. what names shine with purer lus ].
tresor are. mentioned with more respect
than those of the men, past and present,
We owe to that little sea-g'-. isle which
!stnds the. flashing breakers Of the far,
Atlantic, like an emerald set ia silver on
the breast of nature. On that imperish.I
able roll of honor, the Declaration sof
Independence, We find their names. and.
there was no ttlefield from the 81. Law:
realce r,saI,lce sto the Savannah but was enrchedI
With their blood shed in the calape of
E0iyil md religious iberty History To-
Ecord1sin letters of lRlold down to data that
they have died Tor their country but
never betrayed Applause They
are here ~ Americans, 90 Aulerican citl-
zeus born ii Ireaand 81 ~ natiye- born
Americsn ciitIzens off Irish descent. IN
becoming itizens of ttlliiig great Repl1bllc,
[associating their rrneeI tEectipnsI and
highest aapirst tions tlh its ortnnas and
III honor. fhey cannot enfirelY break ~
||llnder tI1at fia of nat tuae which binds
EthaInu iu boIlel u sntl ring reoo1le
[4os sthe land of9 q ir nat tiiy,iittv.
ad - W