The Irish standard., 1896-03-14


little BY little religion cfept back and UP
and on until today there is hardly any
religion in that land but the natural re.
1igIon Of the Irish, so too has this noble
old orda1.o OF onrs emerged from the fires
OF persecution and the innumerable
wrongs perpetrated against it with re-
lIewed life and energy and better equip
ped than ever before to. go on in Its mis-
sion. of doing good, until today 1t is &C
knoWledged to be the leading amongst all
Irish Catholic organizations. @ M
""rhe history Of our race and creed hos
indeed been sad and a cheQuered one,
the necessity for organizing against a
common enemy has Oftenttmes existed
with our people both at home and abroad,
and let me say here that were it not Tor
the power Of organization believe our
creed, perhaps our race, would be almost.
if not entirely, wiped out Of existence to-
day: but, to my mind. there has hardly
ever been time in all the sad and trou-
bled history of Erin when the necessity
for organizing and banding themselves
together existed with her children to
greater extent than it does today. Here
in this country we are surrounded and
confronted by atholic organizations
almost without number, but all singular
ly agreed upon one point and that is
that the Catholic church must and shall
be annilfilated and with it the Irish race.
"Should it become necessary to organ
ize to counteract the evil influence OF
these anti-Catholic societies, the people
of our faith would naturally turn to the
Oldest and most powerful existing Cath
Ollie organization, possessing anywhere
near the power, the strength, the 1nHn-
ence or the wealth Of the Ancient ORDER
of F!ibernians as to some Of the more
modern and high sounding organizations
yet nranv of these modern societies draw
the line so finely on theSnecessary requl-
sites for membership that it is lmpossl-
BILE for any. of our people to obtain 40
mission to them, who within the shelter
ing folds Of the Ancient Order OF Hlber-
mans, can easily find a social abiding
place; a social home. Here in the Ancient
Order of Hibernians we draw the line
standing. 70 be q good Hibernian man
must be good Catholic, and being q
good Catholic man to my mind Is good
enough for any place or any society: Inc
Ancient Order of Hibernians then is the
society for Catholic Irishmen to be-
long to.
side by side with the church in the
terrible penal days which mark that SAD
and gloomy epoch in her history. always
giving what OF moral and material sym
pathy and aid ii lay within their
power to give. were ever to be round
the men who founded our organization
faithful and true to that church ana lts
teachings.
.step by step they kept by her side as
the penal load under which she laooreo
became ]ightened when he began 10 en-
JOY measure Of freedom.
"Stride bv stride and bound by bound
as the shackles Of her bondage tell away:
until TODAY as she sits enthroned on the
lofty pinnacle of glory and OF fame TO
which she has arisen. Faithful and loyaI
al in those dark days are to be found the
men of the Ancient Order of Hibernlans
who with an organization extending 10
the most remote quarters OF this great
free land are now, as then. as ever, the
strong right arm the mainstay ana sup
port Of their holy and venerable motnet'
identified as we have at all times
been, demonstrated to be with every
movem ent and object tending to advance
our holy religion and the Chr1stlan eo'l-
cation of our youths as well as fostefans'
maintaining and perpetuat1ng ali the
grandest, highest ideals OF the most orli-
liant minds of our race. l claim anu
think with a show of justice that banner
upon which is emblazoned the three INKS
symbolic of the motto Of our order, that
motto which forms the foundation upon
which the entire superstructure OF oui
magnificent organization is reared shouLc
he and is that common standard beneath
which the catholic children OF the irish
rare should enroll themselves in the cause
of church, country and mutual aid.
May that beautiful motto of our grand
o1d order he to us all as beacon leading
and lighting us to better. to higher and
roh,er lives. May the spirit OF Friend
shin. Unity and True Christian Charity
be ever with us all and be our guldlns
star in orr intercourse with one another
4 -,..4l, tho uunrld ~