The morning times., 1896-10-22
CHAIR OF CELTIC ENDOWED
Gift of the A. q. n. to the Catholic
University.

University.
The presentation 10 Cardinal Gibbons of
Il check for $4,000, the girJ of the An-
Client order OF Iiibernians Tor the cntOW
lnent OF a chair of Gaelic literature AT
the Catholic University, was made yes
tcrday afternoon, at that Institution, III
he assembly hail OF the Nc ManOn Dulu-
Iug.
Very Rev. Or. Garrigan presided. With
him on the stage being Cardinal Gibbons,
ArrhbislopS Corrigan, Ireland. Ryan. Free
han, Chappellc, Kahn, Gross, Williams,
Bishops Elder, Macs, McGoIdrick, prurcS
sors of the university. Hon. W. Z. Weadock,
OF Bay City, Mich: Hon. Maurice f. VII
here. OF Philadelphia, "N-prcSidcnt Of the
40. H., aud Hon. =. & O'Connor, prcsi-
dent OF that order. The three last named
gentlemen We're "A committee OF the ma
uuE;u order which through its member.
ship OF about seventy five thousand raised
he SSo.Goo to provide the Gaelic pro-
fcSSorShip.
One striking feature of tue proceedings
was that every time the name Of Bishop
kcane was mentioned there was prolonged
applause, to which the ladies' in the audience
contributed very largely, if not intensely.
The name of his cminence Cardinal Glib
bonS " as also mentioned several times, each
time there being an appreciativc dcmonStra-
tiOn OF tue same kind and degree. Arch
bishop Corrigan is not demonstrative, but
1t was noted that he applauded the name
OF Bishop keane. So did Archbishop Ire
land. So did they all.
CEREMONIES WERE SIMPLE.
The proceedings were very simple, the
interest being to great extent i'll what
was said rather than what was done.
All the functionaries on the stage Were
In the customary suits of solemn bllck'
with the exception of the cardinal and
Archbishop Gross.
\ feature Of the audience was the section
left of the stage which was occupied by
100 members of the A. o. II. Of this
city. These gentlemen Were III evening
dress and Wore as Insignia the badges of
the order, green i'll color, on the badge
being Il miniature United States flag.
Dr. Garrigau made the intruductions of
the speakers i'll felicitous phrases and pre-
faced the occasion as follows.
Your Eminence, Most Reverned \ ArchhiShopE
Right Revcrns Bishops and Delegates,
Professors, students and Friends:
The occasion which has attracted this
distinguished assemhlage of church digni-
taries, professors and students, and gentle
men prominent in the humble walks of
life from all parts of our country, is an
interesting and significant one, VIZ. the
actua. establishment in this university of
il professional char for the teaching and
the study of the GaGelic language its
y
While this institution lasts
Four years ago the Catholic Total Alb
stinencc Union of America. then forty
thousand strong, came here, through its
representatives, on similar mission, and
| their muniiicent gift has associated forever
! the name of their apostle, Father Mathew,
| with the life and fame of this university.
| Today the Ancient order of Hibernians. an
organization in high repute with church and
| State numbering 100000 members, and
| spread over this vast republic, is here,
oh Is an f.
| faith and science in their homage for
| higher Christian education, to show their
love for the ancient tongue of the Gael,
| which holds enshrined III its rich. sweet
| accents the trea Surcs of that ancient race,
| who Were cultured and Christian is a very
| high degree, long before many of the
present nations OF the world had emerged
| from harbarism.
The occasion is indeed interesting and
| significant, because il means the opening
up to scientific study and research fields
of knowledge hitherto unknown to our
American higher schools. 1t is signfi-
cant because it voices the desire OF the
people for the highest culture the deepest
learning. The people have built the
| churches and schools. and now they enter
| and equip the universities. introducing
| democracy in education. This splendid
| act of today means this also: II is the
| rerutation OF an historical lie. which has
| been transmitted through English for 700
| years. against a noble, Christian and highly
/ intelligent people.
We welcome you most cordially to these
| halls. distinguished representatives of the
Ancient order of Hibernans. We are
proud of your generous act, and proud also
| of the spirit that prompted it and of the
promptneSS and unoburusve manner in
| which you have accomplished it. The
| name of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
| and this deed will be inscribed on the pri-
vate records and on the public mosaic
| tablets of the university, and will tell to
| coming generations the innate love of the
| Gael for truth for fatherland, and for higher
education.
APPLAUDED BISHOP kEANE.
Mr.. Weadock was the first speaker. He
elected much applause by his reference
to Bishop Keane, wherein he expressed
| the love rcssed for him by the university,
;he people of Washington, and the rest of
| the country. Other parts of his speech
dealt with the order of the Hibcrnians
and especially that part of it, which re-
| lated to the present munifieent gift.
The agitation for the endowment, he
showed, was begun in Michigan, and ended
in Michigan. strong part of his address
was his appeal for the welfare of the uni
versity, its comparison with other in
| stitutions, and the expression of the hope
| that the students ofthc land Would promptly
recognize its advantages.
| He deprecated the idea of a local Catholic
church based on national differences. Let
| there be, he said, an English church in Eng
| land, a German church in Germany, but for
all lands let it be the Catholic church.
References 20 DE. Sheehan and DR. Garrigan
in this address Were loudly applauded.
MIR. Wilhere delivered Il very happy ad-
dress, in which he recounted the glories of
the Irish race and the decay in the study
of its language. This day he would call
the beginning OF new era, and it was
happy coincidence that it was in a nation
where English is spoken that the Gaelic
was to be revived after having been prac-
t'cally destroyed by the English more tn,n
600 years ago.
President O'Connor also touched on the
history and language of tie Irish race
max ne the point that they remained free
when all the races Of the west had sub
mitted TO the Roman yoke.
Concluding. he handed Cardinal Gibbons
the check for the endowment fund, "as a
tribute from the great patriotic heart of
our grand brotherhood
The acceptance Of the check was the
signal for the expected outburst of en-
thusiasm, in which the Ancient Hiber-