The Irish standard., 1896-07-04

the perfshable eloquence OF the day, but
that he should still be with us In more
enduring form to instruct the genera
tiurls when all of US shall be mute ana
most of us forgotten. AZ result OF thnf
meeting. and the subsequent efforts q
his friends and admirers, representing
every walk Of life, we are assembled to
day in this beautiful month Of june 70
dedicate memorial to as rare spirit
and as loving and noble soul as ever
Awelt in the habitations of men. We
are, perhaps, too near him to fully ap-
preciaAe or to justly estimate his work Or
the place he will occupy in. the future.
One S near friends and nedghbors seem
TO be the last ones to learn to Know him,
lust as the hours that pass US are the
ones we appreciate least. know !
but utter what your hearts feel whom I
say we all foved him. He was one OF our
Jewels, and it is no small thing when no
mean city places man among the jewels
in her civic crown.
We may well ask was he worthy to
stand upon the pedestal which grateful
hearts and loving friends have provided.
We need not apply the microscopic test
but answer, yes.
It was my good fortune and peculiar
privilege to make his acquaintance al
most on his arrival here in Boston; that
acQuatntance fructified into friendship
and ripened into love. There was fas-
cination and magnetism about him that
no genuine man could resist His pleas
ant voice, his winsone way, his great
Kindness, his manly courage, the hon-
esty OF his thought and his trlrthfulneB
OF soul bound him to you with hooks Of
steel You felt that through all his life
he tried to make men parer, wiser and
better. Humboldt says: Governments,
religions, property, books, are nothing
but the scaffolding to build a man and
the finest fruit that earth holds up to its
Greater is a finished man."
The great poet who had written tor al
mankind, puts these words into the.
month OF the Prince Of Denmark, when
speaking Of his royal father; he does not
speak of his exalted position or his king
ly perpgatives, he says: Take him for
all and all, this was man We neer shalt
look upon his like agatn." So T'e say
when 4ue look upon the counterfeit pre-
sentiment Of John Boyle O'Retlly, brought
freshly to our mind by the genius Of tha
sculptor, This was q man."
Il do not claim FOR him perfection. Were
he living and made such claim !le
would be the first 20 resent It, We loved
him, not because he was perfect, but be-
cause he was so gentle, 80 tsnder, 30 true.
because he was SO human. One Whc
made such a brave fight for the right az
he understood it until his course was fiT-s
ished and won, we trust, an tncorTupts
ible crown. That be was far beyond thu
vast majority Of men, we who thought We
knew him now begin TO realize as We,
n%k 4e aA AA{ nq ]ays.as
ested acts Of his life. 5s
Born in ireland, he 90 loved his native:
lard that he offered his mortal life as =
sacrifice upon the altar OF liberty. Could
any man give more? Tried and con-
demned by English law he recsived pris-ss
on and exile. BY the intrepid dity # nfl
Hathaway, Of NeM Bedford whale ship,
he escaped from Australia, landed ia tho
United States. aud rom the very day
whom his feet touched our shores he. IN.
tered into the very HE of the natter. q
\ DeyoLedly ais he loved the land Of hi1
birth, when he became an American citt-s
izen, he was one In cvegy fibre Of his be-
ing, he never claimed recognit ion for
any thing that. he did or dared Tor ldss ma
tive land. He gave HE whole thought
his whole mind, all his energies and lsfss
splendid talents for his adopted country.
One Of his expressions was, We can alo
ireland more good sby our Americanisnn
thanb by our Irishism.,, ssls
B IS He was an enthnAaStic advocate 0fa
every cause that he believed would help
America ai1d American inst itutio ions; AsS
ne believed Id the dignity OF manhood,
50 he labored Tor the AeleVation ofs nisas-
4, X Fl 1, * uaS 1a.n MI Oh, and