The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-17
HAIL THE SHAMROCK.
This the Day That Good Irish
men Celebrate.
WHO THE hoNoREo SAINT WAS.
For Fourteen Centuries His Name Has
Been Rcvercd - The Christian
Apostle or Ireland.

This is the day when the shamrock
blooms. II is 81. Patrick's. and al loyal
sons OF Ireland will celebrate the day
IL has been celebrated in the past for GEN.
turtles.
In this city there are good many good
Irishmen. and the day with them viii he
fttingly concentrated
II IL a remarkable tribute 70 the char
acter and achievements of a man'that his
supposed birthday should be piously and
zeaiously celebrated by millions of people
more than fourteen hundred years after
his death. VIII the known birthday of
George Washington be eommemoraied
by millions of Americans. all over the
world. in, say the year 3an9? VIII the BIRTH
day OF Abraham Lincoln be similarly
comrnemorated In the year 32e5? Ii would
take bold prophet and sangune patriot
to give an affirmative answer TO these
questions
IL f. fourteen hundred years since St.
Patrick. the Christian apostle of ireland.
passed from this earth, and yet his apo
cryphal birthday Is celebrated today in all
parts of Christendom. with fcrvor and
zeal that command attention and respect.
Who was St Patrick This query will
today be answered frpm countless puipi,s
and platforms by the statement that in
his youth, about the BEGINNING OF the
NTH century. he was carried as captive
from some place on the continent of Eu-
rope tprobably Franco TO Ireland by an
Irish army. which was marauding abroad.
and that he became strongly attached to
his capt0rs, and formed the resolution
to convert them to the Christian faith:
after which he proceeded to Rome and
procured the necessary authority creden-
tials and encouragement from Pope Celes-
tine Returning to Ireland. his mission
proved wonderfully successful. and In a
brief space Of time he had the princes
and people of the country ali converted
from DruidisIn and sun-worship to Chris
tianity: one of the traditions being that
he illustrated the Eeasonahlentss OF the
doctrine of the trinity by plucking from
the ground three-leaved shamrock. and
pointing out TO the supreme king of Tara.
surrounded BY his court. that there could
be three in one: hence the adoption OF the
shamrock as an emblem of Ireiand's faith
and nationality 1t Is generally taken for
granted that Ireland was wholly pagan
when St. Patrick entered upon his apos-
tolate. and that TO him alone is due the
credit OF converting the island to Chris
tianty. But this assumption finds no war
rant in the learned and sober histories OF
the country. Christianity had been intro
duced into Ireland for more than a hun
dred fears before st. Patrick's time. and
had at the opening of the fifth century
made considerable Roadway II seems to
ct. Patrick who completed the conversion.
Infinite controversy has been carried on,
century after century, concerning the ma
tivity of ST. Patrick. As
Seven cities claimed the birth of Homer
dead,
Through which the living Homer begged
his bread"
So the honor of giving birth to st. Pat
rick is ardently claimed by France, Eng
land. Scotland. Wales, the Isle
OF Man. and by Ireland it.
self. The weight of evidence favors the
French claim. St Patrick's Comics sions''
(what We would now call memoirs" or
reminlscences') are acknowledged on all
hands TO be genuine. and they support the
French contention. The name by which
he is known. Patrick" is title of Ro-
man nobility. conferred on hin, in recogni-
ton Of his great worth and deeds. The
Irish are an intensely religious people
and they have bestowed upon ST Patrick
all the noble and engaging qualities which
satisfy their own conception Of a simon
pure apostle and saint. Their devotion has
invested him with earthly Immortality
and made him one of the great characters
of the world.