The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-18
ANCIENT ORDER ORATORS
PAY ELOQUENT TRIBUTE TO THE
EMERALD ISLE.

| pirate ST. Batr1ck'S Day HeGa4ly.
Its Banquet at Hibernian HaIl-The
Irish Soldiers Given High Praise.
National President O'COnnOF,
Judge II. ID. ID. TVviggs, Geo. w.
Beckett, Esq, A. s. Way, Esq, Mr..
Il. b. CatherwOod and MIR. Joseph
f. Doyle the Principal Speakers.
The banquet of the Ancient Order Of Hi
bernians at their hall on Bryan street was
| probably the most successful that the or
der has ever given in Savannah The
banquet was under the auspices of Divi-
sion No 2, but the guests included many
of the members of the other three divi-
sinos and other friends. About 200 were
present.
| The hall having been converted into
supper room the members and guests met
in the room of the Savannah club on Bay
| street and marched to the hall, where
they arrived shortly before 10 o'clock.
| President e. A. Leonard of division No.
| presided, the speakers being seated to his
right and left at the head table on the west
side.
After having given some attention to
| Tic COlidNiCn OIutT was Cdlltu ny NAdlA~
man Leonard. who introduced P. J.
| O'Connor Esq, national president of the
| Ancient Order, to respond to the toast,
THE Day We Celebrate"
Mr.. OConnor was greeted with lively
applause. He said that he regretted very
much he would be compelled to leave so
| soon, but another engagement would call
| him elsewhere. He began with an elo-
| quent eulogium upon the day. Modern
| Irish history had inseparably interviewer
| with Ireland the religion which had COW
cred her with so much renoWn, he said. 1t
! was st. Patricks mission to convey this
| religion to Ireland. MIR. O'Connor paid a
| tribute TO the Irishman's patriotism, love
| of religion, love of country and love of
liberty were three distinguishing charac-
teristics of the Irish race, he said, wher-
| ever 1t is found.
On account Of being the first speaker at
the banquet of the Hibernian Society and
to the same toast, Mr.. O'Connor was COM
| PEELED to cut his address short, much to
| the regret of his audience.
After an interval of some minutes, the
chairman introduced George w. Beckett,
Esq, who responded to the toast, 1.-The
| United States"
Mr.. Beckett expressed his pleasure at
| the opportunity, which had been afforded
him. He compared Columbus in his voy-
| age for the discovery of the new world
| with st. Patrick on his mission to carry
religion and civilization to ireland. He
| briefly sketched the settlement and devel-
| opment of this country He referred to
| "a vile conspiracy against the rights of
| American citizens" as "a blot upon Amer
| icanism." No one knew its purposes and
| its objects, he said, except that it was the
| enemy of a certain faith, the faith
! of the man to whom this country owes it's
| discovery. This vile organization was
| swept away from this fair city only a
| few weeks ago, he said, by the power of
| the awakened conscience of the people
| The greatness of the nation and it's flu
| ture possibilities were aptly described. He
| declared 1t to be the forerunner of the
great universal republic of the world. Mr..
| Beckett was frequently interrupted by ap-
| plause.
Letters were read by the chairman from
| Vice President ]. M. Egan, of the Central
[ of Georgia railway, and Mr. George Mey-
er, regretting their inability to be pres
| ent.
Judge H. D. D. Twiggs was given an
| ovation when he arose to respond to the
toast, Georgia" Judge Twiggs captured
his audience at once, and was continually
| applauded. Although a stranger, COM
! paratively, he was not i'll at ease among
Irishmen, he said, his parentage being
| Scotch and Irish. 1t is not a difficult mat
| ter even now to stir up his Irish, he said.
Ireland being famed for its porter, he
said and Scotland for it's
ale, he had found himself frequently at a
| certain favorite resort drinking "half and
half" Judge Twiggs said he felt that he
| had bigger subject than his friend Beck
| EFT. 1t was a subject too big to be so
| briefly handled; a subject which had an
| area of $500 square miles, $1,000 more
| than Ireland and 2S,000 more than Scot
| land, as great as England herself. with
| Of Uhf orr nc i'm,
| portant geographically as Rhode Island.
| The great resources of the state were ably
described. a tribute was paid to the his
| tory of the state, and to the great men
whose ashes rest within its bosom. Geor-
gia, he said, furnished more than $4,000
men to the confederate army, and not one
single regiment that did not contain upon
its muster roll the sons of Irishmen.
Judge Twiggs spoke of the origin of the
Irish emblem, the shamrock, though be-
ing used by st. Patrick as a practical IL
lustration Of the Trinity. which resulted
in the conversion of the chieftain to whom
he was preaching. He alluded
in an interesting manner, to
his own service in the late war. He was
a member of the First Georgia Regulars
he said, of which his old friend at the
end of the table (Mr. p. Buttimer) was
also a member. There were sixty-three
Irishmen in the regiment, and as they
were a pretty unruly lot and he was con-
sdered a pretty good disciplinarian, they
were all put in his company. He paid a
high tribute to his old comrades, mention
ing especially the battle of Second Man
| assas, and the gallant conduct of his color
bearer at Malvern HILL
The First Georgia Regulars was the best
| drilled regiment in the confederate army
| Judge Twiggs declared. and Company c.
was the best drilled company in the reg
| iment. He told an interesting anecdote
| of a competitive drill between his company
| and Company c, commanded by Capt. Mil
| ledge, now state librarian. Judge Twiggs
| closed with an eloquent tribute TO Georgia.
| He established himself as a favorite with
his audience and IL is safe to say that this
| is not the last time he will be called upon
| to address them.
| Mr.. George w. Richter who responded
to the toast OF the Bar" was given
| fiatterng introduction by the chairman.
| The debts which the world owes to the
| lawyers were ably presented by Mr. Rich
| ter. The test and penal acts Of Ireland
were especially spoken or For the repeal
of these odious laws Ireland had to thank