The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-28
At THE IRISH PICNIC IN CHICAGo.
THE DISCIPLE OF JOHN WESLEY IS
A PATRIOTIC FRESHMAN.
HANDLES FRoUDE WITHOUT GLOVES.
HE ENDS HIS ADDRESS WITH AN
ELOQUENT PERORATION.

One of the speakers at the picnic OF
| the united Irish societies of Chicago
| on Aug. II was Rev. Geo. w. Pepper
| the eloquent Methodist minister of Ohio
In the course of his patriotic address
| he said:
Ireland is a proud name! Once spok,
en- in a vein OF irony, but now, thanks
century, never spoken of without scnti-
ments of admiration, love and graft.
tude.
The splendid meeting before me ILLS
me with irrepressiblc delight and sad,
ness; delight because this mighty gath
| ering demonstrates that the cause OF
| Ireland is immortal; that it is not to .,t
abandoned because of temporary de-
! feat. Defeat lrishmen have become ac,
customed to, but with despair--ncvcr!
The day will come when ball of rctri-
button will descend upon the head of
the criminal Colossus, when above the
grave of the darkest despotism that
ever cursed Ireland the green flag shall
be planted by our countrymcn.
And yet the splendid vista fills me
| with sadness, for it reminds me of mon
In prison cells whose only luster was
the gray light shining through their
grated windows and whose only COM
panionship was solitude.
Rev. Mr.. Pepper went back 900 years,
to the time when Ireland WAS free and
showed that previous to that time 1t was
as far, if not further, advanced in CIV
1lization than any of the European
countries. At that time it was governed
by a parliament of one thousand men,
bers, much after the present formation
OF republics, though there was a king
who was the executive of the admins
trhtion OF the government. Many of
the laws then passed were similar to
those In effect today. one Of those being
that the property of the head of a fami-
ly be divided at his death instead of
descending to the Oldest male descend
ant. At that time there was one uni
versity with 10000 students. which was
sufficient Indication of the progress of
civilization.
At one place in Ireland Mr.. Froudc
had explored a cave and found cell
and then he announced to the world
that the Irish people of the early CEN
turtles were cave dwellcrs. Rev. Mr..
Pepper stated that during the siege OF
Atlanta by the Union army, during the
rebellion, some Of the inhabitants of the
city sought shelter from the fire of tho
Union army by digging pits, in which
they located their families. 1t would
be Just as sensible to have some author
ity, several centuries In tho future, as
sert that In 1864 the inhabitants Of At
lanta were cave dwellers.
Later, in another lecture, Froudc
had much to say concerning the pop,l-
latiOn Of Ireland In 1903 he gave the
number OF Inhabitants as 100000 and
thirty-eight years later as 1900, 900
which was an incredible increase under
the conditions which cxstd. He cited
Germany and the United States as In
stances to prove that with every rca-
son for progression. under the most
favorable circumstances. the population
did not increase at q greater ratio than
was accredited to Ireland. In another
statement Mr.. Froude made reference
to the condition OF the Irish people re-
,, gardng religion and education. AT
that time there were scvcrs, fines and
penalties inflicted on all Catholic cler-
gymcn who followed their calling and
there were rights given Protcstants by
law which were such as allowed a Pro-
tcstant to take a horse worth 800
from an Irishman and tender to him
G5 in payment.
The character of Cromwell was di-
lated by Froude, who upheld every act
done by him or by his orders. Rev.
Mr.. Pepper showed that dcfcnselcss
prisoners, and in one instance at Wcx-
ford, 300 women, were butchcrch by
Cromwell's soldicry In comparison
Rev. Mr. Pepper said that CrOmwcll's g
career was like a brilliant sunset, which
sank deep red into darkness, while That
of Washington was like a glorious sun
rise which could never reach it's zenith
| AS to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, dur
| ing her sovereignty the first Infamous
| penal laws were enacted. There we're
other official acts which were fully as
odous to the people, to say nothing of
open intrigue and debauchcry of tho
! court.
| He told OF the visit made by Wolfe
Tone to Napoleon and how the latter
promised to assist in freeing ireland
| from English rule, which promise was
not kept. and later at St. Helena Napo-