The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-18
SONS OF ST. PATRICK BANQUET.
Henry WattersOn One of the speak,
ers of the Evening.

Henry WattersOn One of the Speak,
ers of the EVENING.
The first annual banquet of the Friendly
Sons of St. Patrick given at the Denison
Hotel last night was one of the most sue
cessful events of the present season. The
immens dining room was truned into a
bower. great festoons of wild smilax cover
ing the chandeliers and walls of the room.
The big mirror in the far end of the room.
before which was placed the table of the
POSTMASTER and guests of honor, had
above 1T in colored incandescent lights the
Irish motto, 'Caed Mile Failthe." a hun
dred thousand welcomes. Beneath the
glowing motto a large American flag was
draped back to the right and on the other
side hung the national flag Of Ireland. a
banner of green with the golden harp in
the center. The table of the POSTMASTER
was placed lengthwise across the dining
hall and the guests OF honor sat on a
raised platform facing the guests seated at
four long tables running l~engthwise OF the
room. With Toastmaster Nj. w. Carr were
seated Prof. George E. Clarke Of Notre
Dame University, Ri. Rev. Francis s.
Chatard. bishop of Vincennes, Henry Wat
terson of Louisville, frank b. Burke,
Patrick Keefe of Kentland. Timothy Z.
Howard of the Supreme Court, Rt. Rev.
August Bessonies. John f. McGettigan,
Patrick j. Ryan, Andrew NJ. Sweeney and
John II. McMorrow. MIR. Watterson was
escorted to the banqueting hall from Ply
mouth Church after finishing his lecture by
Messrs. Sweeney and Ryan. The dis
tinguished editor was greeted with an wa
ton as he entered the dining hall.
1t was not until midnight that the menu
was finished and the intellectual feast be-
gan. Each effort of those who had been
selected TO respond TO various appropriate
sentiments was received with close atten-
ton and loud applause. The Friendly Sons
of st. Patrick is a social organization that
has grown up in the last year and now
numbers among its membership the most
distinguished men and women of Irish de-
scent in the city. The large number of
ladies present last night made the scene one
of beauty and gayety.
AT midnight MIR. McGettigan arose and in
a few brief words introduced the toastmas-
ter, who said that he would not consume
any time owing to the lateness of the hour.
when he said hat his speech would keep
until next year.
PROF. CLARK'S TOAST.
Mr.. Carr called upon Prof. George +.
Clarke to respond to the sentiment The
| Day We Celebrate Prof. Clarke said that
the Irish nation was pre-eminently social In
its tendencies. I'm good or evil. gayety or
grief, the Irishman longs for company. AT
his marriage he expects you to share in
his happiness and at his wake he expects
a great gathering. He would die hard did
he anticipate your absence from his funeral.
| All his thoughts and words are inspired by
his heart. Deep down in the Irish heart
is a love of home and kindred, and yet
when he leaves his home and looks at the
receding shores of his native land he knows
that never again will it give him a resting
place. But the memory of that land is al
f GaSs that a nr@' ever g green's the
flowers that ever bloom and the
of heroes. The love of country and race is
bequeathed from father 10 son. In space
ireland is small, but once ii was an empire,
comprised of Kingdoms and princedoms and
chieftanry. Once education and religion
made it the Acadia of the world. Once It's
children sounded all the depths and shoals
of honor and they were the plumed knights
"Visitations of sword, fire and plague
have rested upon her, laws that We're the
most infamous the mind of man could de-
wise were enacted against her, laws that
took away her education ana Iiterature.
The human mind has never sounded lower
depths of infamy than when 1t took away
her education. Ireland must be destroyed
was the motto. And yet the spirit of Irish
nationality lives in our fathers and in us.
Generation after generation OF lrishmen
have gone to death and eternity in defense
of it,"
Professor Clarke spoke of the persecu-
tions that had made emigrants OF irish
men, declaring that numbers greater than
all Europe sent TO the cruSades had gone
down into the darkness and holds of the
ships TO emerge on some foreign shore.
Where have they gone? Everywhere
He said that no matter where they have
gone. the Irish nave been brave and loyal
and have given of their best time and talent
to the nations with which they have be-
come assimilated. Irishmen and the de-
scendantS Of Irishmen are found in every
nation, in the wilds of Africa, in Canada,
Clarke is am inspiring speaker and was in
terrupted many times with spontaneous
applause, and the eyes of many glistened.
Bishop Chatard responded TO the toast,
Church and Country.
.'These two words" said he. church and
country. suggest ideas so great that they
transcend anything else man can think of.
They bring us face to face with all that re-
lates to God. Man was made for God. This
gives us an idea Of the grand aim for which
man was created. 1t gives an idea OF the
dignity of man. Man was made for the Gre
ator and not for anything created. The sub
lime purpose or the church IS 10 1elly man
What a sublime idea that is and how ev-
erything else pales before IT. The church
extends her care everywhere. People who
do not understand her true purpose think
wife, between mother and child. This is er-
roneous. The church teaches that love of
country is a sacred duty. The idea of coun-
try and church is associated together in the
mind of God. A love of country is a duty
inculcated by the church or COD
The bishop deplored the fact that the
church is not known by the American peo-
pie and that there has been a sort of con-
spiracy in English literature TO misrepre-
sent the church. He said that he thought
a change was coming over non-Catholic
men i'm this country and they were begin
ming TO realize that the church was one of
the most beneficial of influences at work.
He contrasted the condition of this coun-
try. where the rulers speak the name Of
God only with reverence, as compard with
European countries. where He Is dethroned
and His name despised.
Henry Watterson's toast was America,
Our Glorious Republic His fame As an
after-dipner orator led those present to
anticipate an eloquent effort. Other num-
bers on the programme were as follows:
Harp solo, Irish melodies. by Miss Mollie
A. Cassidy, of Cincinnati. O..
Fantasia on Irish Airs-Piano Misses
Emma O'Brien and Mary Cullen; violin,
Miss Mary Egan; mandolins, Misses Alice
Shiel and Mary Clune.
Chorus. "America"-By pupils of St. Ag-
mes Academy; accompanies, Miss Emma
O'Brien.
.Irishmen in the American Revolution
Response by Hon. Frank Il. Burke, United
States district attorney
Song. The Sea-girt Isle Fairheld-By