The San Francisco call., 1897-03-05
THE IRISH HONOR
EMME rs MEMORY
Knights of the Red Branch
Give an Entertain
ment.
The Patriots Anniversary Cele.
brated at Metropolitan
Hall.
Programme of Music and Ora ory, to
Which Father Yorke and the
Mayor Cpntr. butte.

Metropolitan Hall was the scene of an
enthusiastic gathering last night in honor
of one of Ireland's most celebrated martyrs
ard patriots, Robert Emmett, who sacrl-
feed his life for his country.
The hall was gorgeously decorated with
emblems every where aud always asso-
ciated with Emmet's nationality, such as
the Irish harp, the shamrock SO green"
and a profusion of bunting and foliage of
the same color. A fine portrait of the
patriot hung in front of the large organ,
and beneath it were the words: His
epitaph shall be written"
Above the stars and stripes fioated tri-
umphantly, as if to emphasize the friend
ship of the two countries.
The entertainment was given under the
auspices of the Knights of the Red
Branch. and the evenings musical pro-
gramme was exclusively composed of
Irish solos, whether in strum entail or vocal.
The oratorical flavor was contributed 'by
Mayor Phelan, who as chairman of the
evening delivered brief but inspiring in
troductory address, and by Rev. Peter G.
Yorke.
The programme in full was as follows:
Organ prelude, National airs, Miss Marie
Georgiana; Introductory, by the chairman,
Hon. James D. Phelan; quartet, "Come Back
to Erin (Cottelli), Miss Roney, Mrs. Griffin,
Messrs. Desmond and Berger; tenor solo, ''The
tralto solo, "Emmets Last Words" Mrs.
Thomas Griffin; violin selections, Bohemian
Girl" (Baife), senor Jose Andonegui; soprano
| solo, "Last Rose of Summer" (Moore) Miss
Annie Roney; barytone solo, "The Memory OF
the Dead" Qngram), G. Berger; oration. Rev.
Peter c. Yorke; quartet; "God Save Ireland"
(Sullivan), Miss Roney, Mrs. Griffin, Messrs.
Desmond and Berger.
Tho rta,fnrr, moo onoun;oI h. r;oo
presidents and other officers of the society
in addition to the two speakers of the
evening.
In the course of his address Mayor
Phelan said:
Tonight we are assembled to celebrate one
of the birthdays of human freedom One
hundred and more years ago the struggle for
American dependenceInspired the French,
the Irish and other peoples to hope that they
might accomplish similar result and spirit
of revolution was foremost in the minds OF
men. To-day we find the forces OF freedom
gathering again, and in ancient Greece, in
Crete and in Cuba the genius of Independence
has sounded call to- arms. Ireland Is
ready at the slightest proyocation to burst
into activity, for the Irish are liberty loving
people suffering under an alien and vicious
rule without their Tree and full consent.
We know from the history of freedom
that emancipation has come to nations from
wrong and oppression only by persistent pro-
Lest, Dy tlIeleSS TeSlS tanCe anu LUdL COnCent-
ment and peace in a political sense are only
the portion of slaves. Ireland has on the altar
OF her country and of freedom sacrificed some
OF her noblest sons, who have for her sake
| gone willingly to the scaffold, and no country
which has made such sacrifices, or produced
such sons, can fail TO accomplish her ultimate
purpose. The fate of Robert Emmett has not
only made Ireland's cause glorious and sacred,
| but 1t has made it inyincible For over hun
| dred years the memory of Emmet has been an
| ms piration TO the people, just his dying
words have been a command. He has made
| Irish patriotism not merely sentiment,
not mere passing ebullition of feeling
and enthusiasm, but he has made Irish pa
| triot1sm living creed and, if say it, an un :
| performed duty, and any other view would
make every lrishman an ibettor and a con-
niver at his fate. Emmett gave up everything
| youth, hope, love, ambition-to serve that
which he had proposed to confer the dignity
OF independence and to her sons the priyi-
leges and the rights OF freedom. That was
| the crime for which he died and that is the
reason we are here tonight to celebrate his
memory.
Father Yorke, whose rising was the sig
nal for prolonged applause, said:
Who fears to speak of '9S [Cheers After
from the ends OF the earth, in a new world,
that question goes out in defiance to tyranny.
Who fears to speak of '9S? hundred years
ago, when the men who rose in dark aud evil
days were put down by treachery, by might
by blood and fire, in the prison cell and on
the scaffold, they thought-ever thought-that
liberty was buried. But liberty never dies; !;
the battle of freedom Is never lost its defeats
are its victories, and the sons and grandsons