The Irish standard., 1897-03-13


he suffered martyrdon, and we pledge at
the altar Of Liberty renewed allegiance to
the great principles for which his hero s
spirit offered priceless sacrifice. Not
to weary you, ladies and gentlemen, with
further comment upon the considerations
which prompt us in holding this ass
sem blage. not only extend to you the
most cordial of welcome, but, in the
name of the governing authority of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians, J. thank
you for your attendance upon the present
occasion.
Hon. Ignatius- Donnelly, in his ad-
dress upon Memories of Emmet," glori-
fed the hero and the Irish race in par
ticular. MIR. Donnelly spoke briefly upon
Emmet's early history. He was not a
rich man; ne had never been a million
aire, nor had he eyer erected industries
which would live after him. He had al
ways been, and had died as he had lived,
a poor man. Mr.. Dornelly said the pres
ence of SO large an. audience was an un-
dying tribute to the loyalty of those who
held Irish blood in. their veins. He had
lived for a cause and had died a martyr,
during time Of revolution. The speaker
he spoke OF the revolutionary fever
| which had disturbed the peace of many
nations at the end of the last century,
and this recalled to the speaker a proph-
ecy he had made twenty years ago, when
he expressed the fear that the present
century would not close without turbu-
lent times and perhaps bloodshed. He
was still of that belief.
The American Revolution in ITS had
spread back to France, where it caused
the French uprising. and the reign OF
| terror. It had gone, to .sexcesses, the
speaker said, but it had done more to-
ward the advancement Of France than
anything which had happened in one
thousand years.
The speaker then came back to the
Irish revolution. in 1897 Sand the heroic
but futile attempt made for liberation.
Mr. Donnelly made his usual caustic
reference to English aristccracy, and
drew picture of what America would tie
today if it had remained under English
domination. The country would be in
the same state as Ireland. aFhe speaker
said that America was to-day under
British subjection, not that of loaded and
4 shotted cannon, but through the medium
of purchased statesmen. There was go
! ing on today the same royal battle, but
with a different instrrumentality. The
speaker was sarcastic In his reference to
,ex-President Cleveland, who, he said,
was so English that he even had the
gout.
I Coming back to the theme of the even
ing, Mr.. Donnelly told OF the heroic
struggle of Emmet, of Lord Edward
Fitzgerald, of Toll and others a century
ago. There is still standing in London
a house in Thomas street, which had
sheltered the fugitives while they had
hidden from British wrath for five
months, The speaker said that Emmet
| still lives, not only in every loyal Irish
| heart. but in the heart of every man
who had within him love of liberty.
Mr.. Donnelly told of the whitening effect
of English rule over Ireland. During the
! last fifty years every nation had made
great progress. American cities, which
a century ago were only English villages,
were now immense American metropo-
Uses, but Ireland, poor Ireland, had lost
half of her population, and was going
down, down, down. Most of the Irish
men had come to America to sit down
under the protection of the stars and
stripes The speaker, quoting from an
English clergyman, said it was as easy
| to trace the course. of a wounded shark
through the water, both had trails OF
blood.
Mr.. Donnelly mentioned other Irish
patriots among them Father John Muir
ply. He narrated the. strike for free
dom. the batteries which had been
fought at Benninger hill and Tara HILL
where the patriots had fought madly
against terrible odds; he also told of the
butcheries of women and children, and
cruelties which were. rs horrible as
those practiced by Weyler in, Cuba
Mr.. Donnelly followed 'the Irishman
down through the century, and said his
influence had always been felt all over
the world The 1rishnaant had been per-
secuted but without reason. There were
never more than 10, coo soldiers enrolled
in the Revolution at lone time, but OF
these 10000 there were $50 who bore the
name of Patrick, which showed that the
1rishman was on hand. The speaker
claimed that Mrs. rs4t .*was Kelley. .
Mr.. Mckinley aeccbbr1tng 10 the speaker,
was also an 1rishnan. TIE orator of the
evening closed with ri impassioned ap-
peal for more patriotism and less perse-
cution. He spoke:of the Anglo-American
treaty, and said he. would treat with
ENGLAND only with cannon.
The list Of vice presidents on the occa-
sion was quite large, as follow: Hon.
y