The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-12-11
JOHN Il. FINERTY DEARDS. THEM on
THEIR NATIVE HEATH.
THEY APPLAUD HIM TO THE ECHO
BITTER BUT TRUE ARRANGEMENT
OF THE "MOTHER COUNTRY"
FOR ITS ILL.7R;A1MEA1 OF IRELAND,
RECEPTION TO THE LECTURER FOR
TWISTING THE LIONS TAIL.

TWISTING THE LIONS TAIL.
Hon. John F. Finerty, of Chicago,
lectured at Montreal on the anniversary
of the execution of the Manchester mar
tyrs and received a grand ovation. 1t
is unnecessary to say that he delivered
magnificent address and elected enthu-
siastic applause from mis- audience.
Though he struck England heavy blows
he was not interrupted throughout. The
following passages from his speech are
taken from Montreal paper:
Mr.. Finerty received an enthusiastic
welcome as he advanced to the foot
lights After expressing his pleasure al
seeing so large an audience assembled
to show their devotion to the cause OF
Ireland, he proceeded to give a rapid
but brilliant sketch of the princi .nl
events in Irish history which lei up to
the agitation OF the present day. There
were some well meaning but uninformed
people, he said, who thought that we
ought to be grateful because England
condescended to govern Ireland, but
unfortunately for this pretension, the
average Irishman thought he was lust
as good as the average Englishman.
Laughter.) Since the God of Heaven
had not stamped any brand of infer
iority on our brow or given us diminished
intellect or strength, he knew of no
reason why our British neighbors should
have the right to come into the country
that belongs to us and turn us out of it.
and take for their own enjoyment all
the good things therein. Ii we had
done the same thing to the English they
would be up in rebellion every month in
the year, and they would be right. (Ap-
plause)
Ireland is not colony of England
and never was She existed long before
England was ever heard Of. When
Julius Caesar landed on the shores OF
England and saw the ancient Britons
coming down clothed in skins CT wIa
beasts and painted like American In
dlans, he was SO astonished that ne fell
on the shingles of Sussex and broke
his Roman nose. Naughter.) The
Irish nation had existed for 3,yvu wears
1t was a nation when Solomon reigned
in Judea, when Caesar led his victorious
leglons over the Alps into Gaul. 1t cx-
listed long anterior to the Saxon limo Of
the kings of England. When we come
to consider the question Of antiquity.
there is no O'Brien or McMurrouph or
a Mccarthy in any part of the world
who has not older and richer blood in
his veins than all the dynasties that ever
relgned in England. In comparison
with the Milesian Irish the royalties Of
Europe were but the things of yesterday.
Let him tell them something. The old
Irish of Murphy is McMurrough, and the
only drop of Irish blood which the pres
ent ruler of Ireland has in her veins
comes from the marriage of Eva Nc
Murrough with Strongbow; and those
people who sound her praises some-
times forget that the old lady after all
is only girl OF the Murphys. Uuugn-
ter) Talk about the Tudors and Plant
agenets and the Stuarts, Why, since
the days of Brian Boroihme the Irish
tribes had worn their titles and the o
and Mac are better patent of nobility
than was ever handed by any king or
queen In Europe to knight or squire.
For five hundred years before 1851,
Ireland battled against the Normans.
Three times she wrested from Engands
grasp the possession of Ireland and
each time lost 1t again by faction and
misfortune. Under Edward Bruce and
McMurrough and Hugh O'Neil and Art
successive chieftains, she was victori-
Gus. Against the armies of Elizabeth
she held her own; before the legions of
Cromwell she did not quail. The Old
flag was struck down on many field,
but it never fell with dshonor When
the Irish nation drew the sword in the
cause of King James II, she drew it,
not because he was king Of England
or Scotland, but because, as king of Ire
land, he upheld the cause of civil and
religious liberty because he gave her
in the parliament of 1853, where Prot
estant and Catholics had equal rcpre-
sentation, the charter of her liberty,
and for this charter she fought AMI fell
with honor. And when the Irish troops
finally marched out from the well de-
Tended walls of Limerick, they only
marched out after they had wrung from
the representatives. of William the right
of the Catholic to worship God and
possess his land in peace--the right t.,
civil and religious liberty. The Irish
army marched out Of Limerick. not as
beaten army, but with all the honors
of WARMTH drums beating, matches lit
and colors flying. And il was only after
they had landed in France, to form the
immortal Irish Brigade, that they learn