The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-18

sensual and spiritual forces ana 81 ccn
stitute man . safe guide for the huma,
race on ITS way to Heaven. This spIrIt
,oo, Is one OF power, one Of endurance
~ Iears not the attack OF creatures. 1
may DC attacked. 1t may be bruised, 1t ma,
Ue uoa upon. but 1t still lives on, still
grows 10 great heights, still sings song
OF great victorious rejoicing. 1t is a spiri
sweet ana gentle, kind and true movinJ
on. ever with one object in yiew--the xlor,
OF the Eternal God. Such was the spiri
dod gave to st. Patrick, such the rtche
with which He endowed him. such til,
glory with which He surrounded him, ant
ots fatrick was FOR the Irish people. Wha
treasure! Did not God highly com
| pliment them?
trace supposes nature. The higher ar,
tne gifts Of grace, the broader, the nobler
tne grander must nature be to receive
tnem. God wanted the Irish people &c
| profit by the treasure He gave them. He
wanted them to look up to st. Patrick to
study MIN, to initiate him, but to do tina,
required character required mind and
hearth mind broad with the principle.
OF reason we'll embedded there that It may
come IN touch with the eternal reason IL
| sell; heart noble and generous, capable
| OF receiving God. All this the Celt pos.
sessed. Just look at that people as the
great man of God set to move among them.
Love OF liberty characterized them and
rove OF liberty Is an emotion that tends
upwards away from the shackles OF in.
Justice, away from the tyranny OF narrow.
MINDED deceptive men. They always
louent In the defence of human rights and
against the sencroachment of human power
The sword and javein they freely used TO
maintain freedom and protect their gov
eminent. Roman armies invading In the
neids OF ancient Gaul had TO halt, retreat
Ina hax,1 ~
nosts advanced, attacked and pursued
them. st. Patrick was the first invader
they ever permitted to set foot upon their
SOIL. Never before had they yielded tc
any power, never before had they been
conquered. But they bowed before the up
liited cross. Its power they at once
acknowledged and embraced il as their
king Their worship was purely intellect
ual-unlike the Greek. who made beauty or
personal heroism his god, the Celt bent
the knee only to lordly nature. Hence the
sublime ideas of Christianity found in him
congenial soil aud like CLEANS of flashing
light its truth came to him. Every Chris
tan is a hero On heroism Christianity Is
built. 1t was then quite in harmony with
the great aspirations of the Celtic heart
and at once took him captive.
Every good nature communicates its
good. That is why Gods goodness Is COM
municative. II is the quality of a great
heart to go out of itself for others. TO
communicate its JOY to others. to make
others happy. The Irish people then, AS
soon as they got the truth from st. Pat
rick, as soon as the rays of that spirit that
Illuminated him began to shine within
their bosom, they desired to tell mankind
about it, to acquaint the world with the
new road to real greatness, to true lib
erty of the new road to God. They became
missionaries. and nations that refused the
light of God offered by other hands re-
ceived with reverence the apostles of Ire
land, The powerful Pagan hordes that de-
stroyed Rome, then the proudest Of nations
saluted the approach of Ireland's sons
bearing aloft the flag of truth. All through
Europe they made their way and Grim
sonsd many place with blood in defense
of the doctrine they taught. Along the
Rhine, through Germany, Italy and Switz-
erland, beyond the borders of Russia and
into China the missionaries OF the island !
of saints and doctors carried Christianity |
and died in its defense. Not thwarted by
opposition. not frightened by attack on
they went holding out the lamp of truth
to mankind; for the spirit that animated
them might be attacked, might be bruised. |
might be trod upon. but could not be over
come. It still lives on still grows to great |
his ishts and still sings songs of great VIC |
torious rejoicing.
The spirit OF God then that rested on |
ST y Patrick rested also on the Irish people |
and made them apostles of religious lib |
erty. II made them also apostles of evil |
liberty. 1t is only injustice that curbs and |
cripples life, that holds mans soul in
The word of God gives each man
his rights. bursts the tyrants grasp |
asunder and opens up the way to glory.
Love OF justice and liberty lifted up the
Celtic arm that repealed the Norman ana
the Dane. and swelled the ranks Of the
Celtic hosts, who, after the surrender OF
Limerick. Joined the armies of Europe,
eager to defend human rights against the
unjust ageressor Then the services OF the
heroic Celt was eagerly sought for by the
different powers. But that sigh for freedom
that pulsed in the soldiers of the Emerald |
Isle found responsive beat reverberating |
In the bosom of the noble sons of France,
nnd soon the fleur de lis and shamrock |
clasped hands, just as the stars and |
stripes does with 1t today-uniting the
bravest hearts that ever throbbed IN hu-
man flesh.
There is more evil in the world than |
good more injustice than justice. Might,
not the right, often rules. But right all
he same, as such, is never killed, never
,urrenders its place, neither does justice.
For centuries the most cruel and unjust
If nations has done its best to annihilate
ne IT1Sl people, 10 iioui tuch
bosom the very hope of liberty. but all
n vain. Indeed the story of those seven
hundred years of persecution the isle of
aints has undergone fills the heart with
bitterness, brings TO the soul pathos dark
md melancholy. Oh. God! how long shall
uch injustice last? When shall that cloud
4 gloom roll by? When shall the silent
larp again tune up to sing thy praises
through hill and dale of lovely Erin?
consoling thought, however, comes
rom cut her trouble. Opposition develops
haracter, gives strength. 1t suppoEcs
sorth The man who has rot mind enough
o be possessed OF principle and courage
nough to stand by II. will never be OPP
osed. There is nothing to attack. he Is
owhere ard is allowed to pass through
ife unheard to eternity. As 1t is with in
iyiduals, so, too. is It with nations. The
providence that permitted the seven can
ures of opposition to Ireland had in view
be good OF other nations and her own
reatness.
For the cruel hand that pressed so long
nd heavily on Erin's head forced her