The Irish standard., 1898-10-22
AT A '98 BANQUET in ENGLAND
A Mastery Grafton Breathing the
Spirit of Liberty.
QUITE ABOVE THE ORDINARY
1t Is lnterspersed With Patriotic
POetical Extracts.

The following speech was recently de-
livercd i'll Woowlch, Eng, at Il '9S ban
quet, by Mr. c. Diamond. eX-membev Of
parliament, in response to the toast Of
ireland Il Nation:"
There are those who no doubt look
upon this toast and the pcrsistcncy With
eloquent evidence of what is sometimes
termed our Irish srntimcntality for is it
not said that the Cclt is dreamer Of
dreams, that he lives in an atmosphere
of the ideal. and that what he chiefly
lacks is Il true appreciation of the prac-
teal? | admit at once that it is a draw
back and danger To Il man or Il nation
to be led by the heart alone. The calm
Judgment and cool head are invaluable
corrcctivcs where the emotions are con-
ccrncd. But who is calm at all times?
Woe unto that nation in whose Judgment
seats strangers sit, and woo unto that
people who live under the shadow Of
tyranny, and who have not free cOun-
try and free institutions cmbodying tho
national aspirations and the national
will. Freedom is essential for the devcl-
opmcnt of the best type OF humanity.
Tyranny, oppression and injustice, on
the other hand, develop the worst side
of our natures, and produce hypocrites,
sycOphants and traitors. Therefore It Is
that IN the toast OF "Ilcland Il Nation"
We are enforcing q plea for Il fair field
own destiny and develop their own ma
tional character on the best lines What,
| ask, can be more practical than such an
aspiration? And be it remembered that
this undyng desire OF the Irish people
to see their land Il nation once again,
next to the possession of freedom itself is
tho best heritage of our race, and so long
as that sentiment remains uppermOst
in their breasts they will not be unwor-
thy of better things. For if tyranny and
injustice produce Il multitude Of evils,
history shows that the struggle against
them has in some respects an cnnObling
influence Oh human character; and thus
it comes to pass that although In ccle-
brating the memory Of the men OF '9S VIC
must admit that they failed in their OBJ
jcct still they have bcuucnthcd to us all
inheritance which has not been barren.
Yes, It's true they failed. but accurscd is
the march Of the glory that trcads over
the hearts Of the free. We must also ad-
nit that the history of our struggc for
freedom, if 1t has been glorious in many
respects. has also its sad and darker
pie who seemed to think that IL profess
sion of patriotism made up for Il lack of
all the qualities that go to make Il good
citizen and good man. But really the
wonder is that our race today possesses
the many good qualities which still be-
long to It. Slaves at home and dispersed
abroad. bearing the double curse of exile
and slavery, our peoples virtues are their
own, their vices are from their masters
or their environment. But taking the
good and the evil OF our lot, we are on
the whole forced to admit that, as q rule,
Il people suffer that fate they best de-
serve. Great solidarity, sincerity Of pur-
pOse high resolve, unsclishncss and fidel-
ity are requisite in any race that will
achieve its freedom and keep it when
won. We have failed in some of the
highest attribtcS OF patriotism, for the
earliest as we'll as the later struggles Of
4 br Tricb IL, ct II In, trv
amy have been darkcned by The fact that
on the side OF the tyrants there were al
ways to he found IL not incOnsilerable
number OF Ireands sons. We had
good cause, and our enemies a bad one.
"On our side is virtue and Erin on theirs
is the Saxon and guilt" And though It
would be basphemous TO believe that
the triumph of right in the long run Is
impossible, still the fact remains that
the wrong has trunphed long enough
to leave dark marks on the Irish charac-
ter But traitors and masqnerading pa
triots are not the only evils of tyranny.
TOO often in our struggles for freedom
have true patriots been misunderstood
duu ottSpSCtHu Dy lISII Ou1
of them has said:
'"The rich have spurnod me from their
doors because I'd set them free,
And yet ! love thee more and more,
Acushlagal Machree."
The ease, then, with which patriotism
may be simulated places the true lover
of his land at disadvantage, for he Is
always open to the charge Of insincerity.
1t is not SO with the men of '9S. They
gave ample proof of their earnestnesa.