Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-10-22
rendered a Compliment
airy Banquet at the
National Club.
What a Strong National Party
Can Do i'm the British
Parliament.
The People Will Not See Ireland
Suffer Much Longer From
DisuniOn.
A NEW SPIRIT PREACHED IN IRELAND

A mplimentary banquet was recently
given to Mr. ]. +. Egan, City Sword
bearer, at the National Club, Rutland
square, Dublin. There was a good at
tendance of friends of the ex-political
prisoner. Apart from the speeches, which
were stirring and interesting, several
pleasing songs we're contributed during
the night, thus affording enjoyment as
we'll as instructor to the assemblage. Mr..
John Clancy presided. Letters of apol
ogy were received from the Mayor of
Cork, DIR. J. f. Denny, Messrs. ]. P.
Cainic, T. c., and J. P. Nanetti.
At the conclusion of the dinner Mr..
Pierce Mahony proposed the toast of
ireland a Nation" The political faith
of this day, he said, had its origin in
1898. If Grattan and his band could sue
coed in reforming the Irish Parliament,
they never would have had the revolution
of 1898. 1t was, however owing to the
1898 rebellion that Catholic emancipation
had been won. 1t was to those patriots
they owed the movement of 1913, 1860
and 1867, and it was to the movement of
1865 and 1867 they owed the movement
of Mr.. Parnell. 1t was perfectly true
Mr.. Parnell had been laid in the grave
without having completed the great work
he had taken up, but Parnell had shown
them what strong National party could
do in the British Parliament. He had
shown that if there was in that Parlia-
ment body of men united, with only
one object in view, and that object the
good of Ireland and the Irish people. they
could make themselves not only respected
but feared. For the past seven or eight
years, he was sorry to say, Parliament any
parties in Ireland had not presented
very happy spectacle to the world. They
had had the spectacle of men who fought
uuder the late Mr.. Parnell-fought sue
cessfully, and who forced even their
English opponents in the British House
of Commons to respect them-they had
had the unhappy spectacle of these men
falling foul of one another, saying things
of one another that he was perfectly GER
tain many of them in their better mo-
ments bittery regretted. If they believed,
as he believed, that it was the very es-
sence and life of a nation to be self-gov-
erned; if they felt sure, as he felt sure,
that they never could make anything
of this island until they were a self-gov-
erned people, and by having the powers
of self-government they were filled with
the spirit of independence and self-reli-
ance-if they believed all that, they
would agree with him that it was worth
making any sacrifice to obtain it. He
believed now there was no British Gov
eminent could withstand them longer if
Ireland spoke in the British House of
Commons with a united voice. He did
not want to drive out of public life in
Ireland any man who represented any
section of Nationists. They had got to
learn to make the best of one another
If they tried to make the best of every
Irishman who was working, according to
his lights, for the good of Ireland they
may well hope to see an Irish Parliament
sitting in College green, an Irish govern
ment administering the couutry-a gov
eminent which, for its ability, they should
look upon with pride, and in whose JUS
tice all creeds and classes would feel
themselves perfectly safe
The toast was drunk with enthusiasm.
Mr.. Field, NJ. p, in responding, said
they upheld the traditions of their fore
fathers from the earliest times in main
tanning that this land was nation.
They were today in their divisions force
to be reckoned with. Unity amongst
Irishmen must be founded on basis
which would lead to the practical indie
pendence of Ireland and all its people.
The Chairman proposed "Our Guest. F"
Mr.. Egan could truly say that, though
suffering unparalleled persecution, veal
and woe, he had done one mans part for
the good old land.
Mr. Egan, in rising to respond, was
cordially received. He intended in the
future to support unity. He thanked
God he saw there was new spirit
preached in America and in Ireland; that
the people would not permit their coun-
try to suffer much longer from the curse
of disunion; that there were men pre-
pared to crush everything before them
for the love of their land. They did not
care who stood in the road, let his repu-
tation be as big as it may be, that man
must walk aside at the bidding of the
Nationalist of Ireland. He promised
them that his services and even his life
would be at the disposal of his country
Mr.. ]. H. O'Connor, ex-political pris'
oner, proposed 'Our brethren in prison
and exile" to which Mr.. Lambert re-
sponded.
The Memory of the Dead" was next
honored, and Messrs. p. Tobin and H.
Burke responded.