Evening journal., 1898-03-18
IRELAND AND THE IRISH
CONTINUED From First Page.l

lOOuIluutu EIOlu IlibL IdBC.l
unsparing in chastisement upon a foe.
he was magnanimous in victory, and
his ready sympathies always ran to the
oppressed and the weak.
Such was the Ireland of the olden
days, before the day-star of Christian
ity had dawned upon the island. When,
in the year 432, through her glorious
apostle, ST. Patrick, the light of divine
revelation was borne to her shores,
and the banners OF the cross were up
raised on every hilltop and in every
valley, what an inspiring spectacle was
presented to the eyes OF mani Before
the grand apostle closed his eyes and
fell asleep in Christ, the brightest an
gelic virtues found a home on earth.
The sweet incense of prayer from hosts
Of innocent hearts was daily waited on
emorning air into the high heavens of
Cod
Let us ascend the highways of his
tory until we stand under the time
ccnquering towers" which separate
the past from the present, and we find
ourselves at the springfield of Ire
lands Christianity and gain a glimpse
of her glorious pristine faith of free
dom ere Dane or Norman had dispelled
this vision Of lOveliness and cast his
blight upon the land. What magnifi-
cent achievements were wrought in the
three and thirty years of Patrick's mis-
si0nary toll
The splendid zeal Of Patricks con-
verts soon covered the land with tenn
pies to the living God, and their love Of
learning called forth every facility for
the requirement of knowledge. For
three golden centuries the cleaners
went forth to gather the harvest Of
wisdom and holiness. Every city had
become a school of knowledge. Colleges
and universities multiplied fast and
faster. The sChOOlmaster was abroad in
The fullness Of power and honor. Ar
mics of students mustered on the green
shores Of Erin from lands beyond the
waters. They came from every land
the Frank from the Rhine, the Italian
from the Tiber, the Gaul from the Ca
rome, the Pict andScot from the Severn
and Clyde the Saxon and Dane came
from the shores of Innisfail 10 gild
their minds with the glory of ancient
| Greece, to gather up the learning Of
Rome old renown, to hear the tongue
of Tacitus and speech OF Sophocles; to
drink in the love Of integrity from the
mouths of Irish masters, in Irish asy-
lums of learning, upon the green soil
Of despised old Ireland"
Father Birmingham here left the
subject of his discourse and spoke on
the question OF Irish loyalty. He said:
1T has been said that the Irish are not
| loyal to this government and that they
are menace. Turn to history and then
ask whether the Irish have not been
L iotra1 What Of tho continental and
civil wars? If any foreign power. be
it Catholic or nOn-CathOlic, injure one
star in the blue field Of the American
| flag, we would raise our swords and
| fight or die. Prolonged applause fol-
lowed this assertion, and cries were
heard Of that's right"
Concluding, he said :"Who then,
will take away the hope of Ireland?
Hope is the sheet anchor of the soul;
hope is Gods morning star; hope is the
only heaven Of an oppressed people
upon this dreary earth. May we then
| not hope; hope to see rift in the
clouds, and a gleam of the old sun
burst smiling in the sky some bright
4 Summers morning; hope to see her
| awake in justice, power and truth (;
hope to see the light of liberty dawning
| as an aurora of her resurrection gilds
the gloom around her. hope to see the
| sacred song of freedom re-echoing
among her ancient hills; hope to see
a genuine Parliament take its seat in
| College Green, when Irish laws shall
be made by Irish intellects-for the
benefit of Irishmen. when bounding
along on the pillows of national pros
perity and independence, the people OF
| Ireland shall salute with eyes of rap
ture the spirit of emancipation, as she
walks around the shores of Ireland.