Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-09-03


simply wild with national enthusiasm and
deeply impressed with the true import of
the occasion as they listened to the stir
ring speeches delivered from the plat
form. Nothing could have been more
impressive than the spectacle that was
presented and the outburst of enthusiasm
which was heard when the veteran '67
man, Mr.. O'Leary, laid the foundation
stone, taken from the famous trysting-
place of Cave Hill. The two beautiful
flags forwarded by the Daughters Of '9S
waved over the gearing for lowering the
flag The effect of the evergreen decora-
tons and the display of bunting, blend
ing, as already stated, of Irish, French
and American colors, was very fine. Mr..
John O'Leary presided, to whom, as Pres
ident of the '9S Centenary Committee,
Mr.. Collins read the following address
from the Organizing and Memorial Com
mittees
Dear Mr.. O'Leary--Among the many
monuments which have found place in
the thoroughfares of Ireland's metropolis
not one has yet been erected to the men,
ory of the brotherhood of heroes whose
labors and sacrifices have ha1lowed the
name of '9S. In affirmation of our resolve
to repair the neglect we have assembled
here today.
On this site, granted to us by the unan-
imous vote of the Dublin Corporation, we
purpose to erect memorial in some de-
gree worthy of the chiefs and soldiers of
the gallant confederacy which came so
near the attainment of Ireland's indie
pendence in the glorious struggle of '9S.
We have come together, representatives
of all parts of our island and of widely
separated communities of Ireland's child
rem beyond the seas, to attest our loyalty
to the tradition of nationality handed
down to us from the days of the United
Irishmen. To honor the memory of
Wolfe Tone, Lord Edward Fitzgerald,
Father Murphy. M'Cracken, Emmett,
Munro, Russell, Michael Dryer, the
United Irishmen, and the men of 98 of
all creeds, of all parties and of all classes,
we realize that we must put aside all
minor claims upon our allegiance and
join in true fraternity in promoting this
tribute to the men who first gave mean
ing and effect to the doctrine of brother
hood amongst Irishmen. 1t was, then,
the first consideration of the '98 Centen-
airy Committee that here today there
clot,1d he M sna,,a,.ca ~ 5,c4ract attain,
ton from the first purpose Of our gather
ing. Failing the p,eseu cty Cf direct de-
scendant of the United irish chief, it
seemed most fitting ,hat 10 the man who
had held first place in this movement,
whose patriotism had withstood test,
whose fidelity to the teachings of '9s was
unsuitable, whose honesty and disinter-
estedpess were abovs spsfieieas re this
man should be assigned the task of lay
ing the foundation stone.
On you, sir, we call to perform the GER
emory today. You are looked upon as
man of lofty and unselfsh patriotism,
who has kept to the course taken, with
manly pride and unfaltering courage,
more than a generation ago. In your
conduct of this '9S Centenary movement
you have ever sought to overcome dis
trust and suspicion by frankness and plain
dealing. So it comes that surrounding
you are men whose differences on matters
of lesser moment to our cause may be
strongly marked, but whose unity of
thought and feeling on the essential ele-
ments of nationality has found express
sion in the remarkable series Of demon
STATIONS in honor Of the men of '9S. which
has eliminated in this mighty gathering
today.
1t must be pleasant thought for you,
sir, as it is for us all, that the fire of pa
triotism which burnt in the breast of the
founder of the United Irish Society has
not been quenched in the hearts of all
his descendants. The trowel with which
you will perform the ceremony is the gift
of the granddaughter of Wolfe Tone, and
the reply made to the invitation to attend
this ceremony gives eloquent proof that
distance from the old home has not OBJ
liberated the heroic memories in which
the family of Tone may take pride, nor
chilled the ardor of the love which should
be borne for Ireland by those who claim
descent from the foremost among the pa
triots of '9S.
The stone which you are asked to lay
has been brought from the historic Cave
Hill, wherein Tone and his heroic COM
rades imposed on themselves a solemn
obligation never to desist in their efforts
until they had secured the independence
of their country. Thus we have linked
together associations which should make
this occasion memorable.
In asking you to lay this foundation
stone we do so in the earnest hope that
when this memorial to the men of a chiv-
alrous era has been erected ii may serve
to remind us that the cause which en-
listed in its service the men of '98 must
ever command the whole-hearted devo-
tion of the brave and pure-souled, If the
ideal of nationality which they hoped to
attain be preserved to us as our guide.
The address was handsomely bound in
leather.
Mr.. O'Leary, who was received with