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

biggest of the others. Practically all the
Nationalist members of the Dublin cor
poration were present, and the Mayors of
Cork, Limmerick, Drogheda, Wexford,
Sligo and Clonmel, with many members
of their corporations or Town Councils,
also took part in the procession. The
youth of the city were we'll to the fore.
The Catholic Boys Brigade sent some
hundreds of smartly dressed boys, who
marched with the air of young soldiers,
while several other bands of little fellows
not attached to any particular organiza-
ton took their places here and there
along the line of march and kept with
the procession to the end. A large
proportion of the processionists bore or
namental pixies, and these, coupled with
the green sashes and badges that were
generally worn, added considerably to
the effect of the spectacle. A prominent
place was given in the procession to the
French and American delegates, and
while the latter would have been made
more numerous but for the outbreak of
the war with Spain, yet it is highly cred
liable to the Irish in America that they
were able in the circumstances to send
such a representative selection of leading
citizens. The car at the head of the pro-
cession containing the foundation stone
of the Tone monument, brought from the
Cave Hill, Belfast, and the old chariot
of O'Connell, reupholstered in green,
were objects of the greatest interest to
the onlookers.
From a marshal's point of view the
route might have been better chosen. 1t
led through some of the narrowest and
most tortuous thoroughfares in Dublin.
If convenience alone were the considera-
ton, this would have been borne in mind
and direct routes through wide streets
would have been adopted. But every
thing had to give way to the claims of
historical association. Dublin abounds
in places whose story, if it could be told,
would be rich in narratives of the men of
'9S. Clearly it was desirable that the
procession should pass as many of these
as possible, and the official route, if long
and complex, had at any rate the advan-
tage of bringing the processionists into
close proximity to many spots of intense
interest to those who do not fear to speak
of '98. Such are the house in Stafford
street where Wolfe Tone was born, and
which is now marked by a memorial
tablet; the site of Newgate Prison, where
the Sheares were hanged and Bond was
murdered; St. Michan's church, where
the Sheares, Bond and Emmett are in
TERED; old MORA House, where Lord Ed
ward Fitzgerald was wont to resort; St.
GATHERINGS church, in front OF which
Emmett was executed; 1913 Thomas street,
where Lord Edward was captured; St.
Werburgh's church, where he was hurried,
and Trinity College, where several of the
bravest spirits of the '9S movement
learned to love Ireland and to scorn
death in her service. To see these places
was an object for the attainment of which
it was worth making some sacrifices, and
in spite of some temporary inconven-
fences, the processionists were much bet
ter pleased at the route actually followed
than they would have been had a shorter
and more direct journey through wider
thoroughfares than Church street or Wat
ling street been marked out for them. At
all points along the route the procession
was watched by eager citizens from
crowded windows, and the enthusiasm,
particularly at the places of historic in
terest, was continuous and Enthusiastically
genuine.
The procession was. however, a mere
temporary commemoration of Wolfe
Tone, sudden proclamation by the ma
ton to the world at large to tell all whom
it might concern that she still cherished
the memory of the son who had so cher
ished her in the time of her tribulation.
The real work of the day was the laying
of the foundation stone of the Wolfe
Tone monument, that shall serve to re-
mind generations yet unborn Of great
man who had in days long past planned,
plotted, fought and died that they might
live as freemen in the land in which God
cast their lot. The site for the monu-
ment, at the head of Grafton street, is
one of the noblest in Dublin, and it is
for Irishmen now to see to it that the
monument is worthy of the site, and as
far as possible worthy of the man. Pro-
ceedings augur we'll for the speedy COM
pletion of this urgent national project.
They showed, as has so often before been
shown to the self-satisfied and astonished
Saxon, how Irishmen, no matter what
their differences on points of policy or
other domestic details, can combine and
work together for common national OBJ
ject, and thus prove their appreciation of
the doctrines of him who so clearly point
ed out that Ireland and England are dis
tinct countries, inhabited by different
races; that their interests are divergent,
and that while those of Ireland are. sub
servient to those of England, Ireland
must continue to be the sufferer.
II was after o'clock before the last of
the procession had got close to Stephens
green, though the first of it passed the
City Hall at seven minutes after A. Not
enc in that huge procession but fully be-