The Irish standard., 1898-09-24
VICTORY cELT OVER SAXON.

| EOltaire, the French lnhdel, who was
no friend OF Ireland, once said that 'lr-
ishmen have fought we'll for every
country but their own" and his saying
| has been so often repeated in English
| literature from his time till now that
| many lrshmen who ought to know bet
| ter accept the lying statement as an UNI
| deniable fact The battle of the Yellow
| Ford, fought on Irish soil 800 years ago.
| ia convincing proof of the falsehood of
| VUltaire'S assertion. We give today the
speech of JohH Dillon. delivered on the
famous battlefield, and also the follow
| ing article from Omitted Ireland" which
| has recently suspended publication. to
show that the Irish fought successfully
! ana well in their native land as we'll as
in foreign countries:
In our annals there is hardly another
event that we have greater reason to
commemorate than this great battle of
the Yellow Ford where three centuries
ago the great Hugh O'Neill and the
brave Hugh Roe ODonnell met the
flower of Eizabeth's army under Bag
nal, soldiers of tried mettle and of great
experience. and utterly cut them to
pieces. The proud story does not need
re-telling Every school boy in Ireland
has been thrilled by the narrative of
ders fell before the onslaught of the
Chieftains of Tirowen and Tyrconnell:
but to commemorate it and to link it
with the glorious if sorrowful memories
of '9S is noble purpose. as it indicates
the resolve of Irishmen to treasure in
their hearts the deeds of their ancestors
who triumphed over Britain's power, Or,
who, fighting. failed. In poem of epic
strength. this great victory of ONeill,
the mightiest of the line of Conn" has
been commemorated by one of Ireland S
very ablest poets.
Isle. for centuries blind in bondage lift
once more thine ancient boast
From the cliffs of Innishuwcn sourllwarl
on to Carhery's coast.
We have seen the right made perfect. seen
the Hand that rules the spheres,
'iiatiit', lik' uStllHlnE, through me clouds,
and backward roll the wrongful years
Glory fa'!cth. but this triumph is no barron
mundane glory:
Rays OF healing it shall scatter ON the eyes
that read story;
Upon nations hound and torpid rs they
wakrn il shall shire
AS on Peter. in his chains the angel hune
with light divine.
From the llnhcrtlng. from the unhply it
may hide. like truth. its ray:
But when truth and justice conquer .Vr
their crowns its beam shall play;
Ger the ken of troubled tyrlnts II shall
trail Il metcor5 glare.
For the b!;mel"Ss ii shall glitter in the star
of morning; fair:
Whatsoever Erin tliumphs then its lawn 1t
shall renew.
Then ONrll shall be remembered. and
Tircnnnclls chief. Red Hugh.
The poet is true in thinking that the
of O'Neill and O'Donnel is when Erin
has trillmphnd. but to hurry that tri-
umph triumph which must come
sooner or later, it is necessary to keep
before the mind of Ireland at critical
time in her national history. at a time
when the lions paws are being conceal
ed in velvet lessons such as that which
the Yellow Ford recalls and in doing
this the men of Armagh and the north
ern hosts who gathered to their call in
the neighborhood of Benburb are molly
doing their duty by Ireland The de-
monStratiOn was worthy the purpose for
which ii was held. 1t WAS, indeed. q.
notable commemorarion. testifvine
splendidly to the fact that the north,
like the west Is awake Not alone were
the dimensions OF the meeting cnor-
nous, but the enthusiasm of the people
was nnbounded. and nothing was lack.
ing that would add impressiveness or
plcturcsqueness to the great display We
hope the significance OF the celebration
VIII not be lost on those who would
nave lis believe that the restless spirit
or Irish freedom is laid for ever. and
That our opprcssors have al last disaov-
cred the golden means by which to GOV.
ern us to our own supreme satisfaction.
The great moral to be drawn from the
gathering Is that with which the So
called ruling classes OF Ireland should
be completely Familiar viz. that Irish
men will ever keep looking hack. and
not forward till they have consummatcd
their resolve to be self governing like
all other free peoples.