The Irish standard., 1898-09-17
A THRILLING SPEECH DELIVERED
BY WILLIAM O'BlIEN.
A MOST MAGNIFICENT DEMONSTRATION.
THE COUNTY OF MAYO HONORS GEN.
HUMBERT"S MEMORY.

over the English forces, when the COM
bined French and Irish army captured
| the town The greatest enthusiasm pre-
vailed, and the people thronged into the
I, town from miles around. The day was
by no. means favorable. A storm was
blowing, accompanied by frequent heavy
| showers. This seemed in no way to in
! terfere with the attendance, and as early
as II o'clock contingents We're as
sembling at Sion Hill, Where process
| sion was formed. The first to arrive
was the Islandeady contingent of the
United Irish League, with their beauti-
full '9S banner and headed by their band.
| The Ballina 9S club was on the spot
shortly afterwards, with band and ban
ner. The greatest enthusiasm was
shown as the different bodies formed,
and when close on - O'Clock d wagonette
diplaying the tricolor, drove up with the
French delegates the bands simultane-
ously struck up the "Marseillaise," and
loud cheers were raised at the names of
On Sion Hill are the graves of some
French officers who were killed in
| action, each grave marked with a cross
M. Commandant du Chateu placed
wreaths from the Societie de la Jeune
Irlande, Paris, and the Societe du Souv-
enir Franchise upon the graves, the peo-
pie standing around with heads barred.
The procession was then formed, and
as it started it met fresh bodies of con-
tingents. Amongst the districts were Is
landeady, Glensland, Wesport, Castle
bar. Keelogues, Ballintobber, Breaffy,
| Claremorris, Foxford Balla, Ballina,
Newport, Glenherst, Augagower, Ballin-
robe, Mayo Abbey, Meats, ETC. The
bands struck up Who Fears to Speak
Of SO" and "The Marseillaise" alternate
ly. The procession passed through the
town on the way to French Hill, where
the general body of the French slain in
the battle are inferred. The route lay
by the foot of Staball Hill, where the
rush of the French put the retretaing
I.
there was pause, and cheers were rails
! ed again and again. The town, which
was then entered was gai!y decorated
with flags-French and American and
green fags-as we'll as tile colors Il The
United Irishmen in '9S, Orange, green
and white. The enthusiasm reached it's
height passing through the town. Peo-
pie thronged the windows and lined the
streets. joining their cheers with the
music of the bands. The procession
then marched to French Hill. three
miles distant, and there additional
wreaths were placed upon the graves,
and one large bronze wreath Was
placed on the monument, which marks
the site. The procession then returned
to the town, where a meeting Was held
on the Castelar, green. On the way
they passed body of policeman, so in
number, half armed with rifles and car
rying batons, who having been drawn
into the town all the day, suddenly
took it into their heads that hut was
, being built for an evicted tenant and
marched thther to prevent it, and to the
amusement Of the children whereabouts,
were drawn up in the field in military
array throughout the evening" The
meeting in the Castelar, green was one
of the largest ever held there. Fifteen
bands were present, and the large array
OF banners, some on wagonettes, some Of
them really fine canvasses representing
scenes of the progress of Humbert's bat
tie band through Mayo in 1898, lent a
picturesque glow of color to the scene.
Speeches were made by Mr. Jas DAILY,
who occupied the chair, by Miss Maude
! Come, by John Dillon by William Field
and by William O'Brien. The last nam
ed, who was received with great enthu-
siasm, said in part:
Fellow-countrymen. l don't think it
necessary to assure our visitors that any
representative of the fair land of France
will always find a welcome here in Ire
land (cheers). They are welcome today:
they were welcome one hundred years
ago, when they marched down here to
Castelar, through Barnaguha (cheers),
and l think that Miss Come has already
managed to give them sufficient
glimpse Of Irish feeling to make them re-
spect them. They would be more well
come still upon, perhaps, some day to
come, If they could only come with the
fleet of France, or of Russia, or the Unit
ed States to discuss the Irish question
with England out of the mouths of their
great guns (cheers). We are celebrating
| one Of the most glorious episodes in all
the annals of the wars between France
and England (cheers). That one thous-
and French troops should defeat a great
British army four times over, that thew
should muster trumphantly more than
half the whole way to Dublin-and. as
. Mr.. Dillon told you, it took the as
sembling of one hundred thousand Eng
fish troops before they ventured to pluck
up courage to ask the French to sur
render-that fact alone is one of the
most glorious achievements even in the
history of the armies of gallant France
(cheers). 1t is to me amazing that the
French people themselves do not more