The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-18
HIBERNIANS' GALA NIGHT.
ST. PATRICK's MEMORY HoNORED
IN SPEECH AND SONG.

4AAclii WIN has DTCAA III LIE OeiAiS hdDit VA
making the atmosphere blue was a back
number ;he had fixed. color
to contend with. From dawn, when est
Patrick's Day in the Morning. might
have been heard, until dewey eve, and
even to the early morning hours. almost
until another dawn, the day was Irelands,
and Ireland made good use of 1t.
Chief among the festivities attendant
upon this day was the annual dinner Of
the Hibernian Society in celebration of
its eighty-sixth anniversary, and in honor
of the memory of st. Patrick. The din
ner was preceded by the society's annual
meeting, held In the gentlemen's parlor
of the De Soto at Ii o'clock in the morn
ing, at which the usual reports were made
and the following officers elected to serve
for the ensuing year:
President-P. w. eMeldrim.
Vice President-J. r. Dillon.
Treasurer--J. F. Brooks.
Secretary-C. f. Prendergast.
Assistant Secretary--J. NJ. Hogan.
Marshall. T. Roman.
Standard Bearer-E. j. Kelly.
Committee of Stewards-M. A. O'Byrne,
A. J. OHara, j. W. Golden.
The annual meeting of the society was
one of the most largely attended had in
years, there being more than fifty mem
bers present. Two new members, Messrs.
J. ]. McDonough, Jr., and P. ). Hughes,
were unanimously elected.
Between 125 and $50 members and their
guests gathered at the De Soto in the
evening to more appropriately celebrate
the honored memory of St. Patrick. The
big dining room was arranged in the GUS
tomary manner for Hibernian Society din
ners, the horseshoe table with the straight
table near the entrance. At the eastern
end of the dining haIl the flag, the stars
and stripes, seemed, upon momentary
glance, to dominate even the green, and
1t would, no doubt, in the minds and hearts
Of the Hibernians were the war cry raised
tomorrow.
Just above the president, Mai. P. w.
Meldrim, hung the green banner with the
harp that once thro' Taras halls" and
ERIN go bragh'' lent gusto to the occa-
sion. In the western end of the hall were
seats for ladies, half hidden behind row
of palms. Notable among the guests of
the society were several members Of the
COulN lidlt NAiC plCSANAChA Va WAAh~Ai' N'NtA
E. S. Otis, occupied a seat on the right
of President Meldrim, 1t was about 9:15
o clock when the banquetters filed into the
dining-room by twos, and while Icons or
chestra furnished some delightful airs en-
ioyed an elegant dinner with all delica-
cies of the season, upon which had been
asked the blessing by Father Kelley. The
service was prompt and of the best, and
the dinner, as a whole, was a most de-
lightful one.
Just at the close Of the service of the
menu Chairman NJ. A. O'Byrne of the
board of stewards announced that letters
of regret had been received from Gov.
W. Y. Atkinson, Chief Justice Simmons,
all the justices of the Supreme Court,
Hon. Clark Howell, Senator D. B. Hill,
Gen. Henry r. Jackson, Frederick r.
Cordert, Hon. Bourke Cochran, Hon. r.
L. Berner, and many others. He read
kilograms from Senator Bacon, Prof. H.
c. White. the president of the Hibernian
Society of Charleston, the president of
the Hibernian Society of. Baltimore, the
president of the Friendly Sons OF st. Pat
rick of New York, and letter from the
president of the Charitable Irish Society
of Boston.
response to the, first regular toast,
est Patrick's Day" was expected, Chair
man O'Byrne said, from a well known
friend of the Hibernian Society. who was
unable to be present. He introduced
President P. w. Meldrim, who, he said,
had agreed to make the response, though
for several days he had been absent from
the city on business,
Having returned to the city only on the
morning of the day, Maj. Meldrim said he
was physically present, but oratorically abb
| sent. A peculiar day is St Patrick's day
he said. 1t is like winter sitting in the
lap of spring 1t may be a day, the calm
est and most delightful; it may be day
of storms and tears. Such is the charac-
ter of the Irish people, who love and cele-
brate that day. But wherever led, though
to the front in battle, the Irishmen have
always been found doing their duty. In
conclusion, Maj. Meldrim gave this toast
May the Irlshmen In America, wherever
| found, be always as true to the land OF
| their adoption as they are to St Patrick
| day."
Rev Charles II. Strong was most warm
| iy received, when introduced by Maj Mel
drim he arose to respond to the toast
Art" He spoke of the Anglo-Saxon and
| the Celt, two elements which even in him.
| self were more or less antagonistic. Art
in its higher and nobler forms could hard
I ly be discussed in a few minutes speech
Art is not only painting and sculpture, bu,
| il is the whole expression of a people in
the realm OF beauty. Beauty is the ele-
| ment of art as faith is OF religion and
! knowledge is of science. The beauties OF
nature constitute the province of art. He
spoke of the art of Ireland, and remarked
too, upon the love of church, love of coun-
try, and love of liberty, unexcelled and
almost unequalled which characterized the
| Irish people. He hoped the day would
come when the Anglo-Saxon and the CeIt
would live together in peace and unity
| parted only by that silver expanse of an
arm of the ocean which separates their
| isles.
One of the city papers, in reporting a
response to the toast Woman" recently
said the speaker made most happy re-
Spouse, full of the knowledge of his SUBJ
ject, and explained that the knowledge OF
the subject was due to the speakers cel!b-
acy. Col. p A. Stovall, in responding 20
that toast said he was aware of the fact
that the joke was upon him. He noticed
another mistake of the printer, his name
! being in capital letters upon the pro.
gramme while those of his colleague were
i'm small Roman type. That he attributed
to the Importance of the subject. The
end of the present century, he said would
witness the full emancipation of wo.
man. and she would be found side by side
with man in all the arts of peace. Within