The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-16

one OF those wonderful groupings OF
brilliant minds, which seems to flash
out of darkness in all great-revolutions
and upr;sings of the human heart, and
becom ever consultations glowing
with q "a If freedom in the firma-
"The sps 70 young Meagher
were the starsl rnitude. They
were inspired-lun. ce, i convinc-
ing. Some of them " .lways live as
models OF fervent eloquence. Where
they covered each general subject, as
the sanctity and necessity of force in the
struggle of freedom, which is symbol
ICED in his defense of the sword-they
shall last as long as man shall resist op-
preston. His speech, when the judg-
ment of death was passed upon him,
was digni6ed and noble. A sublime
patriotism glorifed the sacrifice of his
earthly hopes, and the readiness with
which he accepted the death sentence
that would send his soul to appeal with
a pure and perfect composure to that
higher trlbunal-a tribunal where
judge of infinite mercy as we'll as JUS
tice will preside-and where my lords
many-many of the judgments of this
world will be reversed
"Tfcn came his Punishment. He left
behind the green shores of Erin, and
sailed away on the convict ship, for the
isles where our winters soon make sum-
mer days, and the polar star and its
classic consultations are changed for
the nightly glories of the southern cross.
There Meagher bore his cross of exile
until with incidents that would seem to
be called from romance book, he es-
capped to this land of the free-where so
many of his countrymen have found a
home. His reception in New York was
as warm as that accorded to Louis Kos
suth, or to the German refugees of
those revolutionary years. And his
speeches, lectures and literary produc-
tions were warmly received and en-
thusiastically applauded in all the cities
where he appeared.
"1n 1861, came the great war which
threatened to sink the ship of the union
OF states. To none more than to these
exiles from the despotism of foreign
lands was the calamity of disunion ap-
parent They felt from experience that
if this ark of freedom went upon the
rocks of dissolution, then all the hopes
of humanity would go down with the
wreck. They were amazed at this tragic
outcome of local controversy, which
threatened the universal ruin of free
government They rallied at the call of
President Lincoln-and among all the
organizations of adopted citizens that
fulfilled their VOWS of allegiance to ac-
cept, if necessary, the sacrament of
death upon the affairs of their chosen
country, none wore more honor and re-
nown than the Irish brigade, and its
general, Thomas Francis Meagher.
"I first met this brigade and its Off
GERS on the Virginia peninsula. We
were joined with it first under Sumner
and then under Hancock in the famous
Second army corps. Reared in the west,
in rural communities, 1 was carried
away with the gayety, the military spirit,
the dash of these New York Irishmen.
There are few of the old society of the
army of the Potomac, who will forget
the festivities of St. Patrick's day on
the Rappafannock. The races, the gen
eral officers, the splendid young men,
the foreign officers, the Princess Salm
Salm, her escort, Capt. Jack Losson, all
as Meagher depicted it in a delightful
lecture in this town, and the general
himself the host and center of it all.
Presiding at the after-feast. Eloquent,
witty, poetical, shining like star.
Amid the hardships and horrors of des-
perate service the memories of that day
are like pleasant dream.
cat Fair Oaks battle / first remember
seeing the brigade go into action. Upon
Cur left they made that charge on Sum
day morning, which recovered the
ground that Keyes had lost on Satur-
day night. 1t was like ray of Sunday
sunshine, the smile and handshake that
old John Sedgwick gave to Meagher.
The next most noted incident recall,
was the picturesque and bloody ad-
vance at Antietam, creditable feat OF
arms, and one of the most noted cpl
sodes of that eventful day. l also was a
witness of every detail of that most
desperate charge, up the bloody and
slippery field of Fredericksburg-the
foolish battle of an incompetent chief
to the very foot of the stone walls on
the sunken road of Mary's heights.
This was its crown of glory and sacri-
fee, though it was ever and ALWAYS
ready, efficient and reliable There were
twenty time$ as many of Meagher's $
countrymen in the war as this brigade
contained, but the fact that it was or
ganized under an especial name and
stamped with the individuality of its
leader gave credit to the race of which
it was composed and honor to the land