The Irish standard., 1899-05-06
The History of Erin Antedates
British Civilization.
MISSIONARY SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE
DR.. Conaty is Antagonistic to an
Alliance With England.

An appreciative audience listened to
the magnificent lecture by the Rt. Rev.
Thomas ]. Conaty, D. D., Rector OF the
Catholic University OF America, at the
Detroit Opera House Sunday evening,
April 23. The subject OF the eloquent
divine's discourse was "The Influence
of Ireland upon National Character"
1t is a theme upon which he loves to
talk, and with which he is perfectly ia
miliar. Time and again he was inter-
rupted by the applause of his hearers,
who followed him with closest interest.
charmed by his earnest and forceful ora
tory. The lecture was given under the
auspices of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians, and County President Gerald
J. Mccoy introduced the Hon. Thomas
w. Palmer as chairman of the evening.
Mr.. Palmer i'll a neat speech introduced
Mgr. Conaty to the audience, who was
greeted with rounds of applause. After
few remarks anent the endowing by
the A. O. H. of the $4,000 Gaelic chair
at the university, the monsignor said.
THE topic is vast one. Ii there be
one thing more than another, it is that
the Irish are in it. in it to stay. There
is no history more interesting to the
Irish than the history OF their mother
land. No man values man that forgets
his mother. No Irishman forgcts the
story of his motherland, filled with glory
and sadness. The past with the glory is
ours and the past with its sadness is
not forgotten. 1t is as old as the Ro-
man, it antedated English civilization
shall call it civilization? I will call it
that, but the Irish will question it. 1t
antedated the Anglo-Saxon, whatever
that means.
"The Irish not only accepted the gos-
pei, but they never gave it up. Their
story is the story of centuries OF oppres-
sion, of tribulations and undying hatred
of oppressors
ITO every nation, as to the individual,
is given providential mission. The
Jew had his; the Greek had his. the
golden thread of the Hebrew idea OF
religion ard the Greek idea of philoso-
ply ran down through the ages. never
to be lost. Like the Jew and the Greek,
the Irish had their golden thread.
"Where do we find more than fully
developed the missionary spirit than in
the Irish? The mother and father are
proud to give their children to religion.
The spirituality OF the people is also
noticed. Their sacrifices to religion. o,
what story of martyrdom to principle.
When the day came and he was called
on to choose between gold and God
and bread and starvation, he chose God
and starvation, rather than offer incense
at pagan affairs. Shame on English civil
ization, so-called civilization. 1t may be
Christian to forgive, but it is human to
remember. The Irish will never forget.
"Why are they so scattered? Because
they have not been allowed to live at
home. Because OF penal laws and the
heel of their oppressors. They sought
homes everywhere, where they might
worship God without penal enactment.
Here they are building homes and
churches and schools. They came here
poor in the worlds goods, but rich in
the love OF God.
II came to this country in my moth
er's arms, but no thanks to the STEP
mother who sent me. When they want
alliance, l say no. We are full grown
now and can stand alone. l say no alli-
ance with the royalty. Bitter recollcc-
tions come and they had better not be
stirred.
II remember in New Zealand, when
to go to school on Christmas day was
compulsory, and when an Irishman lost
his job if he did not work on Christ
mas. Thanksgiving day was the Puritan
Christmas. Now Thanksgiving is a day
by proclamation and day for football.
"Thc Irish came billeted to this coun-
try as ignorant. They have not kept the
billets. They have proved that it ought
not to have been put on. Germany and
Ireland have always been hand and hand
in education. We honor Germany for
keeping the Celtic literature and now
she teaches us how to read our own
works. The Irish are not ignorant, and
never were. They may have been illite-