The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-16
Deserving Tribute to the Brave
Young 1relander.
SKETCH OF HIS MILITARY CAREER
Rolling Waters of the Missouri
Chant His Requiem.

Labor day was celebrated in Helena,
Mont, by every resident and several
hundred persons from other parts of the
state. Nearly 400 excursionists arrived
from Butte in the morning OH a special
train of seven coaches over the Montana
Central, and others came from Great
Falls, East Helena, Marysville and
camps in the vicinity. Most of the Wis
itors joined in the celebration at Cen
trail park, which was visited by more
than 5000 persons during the afternoon
and evening.
Among the visitors was strong
detachment of the Meagher guards, of
Butte, we'll drilled, handsome body OF
men, who came over as the guests of the
Hibernians of Helena, under whose
management the picnic was held. The
Butte special was met at the depot by
the committees of Hibernians and the
Helena military band, which escorted
the visitors up town and thence to Cen
t1al Park.
The platform around the. big granite
block in front of the pavilion was i'm
provised as a speakers stand, on which
T. ]. Walsh, representing the local So
ciety of Hibernians; Mayor Frank J..
Edwards and Maj. Martin Maginnis,
the orator of the day, were seated. A
great crowd gathered about the plat
form, and Mr.. Walsh, in few appro-
pirate words, introduced Mayor Ed
wards, who welcomed the visitors to
Helena. Mayor Edwards's address was
brief, and at its conclusion, Mr.. Walsh
arose to introduce the speaker of the
day. That duty was merely perfume
tory, he remarked, for certainly in Mon
tana no one needed an introduction less
than the honored orator of the day. Mr..
Walsh spoke briefly of the influence of
the Irish race and such of her sons as
Gen. fhomas Francis Meagher upon
the history of the world. In conclu-
sion he introduced Maj. Maginnis,
whose address, though brief, was re-
ceived with applause. In the course of
the address he said:
"The committee has warned me that
neither literary nor oratorical exercises
are to be so extended as to curtail the
more active festivities on this occasion,
and with this warning in mind I assure
you that III take up none of the time of
the creased pig. will not attempt to
make an extensive address covering the
life and actions of Gen. Thomas Francis
Meagher. That duty fell upon me
many years ago when the cry OF his sud-
den loss startled the ears of friends and
admirers throughout the world, and
carried grief and dismay to the hearts of
this newborn commonwealth whose
executive he then was, and in whose de-
tense against savage alarms he was
occupied when the end came to his
brilliant and heroic career.
Il am not again to cover that ground.
Merely to refer to the events which
made him our first citizen of world
wide reputation, our first official to pre-
side while defending our settlements
the first Montanian whose talents and
history rightfully call for monument
to perpetuate the memory of his burn
ing words and famous deeds.
"Well born and splendidly educated,
Immediately upon crossing the thresh-
old OF manhood, he threw himself into
the struggle for relief, which was then
shaking the vitals of his impoverished,
starving and unhappy native land. 1t
was in the days of the general uprising
OF European peoples. The first great
= movement since the overthrow of Ma
poleon and the re-establishment of the
kings and mobiles under the guard of the
a holy alliance, the memorable days of
1848
"With every inducement to walk in
the ordinary paths, which promised him
distinction, prosperity, and comfort, he
broke with his family and threw him
self into the helpless struggle of his
country, gladly giving up position,
prospects,, felicity and fortune for the
fatal struggle, the prison cell, the sem
tence of death, the convict-ship, the
death-in-life of exile.
From the first he became the most
conspicuous among band of as clever
and famous men as ever championed