The Irish standard., 1899-03-25
BISHOP STANLEY ,OF FARGO.
He Delivers an ,l'ration Oh sPatrick's by
in the Garden City.

The Rt. Rev. John Stanley, d. D.
bishopeof Fargo, told ''thc story OF Ire
land on the night OF March u, to a
large audience in Central A'usic hall
says the Chicago Inter-Occan. The oc-
casion was the celebration OF St. Pat
rick's day by the members OF St Ber-
nard's church.
The Right Rev. A. !, McGav:ck, D.
D., auxiliary bishop ele.ct, was chg irman
ef the meeting Professor ]. H. Phe-
Ian presided at the organ Miss Frances
Butler recited a patrioth Irish poem,
and Miss Bessie O'Brien sang several
Irissa songs.
Bishop Shanley began h telling a
story which ilustrs,ed the fact thai
whereser civilization was there was an
lrishnlasl, anal whereicr the Irishman
was he Was sure to be singing st
Patrick's Day in the Morning. He
said the story 81 ireland was the sweet
est saddest. and yet the most glorious
story cver-t0ld.
Il dislike to tell lsae story of Irelane.l." /"
said Bishop Stanley feeling1y. 81 love
the land so well. and am always afraid
when | begin to speak of that gem Of
the sea, and the wrongs Under which it
has groaned for fourteen centuries, that
shall say things that will sound barsh
in the ears Of many who do not under
stand, or fail to appreciate the Irish
heart
He described Ireland as being SO rich
ill., soil and natural products that with
the introduction OF modern improve
ments, in the agricultural system this
small island, one-half as large as the
state OF Illinois, would support 35,ooo-
900 people in comfort, give their chill
dren EDUCATIONAL advantages, and make
the Irish raee what God had intended
it should be-thc grana.r.st in the world.
ireland, he said, had furnished. soldiers
tor every country and fought winl.'n
battles for all peoples. He denied the
statement that Irisl1men co4ld nor fight
Tor themselves, and sketchcd the history
OF Erin from the fifth century to the
rr::cscnt showing that from the invasion
OF the Danes to the present day no ma
ton had been able to subduc the Irish
people. The Danes, after three centuries
OF occupation OF Ireland, had been driv
Ell out and left scarcely trace OF their
customs, habits, and nothing OF their
religion. The same people, he said, had
conquered Britain, and. strengthened by
alliances with Scotland and other coun-
tries, had returned again and again to
attack the Irish race, only to be defeated.
He characterized the English rulers
as race OF butchers and quoted from a
recent interview with Sir James Cum
mings. who had said that the only way
to civlize the Philippines was to "slay,
slay, slay, and recognize no surrender
to prove that the English OF to-day, de-
spite their protestations and bearing
the white mans burden ballads, were as
cruel and murderous as in the days OF
Henry w. or Charles l. ireland, con-
vcrted by St. Patrick in the fiitl, century
he said, became Immediately the center
OF Christian science Before the patron
saint died: churches. monasteries,
schools, and colleges filled the land.
Missionaries from Ireland went into
England, Scotland, France, Germany,
and even to Rome.
"To this day." continued the speaker,
continental Europe is dotted with mon
asteries founded by Irish monks. For
three centuries in Ireland peace, pros
perity, and the grace Of God held sway.
Since that time it has been constant
struggle for liberty, and the Irish race
has never been, nor will it ever be, sub
jugatcd.
Cromwell found Ireland with 2,ooo,
900 souls. He left it with 500, ,ooo To
the remnant OF the people lie gave the
option to so either to llades or to Con-
naueh1 Because they had had enough
Of Cromwell and did not wish to spend
eternity in his company. they chose Con-
naught,"
Bishop Shaniey closed with an elo-
quent appeal to the Irish people, whetll
er Ireland was their land or the land OF
their ancestors, to- be true to the tradi-
tons of their race, to Ireland itself, and
to the uncorrupted religion OF St. Pat
rick