The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-03-22
Ireland's Patron Saint.

in the world is Ireland, and among the
most interesting people in the world
arc Irishmen. In war, in politic', ora
tory, literature and the church, the sor 8
of the Emerald lie have been, and
still are, foremost among all the people
of the earth.
There are many notable days in tie
Irish calendar Of important events, and
the seventeenth of March is first in
point of time aud first in the Irish
heart. The day has been chosen from
out the chaos of early dates as the time
for commemorating the virtues and
celebrating the pious deeds of St Pat
rick, him who in an early century of
the Christian era, in time when war,
cruelty and barbarism marked the con-
dition of all mankind, illustrated the
Christian virtues in his life and deed
in way that 0as passed his name down
through fifteen hundred years of time,
and enthroped him in the history and
the hearts OF his countrymen as their
Patron Saint. st. Patrick's Day, in a
peculiar sense, is Ireland's great day
the day when warning factions unite in
celebrating the good mans life and
services, the day when faction is silent,
when the historic glories of native land
have the fervent, peaceful contempla-
ton of all Irishmen.
Historic knowledge of ST. Patrick
paltakes of the imperfections incident
to all men aud events of the earlier
years of the Christian era. His birth
is commonly assigned to about the year
372, in Scotland. He was taken from
his fathers farm when he was sixteen
years old, during an incursion of one
of the warning tribes, and carried cap
tive to Ireland. After few years in
captivity he escaped and made his way
to France, and was there ordained
priest and bishop. He was sent to Ire
land as missionary in the year 432,
and died March II, 465, the day now
sacred 10 his memory. But the time of
his death, as well as of the events of his
life, is much disputed. Somehow, it
matters little how, out of the mists of
those early times, has come the day the
the Irish celebrate.
st. Patrick did his work well--so we'll
that Ireland was known in subsequent
centuries as the "islaud of the saints"
He was a discreet man, and his meth
DDS then have been most successful
since in dealing with the errors of hui
mankind. He dealt cautiously aud
gently, says history or tradition, or
whatever other form the story of his
missionary labors has come down to
poaterity, with the old paganism of the
people Ireland was then occupied by
a great number of petty tribes. The
chieftains were first won over, and then
through them their clans. He is said
to have founded three hundred and
sixty five churches, and baptized with
his own hands 10000 persons. OF the
Saint himself much that has been re-
lated is inevitably fabulous, but his
own story of his life, which has come
down to the present times, and which
is believed to be genuine, is said to re-
veal a devout, simple. minded, unletter-
ed man, and most discreet and ener-
getic missionary.
A great many deeds of practical
benefcence, outside of his missionary
labors, tradition attributes to st. Pat
trick. For example, it is the irony of
fate that he should be popularity ia
mous, not for the pious deeds his
biographers have written down to his
credit and which have been briefly re-
ferred to above, but for his extinction
of snakes in Ireland. Ask to-day,
"Who was st. Patrick" and some
very large proportion out of every one
hundred Intercepted will reply, "The
man who exterminated snakes in Ire
land"
But memories of Erin's ancient
priest and benefactor, to the Irish what
Moses is to the Israelites, do not mo
nopolize on his day the thoughts ofIrish.
men, or of other people who, unfortun.
ately, are not able to claim as their own
the splendid heritage of saints, or war.
riors, or patriots, who have labored or
bled for Ireland, or who have fought
for freedom and achieved high distinc,
ton in the service of almost every
other people outside Of Ireland; OF
who, in literature, like he famous poet
whose lines we have reproduced, have
glorifed the Irish name and history
or in the forum or on the bench have
illustrated the wonderful versatility OF
| the Irish mind and it's capacity for