The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-03-24
PATR1CK's DAY IN DULUTH.
Bishop 4 NcGOlrick ON the Wearing O.
the Green.

Bishop XMcGolrick on the Wearing Of
the Green.
The. celebration Of ST. Patrick's day
at the Lyceum on the evening OF March
| II was a fine success. The house was
we'll filled to hear the address of Bishop
! McGolrick and witness the production
OF an Irish drama, entitled can Irish
Agent The opening OF the program
OF the evening was an overture by the
orchestra, which first played "The Star
Spangled Banner" and then followed
with selection of Irish airs. The
| bishop then said in substance:
"The anniversary OF the feast OF St.
Patrick is universal one In every
portion of the world, from the North
pole to the South pole, he is held in
honor for his victory. It'is not the tri-
umph OF one mighty power over an
other, but the conquest OF nation OF
people from paganism to Christianity.
Every Christian can celebrate with the
Irishman the feast of St. Patrick. We
| will proceed to the nineteenth century,
go over it and examine the history Of
the Irish people. In the year 1900
there then reigned on the throne of
England George ILL.,, who prosecuted
the Irish nation because it was Cath
olic He would lay his head on the
block rather than pay one tribute to a
Catholic When delegation came to
him to represent their wrongs and de-
string to have them redressed, he actu-
ally shed tears. He was determined to
destroy Catholicity, and left nothing
undone to accomplish his purpose by
all manner of persecution The Irish
people we're leaving their native land to
cross the ocean, glad to get an opportu-
nifty to live in any other country: In
1901 Ireland was united with England.
To secure the passage of this per6dious
act of union, England promised titles
and pecrages, and resorted to bribery
to take from the Irish nation its last
vcstige Of independence.
THE people leaving Ireland in the
beginning of Victoria's reign were
struck with ship fever, and the Atlantic
bottom is covered with the bones of
thousands who died of that disease. l
| we'll recall number who had taken
ship to Newfoundland. They arrived
among people who hated Irish Cath
olics and popery. They tried to get
work of any kind, willing to do any
thing to support their, families, but
wcrc deprived of this on account OF
their creed, so they left for the United
States. The monuments to-day in Can
ada tell lis OF the hundreds who died
of ship fever. England had poisoned
the minds OF the world with calumhies
on the Irish people to deprive them Of
honest TOLL
Ireland, as an agricultural country,
was dwclt on by the bishop, but on ac-
count of the unjust laws, which kept
the people in subsection, it was hard
struggle for them to exist, and it was
in the power of the government to
create famines. Everything they pro-
duccd went to England, and Ireland
was known as the cabbage garden Of
England. Delegations went over to
parliament and beseeched the govern
| mcnt for assistance Weeks and weeks
went by during these famine times,
and many died Of hunger, but still the
English parliament did not act.
| "In Australia, in 1903, Father Harold
asked in vain to attend to the wants of
the poor Catholics there, but in 1904
he got permission to offer up divine
service. Now we look there and see
one cardinal, eleven bishops and a
large number of priests, with over
100000 Catholics. Coming to the
United States in 1900 they believed
that an Irshman and Catholic was a
degraded creature. This went on for
some time. Irishmen gathering to-
gcthcr and saying they should have
priests. Since that period the church
has grown, and its good work has been
witnessed all over this land in spite OF
a great deal OF opposition from its
enemies"
The bishop then referred to the time
in Ireland when it was crime to speak
the Irish language, when England tried
to destroy their native tongue. They
learned English as it is They have
never lost their characteristics. Eng
land. by this compulsion, had prepared
lrishmcn to be missionaries who scat
tered over the world with their creed
and nationality. Every ship that went
out from Ireland carried Irishmen as
missionaries. He gave short sketch OF
the conditions existing in Ireland last
year as he found them while on trip
and compared them with years ago. II
had lost great deal of its people, as