The Irish standard., 1900-04-21
IN JEFFERSON'S MEMORY.
Hon. c. D. O'Brien's Eulogy on the
Pioneer Democrat.

Hon. Z. D. OBrien'S Eulogy on the
Pioneer Democrat.
Jefferson's birthday was celebrated by
a dinner given last Monday evening at
the West Hotel under the auspices OF
the Bryan Democratic club. The prin-
cipal speaker of the evening was C. D.
O'Brien OF St. Paul His subject was
Thomas Jefferson" Mr.. O'Brien con-
tended that instead OF dimming the lus-
ter OF his name, the proper perspective
OF time had given Americans clearer
insight into the genius of Jefferson and
had enabled them to fully measure his
enduring fame.
No man. he said, could read the his
tory OF the writer of the declaration OF
independence without being thoroughly
impressed with the fact that he was i'll
deed the foremost apostle of human lib
erty. The conditions existing when he
came into public life were of most ex-
traordinary nature, when made the sub
ject OF contemplation seventy-fve years
after his death. The territory which
constitutes the thirteen original states
was then divided into British colonies.
In all the world no such a thing had
been known as republican form OF
government. Only monarclies existed
in their various forms. The proposition
of the divine right of kings to govern
and Cypress as they saw fit was then
uppermost.
With absolutely no condition preced-
ent, i'll new country where nature as
we'll as the tyranny of kings was yet to
be conquered, the idea of free govern
ment had emanated from the hearts and
brains of men like Jefferson, who had
grown UP under the system of oppres-
sion against which they rebelled. The
principle of self-government was entire
ly creation of their own. No such
idea had been latent with them.
The principles from which had been
reared the present proud fabric of gov
ernment-the hatred of the privilege of
class and respect for the rights of the
individual-lad spread throughout the
world Jefferson and his associates had
been the pioneers in the thought that
all men are born equal, in so far as
they are entitled to the full exercise OF
each political prerequisite.
Jefferson had attained these lasting
results not so much by the exercise OF
his transcendent genius, as because of
his absolute fidelity and adherence to his
central idea. Never for one moment
had he faltered. Another keynote to his
success was the great simplicity of the
code which he adopted He always told
the truth. Believing that all men are
born equal, he lived up to the declara-
ton that government derives its Just
power from the consent of the gov
erned. Continuing, he said:
If within seventy-fve or one hundred
years after Jefferson and his associates
set the foundations of the magnificent
proportions to which this republic has
grown we are to depart from the tradi-
tons which have borne the ship OF state
safe through all the storms which have
beset her, then say this day and gene
ration is curse beyond the power of
language to describe. I believe that
the time has come for parties to pass
away. Every man should become a mis-
slonary, exercising his own mind, his
own judgment and his own conscience
to the end that the republic shall be
preserved. If our forefathers ovcrcamc
the wants and necessities born of pow
erty and oppression, are we at last to
let this government be failure because
OF the very superabundance of our
wealth? That proposition concerns us
as nearly as does our souls salvation.
Any American who through careless
ness or inattention fails to attend to the
duties of citizenship ought to incur the
deepest damnation.
In concluding Mr.. O'Brien made an
earnest plea for good citizenship, say
ing that man unworthy of confidence
in his private life could not be trusted
in a public capacity. Out of the diff
ferent political parties he believed that
it would yet be possible to get enough
good men and true to stand together,
to work together, if need be, fight to-
gether, for the salvation of the republic
and to preserve for unborn posterity the
political gospel that had been promul
gated by the men of other days under
the approval of Almighty God,