The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-18
Our COUNTRY.
McDermott Tells United
Irishmen Constitution
Should Follow
Flag.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATION
Hoboken Society Gave a Ban
ouet Saturday Night to a
Hundred Guests.

| Celtic eloquence. wit and patriotism
were given characteristic expression at
| the annual banquet and reunion of the
United Irishmen of Hoboken Saturday
night. Edward Meagher, president of the
| society, voiced the sentiment of the hum
| dred diners in referring TO the event as
: "a feast of reason and good cheer which
only Irishmen could hold"
| The tables were spread in the main hall
of Meyers Hotel. The decorations con-
sisted of festoons of entwned American
and Irish flags. SILK boutonnieres done
up to represent shamrocks and miniature
stone jugs stamped .Cruiskeen Lawn,
were distributed among the guests as
souvenirs.
It was midnight before the menu was
finished and the speechmaking began.
Congressman Allan l.. McDermott, in re-
spending to the principal toast of the
evening, Our Country aroused the en-
thusiasm to concert pitch. He began by
referring to the unexplainable love every
man holds for the land of his birth and
dwelt at length upon the memories held
so dear by Irishmen for the land of their
nativity.
ne said, ''but from the blood of ancestry
have inherited for Ireland a love and
veneration which increases as my know
ledge of her history and traditions IN
crease. 1 see around this festive board
tonight faces of men who / know are not
of Irish birth, but who are here just the
same as we are to testify to the inspira-
ton that her history and her traditions
have enkindled in them. We all know
that Ireland has history and that she will
continue to make history; and we all hope
for the realization of that cause which
has inspired her sons to SO bravely fight
and die. Irelands liberty may be far off,
but nothing can prevent it's ultimate ac-
complishment Great applause)
sIrishmen make history wherever they
go They have made it in this country
and are helping to make it now. CAP
plause and cries of ''you bet they are
They were in the Revolution, they were
among the signers of the Declaration of
independence and they were among the
bravest soldiers who fought for the pre-
servation of the Union. The Spanish
American war is not too far off for you
to remember the part they took in that
They are in fact among the United
States's most patriotic citizens.
"And that leads up to the question of
what there is about our country that
makes all of her sons and daughters SO
patriotic irrespective of their race. what
there is in it that compels US all to be
patriotic. 1t leads US again back to that
unexplainable law referred to about the
love of man for his native berth, that
love which is eternal and which tyranny
and oppression cannot put down Our
country is beloved because it is our coun-
try and we all feel that we are a part of
it, Americans believe in their country be-
cause they believe in it's principle, have
faith in its foundation and swear by the
doctrines laid down in the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution.
whether these doctrines are always
adhered to = is not for me to say. The
United States Supreme Court is just now
puzzling its judicial brain with the all
important question of whether or not the
constitution should follow the flag. And
as we are all highly interested in the
Philippines we are all anxiously awaiting
the decision in the matter, despite the
knowledge of some of us that judicial ut
terances nowadays cannot always be re-
lied upon. tLaughter)
II know not what the opinion of this
company may be regarding the all impor-
| tant principles involved in this matter.
but personally l am Of the mind that 1t
were better that the American flag should
wave over no new country If its consti-
| tuition shall not apply to that country.
| prolonged applause.)
| Former Fire Commissioner John j. Cone
| of this city, responded to the toast, THE
Day We Celebrate" and William B. Gour-
! lev put the company in a happy state
with his remarks on UNITED Irishmen'
| "Our City, was toasted at the invita-
| ton of Mayor Lawrence Pagan, who sad
there was no place on earth like Hobo
| ken.
| 1--WE have no politicians and no states
! men here he said. "but we are all in a
| loving little ring by ourselves and hope to
stay that way
| Lawyer Joseph F. Noonon made witty
| address on 1.-THE United Irishmen of Ho-
| boken." He agreed with Mayor Pagan
| that Hoboken was the greatest place on
| earth and added that her Irishmen pro-
vided as good brand of "Cruskeen
Lawn" as he mad ever tasted in his life.
| Other toasts proposed and drunk were
ssThe forefathers of st. Patrick. by the
/ Rev. Father Evans of Holy Innocents'
Church. kindred Societies. by Director
| Holmes OF the Board of Freeholders,
.The LADIES' by Colonel E. A. Stevens;
your Patron Saint" by former Con-
] gressman Thomas McEwan. and Our
/ Guests by Asemblyman John Falon,
Among the other diners were:-Pollce
| Commissioner Adolph Lankering, City
| Clerk John Haggerty, City Superinten-
| dent A. j. Demarest. Police Commissioner
Martin Daab Jr., John j. Eagan. Charles
i Singer Richard Bowes Samuel Nagel,
DR.. NJ. +. Foley, Commissioner Of Public
instruction John Keresey, John Sheridan,
P. H. O'Mally. James o'Neill, Michael
| Boyle, John Flesey. Police Sergeant
/ Hayden, John ]. McNaly. Robert Rath,
/ William Kerr. Joseph HEdemann, B. Nc
i Govern. Aaron S. Baldwin, Frederick ver-
don, William p verdon, Dr.. F. B. Drew,
| James Roarty, James McMullen, James
II. O'Donnell, James O'Rourke, Cornelius
CARING Alexander McCabe. John Nc
Laughlin, John MuIhall, Michael Dono-
van, John Simon, Joseph Brandt James
Malone, Bartholomew Murphy. Commits
sioner of Public Instruction Dooley,
/ Counsellor John Marnell. Joseph H0uri-
gan, Cornelius Fftzsimon. John Fitzpat-