Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-11
AN ELOQUENTSP
Father o'Farrell at Catholic Picnic
July Fourth.
SOME TELLING POINTS WERE MADE
The Large Audience Was Greatly
Pleased With the Words From the
Popular Priest--Was In Good Voice
The Address in Full.


One of the most impressive
speeches delivered in this city upon
the Fourth of July, was that by Rev.
Father John OFarrell, pastor Of ST.,
Patrick's Catholic church, South OF
tumwa. Father O'Farrell was in good
voice, and the large audience present
at the picnic in Manning's grove, where
the speech was delivered was greatly
pleased. Father O'FarreH said;
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men, Fellow Citizens: l deem it a
great honor to have been selected to
give voice to your thoughts on this
day Of days. On this 125th annivers-
airy of her national birth the United
States presents to the world most
beautiful panorama. At early dawn
this morning Liberty was saluted by
the booming of cannon. The people
of every hamlet ana village and town
and city in the land are out today in
full force. From thousands of affairs
sacrifices are being offered to the God
of Liberty. From a myriad of houses
of prayer a blessing is invoked on our
dear country and on the brave men
who gave it to us. The voice of sew
enty millions of free citizens like the
voice of many waters, goes up in
prayers of thanksgiving to the throne
of the Great Father of Nations. Civic
and military professions, amid the sal
vos of cannon, the braying of trumpets,
and the chorus of choirs, move, like
mighty armies, throughout the nation.
Even the children, on this great day,
unconsciously learn to love the land
nj hni W frin do
celebration, too, is a lesson in patriot
ism.
For the honor of addressing you
wish to thank Rev. Father Flood.
But in me, has his reverence select
ed a fit and proper person for the
business in hand? The great Father
Burke, o. p, once asked an Irishman
what, in his judgment, was the proper
business for priest. He reflected and
said: Il suppose, your reverence, the
proper business of priest is to tell
us that we are all going to the devil"
No Irishman in the Sacred Heart par
ish could talk that way. Priests, es-
pecially in Ottumwa, have other and
more pleasant work. Why, you are
all going to glory from this blessed
city, but do not be in a hurry. Wait
awhile till we talk about "Old Glory"
and our beloved country. And no one
today has a better right to talk than
a Catholic priest. One of the frst-if
not by centuries the first - who set
foot on, this, continent was an Irish
priest-St. Brendau, who came here in
the sixth century, traversed the CONT
nent and preached to the aboigines
Christ and him crucifed. ST Bren-
dan was so eloquent and devout that
the Indians took him to be divine.
Hence they called him the "Fair God"
Priests were with Columbus on his
voyages of discovery. When the first
charter of civil and religious liberty
was given to the world in Maryland,
the document was Written by two Jes-
uit priests. When the colonists sent
delegates to Canada to ask for COOP
Grafton and friendship, one of them
was Father Carroll-afterwards our
first American Catholic bishop. Dur
ing our civil war our country sent
Archbishop Hughes of New York on
mission to the governments of Europe.
In all our wars priests were with our
defenders on land and sea-on the
bloody field as Welt as in the. camp or
hospital. Hence, with Ruth of$old the
priest will tell you, my fellow citizens,
"Wheresoever thou shalt go ISalso will
go, and where thou shalt dwell,I also
will dwell. Thy people shall be my
people, and thNgGod my God. The
land that shall receive thee dying, in
the same will die and ,tferes will
be buried The Lord do so and so to
EN- 80 : If aught but death part thee
and me-" Ruth 1: 16.s Our priests
are racy of the soil, for eight-tenths
of them are natives Native or foreign
they love their country; and inculcate
love of country as being next after
love of God.
will confine my remarks today to
the part taken by the Irish race in the
making and perpetuation of our re-
public.
And no people celebrate this day
with more zeal and enthusiasm than
those of Irish birth or blood.
Long before our revolution the Irish
at home, We're made by English law,
aliens in their own country. Those of
them who persisted in remaining true
to the faith of their fathersscould not
vote, nor hold any office of emolument
or trust. They could not own nor pur-
chase real estate, nor could real prop
erty be purchased or held in trust for
them. They could not, under penalty
OF 92,500, be guardians to their own
children. II son became a member
OF the Church of England, thereby he
became the owner of his fathers real
property, and the father had no claim
even to support. They We're not al
lowed to speak their native language,
nor could they send child to school,
II child were sent to schoolin anoth-
er country his parents thereby forfeit
ed their chattels. They We're COMPEL.
ed to support and attend the govern
ment churches. Thus they were bru-
tallzed, impoverished and made ignor-
ant by English law The pressure of
these satanic laws drove so many to
America that the colonies might we'll
be called New Irish. instead Of sENew
England" states. Yet voluntary exile
was too slow for England, which de-
sired to depopulate the island. Hence
slave societies were formed, and en-.
couraged by law to capture and shin
to the colonies afi3 fha tobanoo is1anf