The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-03-23
o'BR1EN AT SUPERIOR
The St. Paul Attorney Speaks on
ST. Patrick'S Day.

ported elsewhere, Hon. G. D. O'Brien,
of st. Paul. delivered an address OIL
The Faith of Our Fathers at the
Grand Opera in West Superior on St
Patrick's night to large and appre
ciative audience. He said in substances:
Fellow countrywomen and fellow
countrymen. 1t is not with sacri-
fetal spirit, as your chairman intimat-
ed, that l again appear before a Su-
perior audience. Rather than being a
trial to me feel a sincere delight in
seeing and addressing so many Irish
people of this city. Last evening at
your banquet made new acquaintan-
ces; and tonight 1 am still further
pleased to meet so many of my coun-
trymen.
The subject l have been asked to
speak to you upon, is ''The Adherence
of the Irish Race to the Irish Faith.'
Now the Irish race is a Catholic
race. or course this is not strictly
true, but generally speaking, every
lrishman is Il Catholic. OF no other
race is this true. The English people
are divided in belief; so are the Ger
mans; France is by no means a unity
as regards religion. In this cosmopoli-
tan country, where you meet every
nationality, you also meet every shade
of belief and unbelief under the sun.
But meet an Irishman and ninety-nine
cases out of hundred he is al Catho-
lie.
This fixity of belief has had Ger
tain result. Because of it, through the
blessing of God, the Irish people have
retained their racial characteristics. OF
no other people is this true. Other peo-
pies have lost their individuality; have
united with other races, losing many
of their former traits; but the stream
of Irish blood has flown clear and un-
polluted, through war and famine and
desolation. Persecution and TYRANNY
could not change the nature of the
Irish race, and today, Irishmen are as
aggressively Irish, as they were in the
ancient days when they were proud
and independent. But this is true only
Of the Catholic Irish. Two or three
centuries at most are enough to de-
nationalize the Irishman who has de-
serted the Irish faith. But that these
are few is shown by the fact that all
over the world the Irish faith and the
Catholic faith arc synonymous terms.
All the good qualities of an Irishman
are owing to his faith. That faith,
teaching honor, justice, love for fellow
man, enters into every act of his life.
and makes the Irishman what he is, Il
Christian gentleman.
women. To their integrity, purity,
faith, are due the noble qualities of
Irish manhood. Their zeal for their
faith; teaching their children to love
and respect it; to attend it's services
and to follow it's precepts, and if need
be to testify to the faith that is in
tbem,' has kept the race in the path of
honesty and virtue.
Nor have the men been far behind
the women. They have dared all the
things for their faith. AS missionaries
the clergy have gone into all parts of
the world, enduring much and laboring
earnestly. But, with no disrespect to
the clergy, say that the Irish peasant
has done more for the spreading of his
faith than any. All over this country,
in every valley and on every hillside.
lie has kindled the torch of our holy
rcli",on and when all men are re-
warded for their deeds, the Irish peas
ant will pass before bishop and pope
and receive the reward that is due
him.
The 1rishman, strong in his faith, can
endure every misfortune. But take
that faith from him and he is wretch
cd, indeed. His hold upon the past is
lost The traditions of his race, the
memories of his homeland, the
thoughts of his childhood are bitter to
him. BY giving up his faith he has
forfeited his memories of the past and
his hopes for the future. He finds
neither hope, nor consolation; death
comes mercifully to him; for the grave
covers all things. Sad it is to see one
of our own race, fortunate in business,
popular in society, in short success
full man; but yet one who has lost his
ancient belief. trust, and know that
there Is not one among you tonight
who would so forfeit his church -fo..
any earthly reward.
Let Irishmen bear this in mind
without the Catholic religion, the Irish
race as distinctive people cannot ex-
list. If the Irish intend to endure they
must believe in our holy religion; trust
ing that Gods justice will bring all
things right in the end.
In this land the waves of material
ism with their undermining influences
are surging around the basic stones of
our republic. Their hoarse roars are
signs Of danger. Let them continue
their slow but deadly work, and the
republic must ultimately fall. But we
of the true Irish faith must see that
this never comes to pass.
But the position of the Irish has for
centuries been an humble one They