The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-16
PATRICK sARsFIELD.
Instructive Lecture ON the Great Irish
Soldier.

very interesting meeting of the
Irish Literary Society was held on Sat
urday evening at the Society of Arts
John street. Adelphi. when Dr. John
Todhuntcr delivered Il lecture on Sars.
field, says the Dublin Freeman of Jan
70. General Sir William Butler occu
pied the chair. and there was a very
large attendance, the spacious hall be.
ing entirely filled. An exceedingly
warm welcome was accorded to Gen.
eral Butler on entering the hall. and
his speech i'll putting the vote of
thanks to DR.. Todhunter was very
warmly applauded.
At the opening of the proceedings Mr..
Barry O'Brien moved that Sir William
Butler take the chair. In doing so he
said he need hardly say how glad they
all We're to have amongst them that
evening one who had maintained tho
best traditions of the Irish soldier and
the IriShman
Mr.. Barry O'Brien at the outset an
nounced the result of the Gibson essay
competition. which has already been
published, viZ--First prize of 100 to
Mr.. Henry Mangan. Dublin; and sec
ond prize of f25 to Mr.. Hugh A. Law.
The judges, Mr.. Lccky and Mr.. Justice
Mathews, had, he said. spoken in the
highest terms of the merits of the cS-
says.
DIR. Todhunter then proceeded with
his lecture, in the course of which he
said: Yet such little as he had been
able to discover concerning the life of
the great soldier proved clearly that
the tradition Which made Sarstield the
popular hero Of his time was correct,
and that he undoubtedly deserved a
high place amongst the Irish patriots.
In the wars between William ana
James one thing was very noticeable,
the want of gcncralship on the Irish
side. AS historians had testified there
was never want of v:llor amongst the
Irish, but always want of conduct.
There were Discussions in the Irish
camp without any supremacy of policy
to overcome the fact. James was alb
solutely of no use, being merely fig
urehead, and bad one ut that, while
his chief lieutenant, Tyrconncl, was ii
weathercock. Rut there was hope for
Ireland in the future She had plenty
of fighting power and plenty of endur-
ance, although there might be Il want
of organization and perhaps of mill
tary skill on the part of the generals.
The lecturer then proceeded to sketch
Sarsfield's career, more particularly
that part of it identified with the war
against William in ireland, ending with
the heroic defense of Limerick. He
closely traced Sarstield's connection
with Clifford, who seemed to have been
his evil genius.
MIR. Barry O'Bricn proposed II vote of
thanks to the lecturer.
Mr.. William Gibson seconded the
vote Of thanks
Sir William Butler, Who was received
with prolonged applause, said they
were all agreed that they owed debt
of gratitude to DR. Todhuntcr for his
lecture. A few days ago he had asked
a'dear friend of his if he would come
to lecture OH Sarsiicld, and his friend
replied, "Who was Sarsfcld?' Naugh-
ter.) Hc need not add that his friend
was not Irish, but even the Irish did
not know as much about their great
past heroes us they ought. and there
fore it was that they owed such debt
OF gratitude to men like DR.. TOdhunter,
who devoted their time, energies and
resources to placing before them the
bygonc heroes Of their race Clcnr. hear.
Their work reminded him of a lake-a
very beautiful sheet of water which
lay in that part of Ireland which was
connected with the most remarkable
deeds of Sarsfield's life. He alluded to
the county Limerick. Around the
shores of that beautiful secluded piece
OF water there existed many traditions
One of them was that the great chief
of the Desmond race, the third or
fourth earl, whose end had been mys-
terry, would one day appear from be-
meath the waters of that lake on his
charger and in armor and reaninlate
the spirits Of the people. That was but
fanciful or fairy tradition, and vet
In that, as in all such old traditions,
there was strong germ of truth Zap
plause). The lake was but a symbol
Of death, beneath whose waters hero
and peasant were lying; but one day
comes the enchantcr, and he waves the
wand Of his knowledge, he uses the
eyes of research and calls from beneath
the waters Of death the vanished hero,
and he lives-sometimes on a charger,
sometimes in the senate-and stands
and breathes and talks again (cheers).
That was the service which DR.. Tod
hunter had rendered He had called
before them Sarstield. They had lived
with him-almost spoken to him. And
now he, Sir VIM. Butler asked himself:
"Who was that man Sarsfield-whom
did he representa-" Well, he repre-
scented three things, three great things
his God, his country, and his king
and no ranrnscntnI thom II, ;, t;,nn nf